# Andy Burnham says he told Donald Trump ‘we can’t ignore’ North Sea oil resources

By Tessa Khan — 2026-07-30

Tessa Khan, executive director at Uplift, said: “With climate change driving devastating fires and drought across Europe and the UK, this is hardly the moment to heed Donald Trump’s ‘drill, baby, drill’ agenda.

“The idea that approving new North Sea oil fields will help people struggling with their bills simply isn’t borne out by the evidence.

“The vast majority of what remains in the basin is oil, set to be sold on the international market for export and doing nothing to lower the cost of energy for ordinary people.

“It would also turn a blind eye to the devastating consequences of climate change that are unfolding all around us in real time.

“If Burnham wants to be on the side of the British public, he should turn his attention to turbocharging investment in the green industries of the future so that deindustrialised regions have clear pathways towards well-paid, secure jobs in the future.

“The choice facing Andy Burnham is whether he listens to the oil and gas lobby – and its main cheerleader, Trump – or to the majority of the UK public.”

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