Andy Burnham says accelerating the extraction of oil and gas in the North Sea could help \u201cbridge\u201d the transition to clean energy, as the country endured another peak in temperatures and wildfires last week.<\/p>\n
Speaking from Stourbridge on Friday, where 19 homes were destroyed by fires, the prime minister also announced \u00a365m to support farmers grappling with drought and the deployment of military personnel to bolster the nation\u2019s firefighters, acknowledging the fire and rescue service \u201cisn\u2019t properly set up to deal with these incidents\u201d.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s a view shared by nearly two-thirds (59%) of adults, according to exclusive polling by Opinium for The Observer, with just 12% thinking the country is well prepared to deal with the impact of climate change. People are most concerned about the UK\u2019s water infrastructure, food security and public health, the polling reveals.<\/p>\n
But the same survey found that many Brits share Burnham\u2019s pragmatism over North Sea oil and gas production. While around one in five oppose any new drilling, 61% back approving new fields as long as it comes with caveats including phasing out oil and gas production as quickly as possible. Nearly a quarter (24%) believe the UK should actively encourage the development of new oil and gas fields.<\/p>\n
Burnham has left open the possibility of granting approval for the Rosebank oil field off Shetland and the Jackdaw gas field, which lies east of Aberdeen, with a decision expected imminently. Speaking to BBC Radio 5Live on Friday, he suggested approving the two plans could help \u201cspeed up the energy transition\u201d.<\/p>\n
Although he did not name the sites, Burnham said: \u201cWe won\u2019t be able to stop using oil and gas for some time, that\u2019s just a fact. The question is whether we can accelerate use of it so that we pay for the transition, and one thing helps the other\u2026 whether that extraction can be the bridge to the clean energy future we need, and bring it forward. It\u2019s about a pragmatic approach to both of those.\u201d<\/p>\n
Climate action group Friends of the Earth welcomed Burnham \u201cbreaking his silence\u201d on the prolonged heatwave, but said he must \u201cdemonstrate that he understands both the causes and effects of the climate emergency by rejecting a third runway at Heathrow and ruling out new oil and gas developments like Rosebank and Jackdaw.\u201d<\/p>\n
That was echoed by Green party leader Zack Polanski, who said that it was \u201cgobsmacking that Andy Burnham\u2019s response to the deaths from the climate crisis has been to pledge to try and stop the sale of single-use barbecues\u201d. Early assessment by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) suggests there were 2,877 heat-associated deaths during two heatwaves in May and June 2026, almost double the figure reported annually for 2025.<\/p>\n
Polanski\u2019s deputy Mothin Ali , who visited Stourbridge on Saturday, said: \u201cIt\u2019s time to put people and planet first.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Conservatives \u2013 whose leader Kemi Badenoch has banned candidates from representing the party unless they agree to abandon its former net zero policies \u2013 said Burnham should go further in support for farmers.<\/p>\n
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