Burnham should ‘tout North Sea oil and gas in EU talks’

Andy Burnham should dangle the promise of more North Sea drilling as part of his upcoming talks with the European Union, according to a fresh report that warned a failure to tap into the region s reserves would leave the continent exposed to future diesel shocks. Researchers from advisory firm PF Global urged the Prime Minister to tout the UK s oil and gas industry in this month s EU reset talks, arguing it would help bolster his negotiating position and contribute to Europe s shared resilience . Norway, outside of the EU, has built much of its relationship with Europe on its role as a reliable supplier, the paper, titled A UK-European Oil System, said. The UK can make a comparable case, presenting UKCS [UK Continental Shelf] oil production as a contribution to shared resilience ahead of the UK-EU summit in November 2026. That case is weakened if the UK is seen to be running down its own production before getting to the table. Operations at European refineries have been p