Andy Burnham has confirmed he told Donald Trump he would take 'a pragmatic approach' to the North Sea, after the US president said the new prime minister promised to open up North Sea oil drilling 'all the way' (BBC News).

Burnham became prime minister on 30 July 2026. He told reporters the phone call with Trump happened on 20 July, a week before he moved into No 10.

Trump had posted on his social media site, Truth Social, the day before Burnham took office: 'The new Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, has stated that he will be opening up, all the way, the invaluable North Sea Oil!' When journalists asked Trump about the call, he said: 'He said he's going to open up North Sea oil. If he does that, you're going to be a wealthy country' (BBC News).

The Daily Telegraph reported Trump's claim on 29 July that Burnham had promised to open up North Sea oil drilling (Daily Telegraph).

BBC News reported on 18 July, based on sources, that Burnham would announce plans for new oil and gas drilling in the North Sea after becoming prime minister. The BBC had been looking into Burnham's position since mid-July, noting on 14 July that Trump 'constantly advocates more drilling in the North Sea', and reporting on 13 July that US officials had expressed interest in North Sea oil.

The argument is about two oil and gas fields off the coast of Scotland called Rosebank and Jackdaw. Regulators said yes to drilling at both sites in 2022 and 2023, but courts overturned those decisions in 2025 after a legal challenge. The previous government, led by Sir Keir Starmer, had already allowed 'tie-backs' — these are connections that let oil companies drill into small pockets of oil near fields they already work in, without needing a whole new licence.

The Conservatives and Reform UK want the government to approve more drilling. They say it would bring down energy prices. Tory leader Kemi Badenoch said it would be 'absurd' for the UK to leave 'vital resources untapped'.

Simon Francis, from the End Fuel Poverty Coalition, said no household struggling with energy bills would 'see a penny come off by drilling more from the North Sea'. That is because gas is sold at prices set by the global market, not by how much the UK produces.

People from different parties have criticised the stance. Green Party leader Zack Polanski said it would 'worsen the climate breakdown putting more lives at risk'. Labour MP Rachael Maskell urged the government to 'follow the climate science because we have got a climate emergency'.

The broader context here is that the rules around North Sea drilling have changed a lot over the past 18 months. The court rulings in 2025 left a gap: the old approvals were cancelled, but nothing had replaced them. Starmer's government had already softened its position by allowing tie-backs, and Burnham's choice of the word 'pragmatic' suggests he is continuing in that direction rather than doing something entirely new.

The open question is whether Trump's version — 'opening up, all the way' — and Burnham's version mean the same thing. The word 'pragmatic' is deliberately vague. It could cover small steps like tie-backs without committing to a full reopening of the North Sea to new drilling. Whether Burnham can keep that gap open under pressure from Washington and from the Conservatives is what people in Westminster will be watching.

There is also a Scottish angle. Rosebank and Jackdaw are in Scottish waters, so the Scottish Government and Holyrood — the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh — will want a say in what happens next. The SNP has traditionally taken a tougher line on North Sea drilling than Westminster, and that position will be tested if Burnham starts making concrete announcements.

For oil companies, the prime minister's words matter even before any formal decision. Firms have been stuck in uncertainty since the 2025 court rulings overturned approvals that took years to get. A promise of a 'pragmatic approach', even with caveats, gives them the kind of political signal they need before committing large sums of money. Whether it actually lowers household bills, as the Conservatives and Reform argue, or makes no difference, as the End Fuel Poverty Coalition says, will depend on gas prices around the world — not on what happens in the North Sea.