Kemi Badenoch challenged Andy Burnham to approve more North Sea oil and gas drilling, arguing that Britain was sacrificing economic security by delaying domestic energy production as global instability threatens to keep pressure on household bills.
The Conservative leader used Prime Minister’s Questions to demand that Labour overturn its restrictions on new oil and gas licences, following the government’s approval of the Jackdaw gas field after months of uncertainty. She accused ministers of wasting time and investment by failing to make decisions on Britain’s energy resources.
“The Conservatives first approved Jackdaw in 2022,” Badenoch said. “Britain cannot be a serious player on the world stage if the Government dithers for two and a half years over approving a single licence.”
She argued that the country had the resources, expertise and workforce to expand domestic production, but had lost the confidence to take difficult decisions. With energy security back under scrutiny amid geopolitical tensions, Badenoch said Britain risked relying on imports, including supplies ultimately purchased from Russia.
“Will the Prime Minister now overturn Labour’s ban on all new oil and gas licences?” she asked.
Burnham defended the government’s approach, arguing that the delay over Jackdaw stemmed from shortcomings in the previous administration’s approval process rather than Labour’s reluctance to develop domestic energy supplies.
The prime minister described the decision as pragmatic, presenting investment in gas alongside renewable energy as part of a broader transition towards a more secure energy system. He also pointed to the government’s ambition to address household energy costs, including standing charges on gas bills.
The exchange highlighted a central tension in Britain’s energy debate: how to maintain affordable and reliable supplies in the near term while reducing dependence on fossil fuels over time.
Badenoch argued that the transition could not happen quickly enough to eliminate the need for oil and gas. If Britain did not produce more of its own energy, she warned, consumers would remain exposed to imported supplies and international price shocks.
The debate then widened to the public finances, with the Conservative leader warning that government borrowing was heading towards £3tn and arguing that rising debt-interest costs were crowding out spending on public services.
“We spend more on interest payments than we do on schools and the army combined,” she said, demanding that Burnham explain how he intended to reduce borrowing and rein in welfare spending.
Burnham defended Labour’s fiscal record, arguing that Britain was making substantial progress on deficit reduction. He also pointed to plans for a National Care Service as evidence that the government was prepared to confront difficult long-term choices.
But he did not provide the detailed spending reductions Badenoch was seeking. The Conservative leader maintained that higher expenditure would lead to more borrowing, leaving taxpayers exposed to mounting debt costs.
Inflation added another complication. With price pressures rising, Badenoch challenged the government over mortgage rates, food bills and household expenses. Burnham responded that international developments, including the war in Iran, limited the government’s control over prices, while insisting that the underlying economy remained resilient.
The confrontation exposed the competing pressures facing the government: energy security, the cost of living and the need to restore credibility over the public finances.
For Badenoch, the Jackdaw decision provided an opportunity to portray Labour as hesitant on growth and energy production. For Burnham, the challenge is to demonstrate that a strategy combining domestic gas, renewable investment and fiscal discipline can deliver lower costs without undermining the transition.
Neither side offered a decisive answer to the underlying problem: how Britain can secure affordable energy and sustainable public finances in an increasingly volatile global economy.
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