The UK’s incoming prime minister Andy Burnham has remained tight-lipped on his views on climate change during his leadership campaign. When asked his views on reversing Labour’s manifesto pledge to stop new North Sea drilling in June – a move that the oil-and-gas industry and right-wing media have pushed for in recent months – he said he had “something of an open mind” on the issue. But a trawl of Burnham’s past comments about climate change, net-zero and fossil fuels reveals a different picture. Just a year ago in June 2025, Burnham, while mayor of Greater Manchester, gave his support to the fossil fuel treaty – a proposed international pact on phasing out coal, oil and gas – calling it a “lifeline” that “all governments” should join. In a video message endorsing the treaty, he also said that “there should be no turning away from net-zero”. During his last bid to be Labour leader in 2015, he used similar language, saying: “Labour under my leadership will never turn our back on either our duty to tackle climate change or the prospects offered by the green economy.” Burnham has spoken about the threat of climate change since at least 2008, noting in 2021 that accelerated action could “create thousands of good jobs”, but also warning that net-zero risked becoming the “next Brexit”. Burnham is yet to appoint his cabinet, but there is much speculation that he will select current net-zero secretary Ed Miliband as his chancellor – with their ally Miatta…
