Andy Burnham accused of caving to oil giant lobbyists over Jackdaw gas field approval

The government’s decision to approve drilling at Jackdaw field in the North Sea has been met with widespread criticism by environmental campaigners.

Green Party leader Zack Polanski has called the move “a victory for Shell over the people”. Meanwhile, campaign group Green New Deal Rising has accused the government of putting “the interests of big oil companies ahead of people”.

Labour had promised to ban new drilling in the North Sea in its 2024 election manifesto. However, new Prime Minister Andy Burnham vowed to take a “pragmatic” approach.

The government announced that it will give Shell and Equinor permission to drill Jackdaw field today.

It said that Jackdaw will start to supply gas to British homes and businesses from the end of this month.

This follows significant lobbying by Shell and Equinor to get the government to approve the project.

Adura, a joint venture owned by Shell and Equinor, commissioned a report this week which said rejecting Rosebank and Jackdaw would cost the UK economy nearly £10.8bn over the next decade.

In January 2025, drilling at Jackdaw and Rosebank was halted after the Court of Session in Edinburgh found that consents had been granted unlawfully.

The court blocked drilling at the field after it ruled that the project’s environmental impact assessment had failed to account for the climate impact of burning the extracted gas.

The gas field will produce an estimated 23 million tonnes of CO2 emissions. 

Based on calculations for climate harm used by the government, Greenpeace argues that burning the gas from Jackdaw will cause £16.1bn in “global damage” and more than 8,000 heat-related deaths.

Reacting to Labour’s decision, Polanski said: “Today’s decision by Labour is a betrayal of all of our futures, Labour has abandoned all credibility in the fight against climate change. 

“The Energy Secretary has herself said it will make no difference to energy bills, the Health Secretary has admitted the summer heatwave added to pressure on the NHS and the industry’s own assessment is that it will create only 27 jobs. 

“This is a victory for Shell over the people.”

Hannah Martin, co-director Green New Deal Rising, said: “Approving Jackdaw is the devastating signal that, even as climate change brings more wildfires, droughts and extreme heat, this government is still prepared to put the interests of big oil companies ahead of people.”

“Jackdaw won’t lower bills, it won’t deliver thousands of jobs, and it won’t protect us from volatile global fossil fuel markets.

“Andy Burnham cannot talk about hope for the next generation whilst backing decisions that make their future more frightening and uncertain.”

Ami McCarthy, Head of Politics for Greenpeace UK, said: “Approving Jackdaw shows the toxic grip fossil fuel lobbyists still hold over our energy policy. Andy Burnham promised pragmatism, but there is nothing pragmatic about rubber-stamping a project that won’t lower energy bills, won’t boost energy security and will create just 27 full-time jobs.

“What Jackdaw is guaranteed to do is generate record profits for Shell and Equinor while supercharging the climate chaos hitting families here and abroad. Going on to approve Rosebank would detonate an even bigger carbon bomb, releasing as much carbon as 56 coal plants operating for a year. 

“True pragmatism means severing our reliance on expensive oil and gas that leaves British households broke, supercharges extreme weather, and leaves our energy security at the mercy of petrostates.”

Olivia Barber is a reporter at Left Foot Forward