The Independent, on Climate, 5 November 2026

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New oil and gas drilling in North Sea set to be banned – what we know

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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 New oil and gas drilling in North Sea set to be banned – what we know Harriette Boucher Thursday 05 November 2026 08:28 GMT Bookmark popover Removed from bookmarks Close popover Government approves drilling in Jackdaw gas field Energy secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh has introduced the Energy Independence Bill to permanently ban new North Sea oil and gas exploration licences.

Andy Burnham is backing the proposed legislation, which delivers on Labour 's manifesto pledge to halt new drilling projects. Existing licensed sites, including the Jackdaw gas field, will remain unaffected while transitional energy certificates are introduced for current operations. Shadow energy secretary Andrew Bowie criticised the move, warning it will heighten Britain's reliance on foreign energy imports. The bill also contains measures to scrap household gas standing charges, amid ongoing criticism from climate campaigners over existing project approvals.

In full Burnham set to close North Sea to new oil and gas drilling

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About this analysis

The Independent reports that energy secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh has introduced the Energy Independence Bill to ban new North Sea oil and gas exploration licences, with Andy Burnham's backing, and that existing sites such as Jackdaw are unaffected. It attributes the opposition's warning about import reliance to the shadow energy secretary by name and notes criticism from climate campaigners. Nothing in this short bulletin misleads its reader.

What it gets right

  • “Existing licensed sites, including the Jackdaw gas field, will remain unaffected”

    The bulletin states the limit of the ban plainly, so a reader does not take the headline to mean all North Sea drilling stops.

  • “Shadow energy secretary Andrew Bowie criticised the move, warning it will heighten Britain's reliance on foreign energy imports”

    The opposition's claim is attributed to a named politician as his warning, not stated as fact in the outlet's voice.

  • “Energy secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh has introduced the Energy Independence Bill to permanently ban new North Sea oil and gas exploration licences”

    It names who introduced the bill and says exactly what it does: it bans new exploration licences.

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