Andy Burnham has been urged to stick to the Labor manifesto and block new drilling in the North Sea amid reports she is considering backing new oil and gas projects.
Allies of the new Labor leader have said he intends to make a “dynamic” start to his premiership on Monday, when he formally replaces Sir Keir Starmer.
In a speech in Downing Street, he is expected to set out plans to provide a “breather” in the cost of living and bring economic growth to all parts of the UK, but details of his plans remain unclear.
Media reports have suggested that could involve approving new oil and gas drilling in the North Sea, and Burnham is said to have an “open mind” about such a move.
But Labour's 2024 manifesto, which Burnham has vowed to uphold, said the party would not issue new licenses in the North Sea, arguing they would “not take a penny off bills” or improve energy security while accelerating climate change.
Senior Green Party officials on Saturday urged the incoming prime minister not to break “one of Labour's signature manifesto commitments”.
Green MP Adrian Ramsay said: “Andy Burnham says she takes the climate and natural crises seriously, but words are no substitute for action.
“With heat waves causing deaths, wildfires and extreme weather conditions across the country, approving new oil and gas drilling is exactly the wrong answer and will do nothing to reduce energy bills.”
Last week saw a major lobbying effort for new licences, with energy industry leaders and union bosses publishing an open letter to Labor MPs calling on them to back North Sea oil and gas.
They argued that this would reduce dependence on fossil fuel imports from “volatile regions” that involved higher emissions, making it a “more climate responsible option.”
Enrique Cornejo, from industry association Offshore Energies UK, said: “While we use oil and gas, it is common sense that we prioritize our own production, our own jobs and the value of our economy, delivered with lower emissions than imports.”
Opponents of new drilling say the global oil market means additional production in the North Sea would make no difference to energy bills, although it would be more expensive to extract.
There is also no guarantee that additional North Sea oil will be used in the UK, which exports most of the oil it already produces.
Amy Cameron, program director at Greenpeace UK, said allowing new drilling would be “a huge own goal” while the UK was “literally on fire”.
She said: “The science is very clear: our only chance to fight for a future with bearable temperatures and a thriving green economy depends on the rapid phase-out of fossil fuels.
“Turning our backs on that to squeeze the last drops out of a dying oil field – which won't reduce our bills, create many new jobs or secure our energy supply – would be pure madness.”
Discussions over North Sea oil have proven to be a flashpoint throughout Sir Keir's tenure, and Conservative backing for more drilling helped the party win its first parliamentary by-election in Scotland in almost 50 years last month.
Support for new drilling could also complicate Burnham's choice of chancellor, a decision she said on Friday she had not yet made.
One of the frontrunners is believed to be Energy Secretary Ed Miliband, who has been a strong supporter of Labour's North Sea commitment manifesto, while reports suggest Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood could be in line to take on the crucial role.
