Burnham: To drill or not to drill?

Burnham: To drill or not to drill?

Author: Financial Times August 21, 2026 Duration: 41:20

Andy Burnham has been on a regional tour of the UK, delivering a steady stream of policies aimed at tackling social issues. But now comes the hard part: should he push ahead with new drilling in the North Sea? After a summer of drought and wildfires, can the prime minister make the case for more fossil fuel extraction? FT political editor George Parker stands in for Lucy Fisher as host, and is joined by Inside Politics columnist Stephen Bush, and deputy political editor Jim Pickard. Plus, after Sue Gray described working in Starmer’s government as ‘unbearable’, and a top UK civil servant was revealed to have received a £500,000 payout package, the panel reflects on what we have learned about Starmer’s premiership now that it’s over. 


George @GeorgeWParker and @georgewparker.bsky.social; Stephen @stephenkb; and Jim @PickardJE


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Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com


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