Politics latest: Trump hails Burnham’s decision to approve Jackdaw gas drilling in North Sea

Become an Independent member to bookmark this article Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Membership today. Join today Already a member? Log in Close Stay on top of the latest political news with our View from Westminster newsletter Get the latest political headlines with our free email Get the latest political headlines with our free email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice US president Donald Trump has welcomed Andy Burnham’ s decision to allow drilling at the Jackdaw gas field, hailing it as “great news for the wealth and prosperity of the United Kingdom”. The prime minister proposed removing standing charges from energy bills as he faced a grilling at prime minister’s questions on Wednesday. His government’s decision to approve drilling in the Jackdaw gas field in the North Sea has drawn criticism from Labour MPs, as well as climate activists, who are now pressuring the prime minister to reject the Rosebank oil and gas field project. Green Party leader Zack Polanski described Wednesday’s move as “a betrayal of all of our futures” and said Labour had “abandoned all credibility in the fight against climate change”. The prime minister said drilling in the Jackdaw gas field would “protect hundreds of jobs and help keep millions of homes warm”, but stressed it would not hinder the government’s targets on renewable energy . Energy secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh has told Britons not to expect lower energy bills this winter, telling the BBC that the “key consideration in coming to this decision was at a time when we are in an energy crisis triggered by the conflict in the Middle East”. Key Points Burnham proposes removing standing charges from energy bills Government faces backlash after approving drilling in Jackdaw gas field Will Jackdaw make your energy bills cheaper? Government under pressure to approve Rosebank oil and gas field Climate activists protest government's approval of Jackdaw gas field Mapped: Where are the Rosebank and Jackdaw oil and gas fields? What the Jackdaw decision means for Rosebank What does the government’s Jackdaw decision mean for Rosebank? Rosebank is Britain’s largest remaining untapped oil field, located about 80 miles north west of the Shetland Islands Jane Dalton 21 October 2026 13:53 Trump says Jackdaw will make UK 'very wealthy again' President Trump seemed delighted at the government’s decision to drill the Jackdaw gas field. He posted: “The UK has started drilling in the North Sea, one of the greatest and most prosperous areas of OIL in the World. They should go FULL BLAST!!! This will make the U.K. very wealthy again. TAKE DOWN THE COSTLY AND RIDICULOUS WINDMILLS!” Trump's post on Truth Social ( Truth Social ) Jane Dalton 21 October 2026 13:34 Trump hails Jackdaw decision 'great news' US president Donald Trump has welcomed the decision on the Jackdaw gas field project, hailing it as “great news for the wealth and prosperity of the United Kingdom, and the wonderful region of Aberdeen”. Jane Dalton 21 October 2026 13:29 'Comfortable win for Burnham' At least one commentator said the prime minister outperformed opposition leader Kemi Badenoch at PMQs. Jane Dalton 21 October 2026 13:26 Adura boss 'very confident' Rosebank field will be approved The boss of Adura, which operates the Jackdaw and Rosebank gasfields, has said he is “very confident” that the government will go ahead with both projects. Andy Burnham is facing pressure to approve the Rosebank gasfield, while also being urged to reject it by climate activists and several MPs. Chief executive Neil McCulloch said: “We’ve seen a decision made that there is a process that can result in a decision, but it’s a matter for the secretary of state and her team to examine the two fields separately. “But we believe we’ve done as good a job in arguing our case with Rosebank as we did with Jackdaw. Obviously, the economic benefits of Rosebank are different. “It’s a bigger field. It will last longer than Jackdaw, and so I’m sure she’ll take that into account when she makes her decision in terms of the jobs and economic impact for the UK.” He also said that Jackdaw will be a “significant addition to energy security. “It’s about 6 per cent addition to domestic gas flow into the UK.” Harriette Boucher 21 October 2026 12:54 Reform UK report undercover reporters to police over ITV sting Reform UK have said they have reported ITV, its board and undercover reporters to the police in response to a documentary revealing racist, sexual, and violent rhetoric among its members. The party’s home affairs spokesperson Zia Yusuf published a statement on Wednesday, accusing journalists of “breaking the law”. ITV have been contacted for a comment.“Reform UK has reported ITV, its board, and its undercover reporters to the police,” Mr Yusuf wrote. “Some of the crimes carry up to 10 years in prison. They forged a passport. “They directly interfered in elections and almost certainly altered the results. Being paid to ‘canvass’ for Reform in crucial wards we lost by a few dozen votes. “They lied to a veteran about their service and left him ‘violated’. “This is unprecedented. The police are now involved. “Scrutiny of political parties is one thing. “But anyone breaking the law to try and ruin the lives of Reform’s staff, members or volunteers will be reported to the police and pursued relentlessly in the courts.” Political reporter Athena Stavrou 21 October 2026 12:49 PM: Britain's economy 'getting stronger and stronger' despite rising inflation Andy Burnham has said the fundamentals of Britain’s economy are “getting stronger and stronger” after Kemi Badenoch pressed him on higher inflation. “She may notice that there is a situation ongoing in the Middle East where we don’t have full control… of that situation,” he said. “But what I can say to her, the fundamentals of the British economy are getting stronger and stronger under this government. “We will take the right long-term decisions, and she should wait for the Budget, and she will see that laid out in this House.” Mrs Badenoch then said: “Next week at the Budget, the Prime Minister has a choice: he can cut spending, he can cut the deficit, or he can cut tax. There’s no other way.” She asked whether he would follow the Conservatives’ plan or “bottle it, just like Keir Starmer did”. Mr Burnham said “there are signs of growing strength in the British economy”, before referring to the “disastrous” Liz Truss mini-budget which he said “people in this country, British households, are still paying the price” for. Harriette Boucher 21 October 2026 12:47 Removing standing charges saves £22 per year Political editor David Maddox reports: Analysis carried out by Nesta, a foundation which focuses on cutting household carbon emissions and making clean energy affordable, suggests that the average annual saving for dual fuel households by removing standing charges on gas would be £22. It estimates that 63 per cent of dual-fuel households would pay less; the crossover point where bills rise is around 12,000 kWh of annual gas use. There is a progressive effect with 84 per cent of the poorest households being better off versus only about 23 per cent of the wealthiest households. This is because poorer households generally use less gas; richer ones use disproportionately more. Harriette Boucher 21 October 2026 12:43 London mayor-hopeful quizzes Burnham on falling Met Office recruitment numbers London mayor-hopeful James Cleverly has quizzed Andy Burnham over falling Met Police recruitment numbers, as he took aim at Sadiq Khan. The Tory MP said: “When [Mr Burnham] was mayor at Greater Manchester, the GMP had more officers than when he was appointed. When I was home secretary, Essex Police had more officers than at any point in their history. “But over the last ten years, London’s Met Police have failed to recruit, and police numbers have fallen. “What is it that he was able to get right and I was able to get right, but Sadiq Khan catastrophically has failed to get right?” The prime minister responded: “I did increase police numbers, but he will know, it is not something that you can do from the local level alone. “You need government support as well to do that. Sadly, that support for the Met Police was not forthcoming in sufficient quantity during the period in which he was in office. “So he can’t come here and absolve himself of any responsibility in his quest to come second to Sadiq next year.” Harriette Boucher 21 October 2026 12:42 Green MP accuses PM of ‘pouring more fuel on the fire of climate breakdown’ Whitehall editor Kate Devlin writes: Green MP Ellie Chowns told Andy Burnham that his party’s own 2024 manifesto said that climate crisis is the greatest global challenge we face “and the UN has warned today that we're breaching safe climate limits meaning more of the heat waves, wildfires and catastrophic floods that killed thousands this summer. “So, can the prime minister explain why he's pouring more fuel on the fire of climate breakdown? Does he disagree with the overwhelming scientific consensus that fossil fuels must stay in the ground, or what the oil and gas lobbies would be too difficult to ignore?” Mr Burnham defended the decision saying it would allow the government to help reduce energy bills. Harriette Boucher 21 October 2026 12:37 Newer 1 / 4 Older