In a Ben Jennings cartoon now circulating widely, Andy Burnham is shown arriving at No 10 – but the caption hints at trouble ahead. The incoming prime minister is about to inherit a decision that pits climate against costs, with global energy markets in turmoil.
As the Strait of Hormuz closes again, intense pressure is mounting on Burnham to change the UK government’s policy on North Sea oil and gas drilling – specifically, the controversial Rosebank and Jackdaw fields. Research shows that drilling there will fail as a long-term strategy, yet the argument is often framed as a simple trade-off between cutting emissions and cutting energy bills.
“Pressure mounts on incoming PM Andy Burnham to change North Sea drilling policy as Strait of Hormuz closes.”
“This sentiment completely misrepresents what is possible and what is at stake,” according to a New Statesman analysis. The closure of the Strait – a chokepoint for global oil shipments – has sent prices soaring, reviving calls for domestic extraction. But the research undermines the claim that more drilling can provide a lasting solution.
Burnham, a former Labour mayor of Greater Manchester, has not yet detailed his energy policy. The cartoon – available as a print from the Guardian Print Shop – captures the moment just before the real decisions begin. Whether he bows to pressure or sticks to a green path will define his early premiership, as the world watches a new leader navigate an old dilemma.