Andy Burnham has been urged to stick to Labour’s manifesto and block further drilling in the North Sea amid reports he is considering backing new oil and gas projects.
Allies of the new Labour leader have said he intends to make a “dynamic” start to his premiership on Monday, when he formally takes over from Sir Keir Starmer.
In a speech in Downing Street, he is expected to set out plans to provide “breathing space” on the cost of living and bring economic growth to every part of the UK, but details of his plans remain unclear.
Media reports have suggested that could involve approving new oil and gas drilling in the North Sea, with Mr Burnham said to be “open-minded” about such a move.
But Labour’s 2024 manifesto, which Mr Burnham has promised to honour, said the party would not issue new North Sea licences, arguing they would “not take a penny off bills” or improve energy security while accelerating climate change.
Senior Green Party figures on Saturday urged the incoming prime minister not to break “one of Labour’s flagship manifesto commitments”.
Green MP Adrian Ramsay said: “Andy Burnham says he takes the climate and nature crises seriously, but words are no substitute for action.
“With heatwaves causing deaths, wildfires and extreme weather across the country, approving new oil and gas drilling is exactly the wrong response and will do nothing to bring down energy bills.”
The past week has seen a significant lobbying effort in favour of new licences, with energy industry leaders and trade union bosses publishing an open letter to Labour MPs calling for them to back North Sea oil and gas.
They argued this would reduce reliance on fossil fuel imports from “volatile regions” that involved higher emissions, making it a “more responsible choice for the climate”.
Enrique Cornejo, of industry association Offshore Energies UK, said: “While we use oil and gas, it is common sense that we prioritise our own production, our own jobs, value in our economy, delivered with lower emissions than imports.”
Opponents of further drilling say the global oil market means extra production in the North Sea would make no difference to energy bills, while being more expensive to extract.
There is also no guarantee that additional North Sea oil will be used in the UK, which exports most of the oil it already produces.
Amy Cameron, programme director at Greenpeace UK, said allowing new drilling would be “a massive own goal” while the UK was “literally on fire”.
She said: “The science is crystal clear: our only fighting chance at a future with bearable temperatures and a thriving green economy depends on rapidly phasing out fossil fuels.
“Turning our backs on that to squeeze out the last few drops from a dying oilfield – which will not lower our bills, create many new jobs or secure our energy supply – would be sheer folly.”
Arguments over North Sea oil have proved a flashpoint throughout Sir Keir’s premiership, with Conservative backing for more drilling helping the party win its first parliamentary by-election in Scotland for almost 50 years last month.
Support for new drilling could also complicate Mr Burnham’s choice of chancellor, a decision he said on Friday he had not yet made.
One of the leading candidates is thought to be Energy Secretary Ed Miliband, who has been a strong supporter of Labour’s manifesto commitment on the North Sea, while reports suggest Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood may be in line for the crucial role instead.
Meanwhile, Kemi Badenoch has criticised Mr Burnham for not setting out his plans before Monday, describing his comments so far as “airy-fairy stuff”.
The Conservative leader told the BBC’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg she thought Mr Burnham was “a people pleaser” rather than someone who would make “tough decisions”.
Mr Burnham has pledged to reach out to other parties and end a of political “point scoring” at Westminster.
But Mrs Badenoch said she would “score as many points as possible if it means the right thing for the country”.
She added: “What I’m not going to do is give Andy Burnham a blank cheque. This is a man who doesn’t want scrutiny, he doesn’t want anyone asking him tough questions, he just wants to be a people pleaser.”