Jackdaw approval

The government led by Prime Minister Andy Burnham has approved production from the Jackdaw gas field, which sits about 150 miles east of Aberdeen. The field is run by Adura, a joint venture between Shell and Equinor. The decision was announced on Wednesday, 21 October, after years of legal challenges and intense debate over its environmental and economic impact. Ministers expect first gas before the end of October 2026, and operators say the field could be tied into the Great British gas network within weeks and keep producing for 11 years. The government also created a new energy wealth fund at the same time.

Economic case and opposition

Officials estimate Jackdaw could lift domestic gas output by around 6% at its peak, protect hundreds of jobs and deliver an estimated £2.9 billion economic boost. Official forecasts for national gas needs over the next decade imply the field could cover about 1.6% of projected demand between 2026 and 2036. Ministers argue that homes and businesses still use gas, so producing it at home makes more sense than importing it from distant suppliers. Environmental campaigners counter that the approval works against climate goals and brings little benefit to energy security. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch accused the Prime Minister of dithering on Jackdaw and called for the ban on new oil and gas licences to be repealed. Burnham replied that her party had messed up the original decision. The Rosebank oil field, located west of Shetland, has not yet been decided. Energy Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh said the framework for that decision is tight so that courts cannot overturn it, and that she will have the final say. Burnham said Rosebank would be done properly, since legal challenges are almost certain if it is approved.

Trump's praise

Donald Trump welcomed the Jackdaw decision in a Truth Social post on Wednesday, 21 October, calling it great news for the UK and the Aberdeen region. He urged ministers to go full blast and described the North Sea as one of the most prosperous oil areas in the world. He also called for costly wind turbines to be taken down. On Friday, 23 October, as he left the White House for a campaign rally in Florida, Trump told reporters he had spoken with Burnham. He claimed the UK was opening up North Sea oil, although the Jackdaw project concerns gas, and he contrasted Burnham with the previous prime minister, Starmer, whom he called a very nice man who never got it done. He summed up his view of the new Prime Minister this way:

“Andy is getting it done, and I guess it's against the liberal principle, but he knows what's right.”

Starlink call

Burnham and Trump spoke by phone on Friday, 23 October. A Downing Street spokeswoman said the Prime Minister stressed that Ukraine needs full Starlink access to keep defending itself against Russia's full-scale invasion. The readout credited Trump with bringing Vladimir Putin to the negotiating table and said both leaders agreed to work with international partners to end the bloodshed. The dispute centres on restrictions to Ukraine's use of Elon Musk's satellite network, which reduced bandwidth and weakened Kyiv's defences against Russian missile and drone strikes. Musk suggested the White House ordered the limits, but the Wall Street Journal reported that he personally directed the slowdown. Earlier, Burnham had welcomed Volodymyr Zelensky to Downing Street and pledged that British support for Ukraine "will not change". He said of the visit:

“Obviously, it's been a difficult few days for President Zelensky, and that's why I invited him to the UK to give him that lift.”

Burnham said the aim was to see what more the UK could do for Ukraine.