Andy Burnham's first days as prime minister have already produced the kind of friction that defined his predecessor's tenure. Reports that his government is weighing new North Sea oil and gas drilling have drawn sharp criticism from climate campaigners, exposing a cabinet split just as Burnham tries to establish his authority.
Global Witness campaigner Flossie Boyd criticised the reported plans directly, arguing that expanding drilling would undercut Britain's climate commitments while doing nothing to lower energy bills, create jobs or strengthen the economy. She said the only beneficiaries would be large fossil fuel companies, and urged Burnham to prioritise wind and solar investment instead.
Disagreement runs through Burnham's own top team
Chancellor Rachel Reeves is understood to privately favour new drilling, while Energy Secretary Ed Miliband wants the focus kept on renewables. Two of Britain's largest trade unions, Unite and GMB, are pushing for drilling on the grounds of protecting jobs in the sector. The Rosebank and Jackdaw fields in Scottish waters sit at the centre of the dispute, with Scotland's First Minister John Swinney also weighing in on the balance between energy security and climate goals.
The oil question lands on top of an already crowded in-tray. Burnham inherits an economy that has barely grown in two decades, a cost-of-living crisis, overstretched public services and the same foreign policy pressures that wore down Keir Starmer, including the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East and the balancing act of managing relations with US President Donald Trump.
Gaza has already proved politically costly as Burnham has said Britain would consider further sanctions against Israelis involved in violence in Gaza and illegal settlement activity in the West Bank, a position that drew criticism from Jewish groups. At the same time, pro-Palestinian groups have criticised him for not describing Israel's bombardment of Gaza as genocide, leaving him caught between two camps on one of the most sensitive issues facing his party. Immigration, meanwhile, was notably absent from his first speech as prime minister, despite being a top concern for many voters.
Burnham has also declined to rule out a wealth tax, telling broadcaster Gary Lineker on the Goalhanger podcast that the option remains open as his government looks for ways to fund its spending plans without adding to Britain's public debt.
Analysts point out that Burnham has had little time to prepare. Sunder Katwala, director of the British Future think tank, told Al Jazeera that Burnham's rise happened faster than expected and that he has not yet had the thinking time to settle his full agenda or finalise his cabinet's direction.
Source: Associated Press, Al Jazeera, Global Witness, CNBC
