Andy Burnham is facing the first major rebellion of his premiership, after 75 Labour MPs signed a letter opposing approval of drilling at the Rosebank oilfield in the North Sea.
The letter, reported by The Sunday Times, warns that approving the field would destroy Britain’s credibility as a global climate leader and argues that it would do nothing to bring down energy bills. Organisers hope the number of signatories could rise to 100, which would amount to about a quarter of Labour’s 404 MPs in the House of Commons.
The letter is expected to be sent to the prime minister, and possibly to the chancellor, John Healey, within a fortnight. A group of Labour MPs also plans to travel to the COP31 climate conference this week to warn that approving Rosebank would be hypocritical given Mr Burnham’s promise to deliver net zero.
The prime minister also faces the threat of resignations if the field is approved. The Sunday Times reported that one parliamentary private secretary to a cabinet minister is already considering quitting their role. One MP told the newspaper that, for a generation of Labour politicians, climate change was “as central to our politics as equality or tackling poverty”.
The campaign is deliberately modelled on last year’s welfare rebellion, when backbench pressure forced Sir Keir Starmer to abandon planned cuts to disability benefits, a retreat that hastened his downfall as leader.
Rosebank, about 80 miles north-west of Shetland, is said to hold around 300 million barrels of oil. It is operated by Adura, the Equinor-Shell joint venture, which estimates the project would attract £6.6 billion of direct investment in UK-based businesses.
The field was first approved in 2023, but Scotland’s Court of Session later ruled the consents unlawful, leaving the current government to decide the matter afresh. A decision is expected before the end of the year.
The decision formally rests with the energy secretary, Miatta Fahnbulleh, in what the government describes as a quasi-judicial process. She approved the smaller Jackdaw gas field last month. The Guardian has reported that she is leaning towards rejecting Rosebank, while Mr Healey is said to back approval, exposing a split at the top of the cabinet.
Note: the figure of 75 signatories and the reported resignation threat rest on The Sunday Times’ reporting, which cited unidentified people involved in the campaign. The letter has not yet been sent, and the figures have not been independently confirmed.
Sources: The Sunday Times, as reported by Bloomberg (https://www.energyconnects.com/news/gas-lng/2026/november/burnham-faces-labour-rebellion-over-rosebank-sunday-times-says/); BBC News; The Guardian.
