Labour MP savages Burnham's 'hypocritical and pointless' ban on North Sea oil drilling

A Labour MP has accused Andy Burnham of a 'hypocritical and pointless' ban on further North Sea oil drilling. The Prime Minister will press ahead with legislation to prevent future development off the Scottish coast despite previously vowing to be 'pragmatic' on the issue. But his backbenchers have criticised the decision as a poll showed Labour supporters back more drilling, including at the Rosebank oil field off Shetland. Henry Tufnell, the Labour MP for Mid and South Pembrokeshire, accused the PM of 'an act of self–harm' in championing the legislation.

He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'We are prepared to import gas from the US, we're prepared to import gas that has been drilled in Norway, but we are not prepared to drill our own oil and gas in the North Sea and bring in the economic benefits from tax receipts and support jobs there. 'There is a hypocrisy there that I really struggle to get my head around.' He added: 'We think that energy security is national security, we think it can bring huge benefits for economic growth and ultimately protect lots of jobs.'

He said his party needed to adapt to an 'ever–changing world' as he argued that energy security was vital. Andy Burnham is set to proceed with legislation blocking new oil and gas developments off the Scottish coast, despite previously pledging to take a 'pragmatic' approach Henry Tufnell, Labour MP for Mid and South Pembrokeshire, said it made little sense for Britain to import oil and gas from countries such as the US and Norway while refusing to develop its own reserves 'The important thing to recognise here is the fact that we've got conflict in the Middle East, we have conflict in Ukraine,' he said. 'We live in a world where energy security has rocketed up the geopolitical agenda as a result of these threats and we have to respond accordingly.

I find the whole thing very strange.' Mr Tufnell and Steve Yemm, the Labour MP for Mansfield, have founded the cross–party Industry First pressure group to support new oil and gas drilling. It came after Labour published the Energy Independence Bill which will block future licences despite the cost–of–living crisis. The law change will not affect the decision on Rosebank because it was approved in 2023 before being legally challenged. A poll found that nearly two–thirds of Labour supporters want to see the Government endorse the project after gas field Jackdaw was given the go–ahead last month.

Polling for Offshore Energies UK found 65 per cent of those who backed Labour in the 2024 general election want to see Rosebank get the green light. It is the largest undeveloped oil field in UK waters and its future has split the Cabinet, with the Energy Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh suggesting she is not minded to approve it. Less than a fifth (17 per cent) of the party's voters agree with Ms Fahnbulleh's reported view on Rosebank. However, 68 per cent of Labour supporters backed her decision to approve the Jackdaw gas field.

Meanwhile, 72 per cent of those who voted for the party in 2024 agreed that oil and gas are 'essential for the foreseeable future'.