Burnham Tilts to Jobs Over Net Zero as Drilling Decision Looms
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- Andy Burnham, described as the new prime minister, is talking up new North Sea oil and gas drilling and consulting on easing net zero targets for carmakers during what scientists call the hottest summer on record.
- The UK government called a Cobra meeting on wildfires after pressure from the Greens, issued an emergency alert to every mobile phone, and rolled out extra support for drought-stricken farmers.
- The Zev mandate fines carmakers who miss constantly rising EV sales targets, and Burnham and his deputy Louise Haigh appear instinctively protective of jobs and unions in the industrial heartlands over stricter climate measures.
- Cat Eccles, Labour MP for Stourbridge, has publicly warned that this is not the time to extract new fossil fuels, though Burnham quickly visited her wildfire-hit constituents.
- Higher gas bills are expected this autumn, attributed by the column directly to "Donald Trump's disastrous war on Iran," and rightwing parties are positioned to blame the cost on "woke" net zero policies.
- Eco-entrepreneurs Dale Vince and Greg Jackson have broken ranks, arguing in the column that domestic North Sea oil and gas is a cleaner option that could reduce the backlash against net zero pragmatism.
Why it matters: If Burnham softens the Zev mandate and approves drilling at Rosebank and Jackdaw, ministers could avoid forcing carmakers to mothball petrol and diesel lines — but Labour MP Cat Eccles is already publicly warning against new fossil fuel extraction. Autumn gas bills linked to Trump's Iran conflict add a cost-of-living pressure that rightwing parties are positioned to exploit.
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