The prime minister faces pressure over North Sea oil and gas as a decision on allowing new drilling moves closer.
A consultation on Jackdaw, a gas field 150 miles east of Aberdeen, will close later, while a consultation on the Rosebank oil field, north-west of Shetland, closes next Monday.
Environmental groups have urged Andy Burnham to refuse permission for oil and gas production in Jackdaw and Rosebank as part of the fight against climate change.
But opposition politicians, the oil and gas industry and US President Donald Trump have called for him to grant permission, arguing this would protect jobs and cut bills.
Burnham’s party is also split on the issue, while watering down environmental commitments could limit Labour’s ability to tempt back voters that have switched to the Greens since 2024.
Production at both Jackdaw and Rosebank was approved by the Conservatives, but a court quashed those decisions last year after a challenge from Greenpeace, leaving the Labour government to decide whether to go ahead.
The end of the consultations has brought renewed focus on the prime minister’s dilemma.
Lang Banks, director of WWF Scotland, said there was “a clear choice to be made by our politicians: further fuel climate chaos, or support a fair transition to a safer future”.
Pointing to “a summer of extreme heat and devastating wildfires”, including near Aberdeen, Banks said it would be “irresponsible to approve new oil and gas developments that would accelerate climate change and do nothing to lower the energy bills of UK households”.
Other environmental groups have argued that the small amount of oil and gas left in Britain’s North Sea holdings would make little difference to either prices, which are set internationally, or energy security, while increasing carbon emissions.
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Published31 JulyAmi McCarthy, head of politics at Greenpeace UK, said: “Trying to squeeze the last few drops of expensive oil and gas out of the North Sea while the world is reeling from climate impacts is beyond ridiculous.”
But supporters of further drilling, including the energy industry, the Conservatives and some trade unions have said it will not make a significant difference to emissions and is vital for protecting jobs.
President Trump has also been a vocal supporter of North Sea drilling, and said Burnham “sounded terrific” on the issue in their first phone call last month.
In that call, Burnham told Trump the UK “can’t ignore” resources in the North Sea, and said he would take “a pragmatic approach” to further drilling.
But the PM could face an internal battle if he does approve production at Jackdaw and Rosebank.
Scottish MP Graeme Downie said the UK should “manage the decline of the North Sea in a way that protects workers, supports communities and builds the industries that will power Britain’s future”.
He added: “If we do not proceed with Jackdaw and Rosebank, investment will leave the UK, jobs will disappear and expertise will be lost.”
But others have warned against granting permission, pointing to Labour’s 2024 manifesto commitment not to grant new licences for drilling in the North Sea.
Labour has always said it would honour existing licences, giving it some room to approve production at Jackdaw and Rosebank.
Meanwhile, polling suggests Labour under Burnham has begun to win back some of the voters it lost to the Greens during Sir Keir Starmer’s premiership, but this could be jeopardised if the party was seen to water down its climate commitments.
The leader of the Green part in England and Wales Zack Polanski said approving Jackdaw and Rosebank would be “a dereliction of duty”.
He said: “Whatever weasel words are used on drilling within new or existing licences, one of the new prime minister’s first significant decisions would be to break Labour’s manifesto pledge.
“Jackdaw’s owner have themselves said that only 27 direct full time jobs would be created if given the go ahead.
“This has nothing to do with boosting the economy for the people of this country and far more to do with boosting obscene profits for fossil fuel companies and their shareholders.
“I made clear in my press conference last week, this needs to be treated for the serious crisis it is, with financial support for homes to keep cool and for fossil fuel giants to pay the costs of extreme weather adaptation.”
A government spokesperson said: “The North Sea remains a vital national asset, supporting jobs, growth and the UK’s energy security.
“We are clear that oil and gas will continue to play an important role in our energy system for decades to come, alongside renewables, nuclear and other low-carbon technologies.
“Our focus is on providing stability and supporting North Sea workers and communities as they continue to make a vital contribution to the UK’s economy.”
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