Burnham North Sea gas policy keeps UK energy expensive and reliant on imports, critic says

A new analysis argues that Andy Burnham's reported decision to block new North Sea oil and gas licenses locks Britain into higher energy costs and continued import dependence. The author says domestic gas production has lower emissions than imported supplies and that blocking it loses jobs, tax revenue, and energy security benefits. The piece also targets the UK Emissions Trading Scheme as a pure tax with no climate benefit now that coal is gone, and calls for ending legacy renewable subsidies and reviewing planned grid spending. It argues that energy bills should not carry policy costs like the Warm Home Discount or a proposed BBC levy, and that domestic energy should be VAT-free.