POLANSKI WARNS LABOUR AGAINST RETREATING ON CLIMATE

Retreating from climate commitments would drive the Labour party into political obscurity, Zack Polanski has stated. The Green Party leader made the remarks as the country experienced searing heat for the second time within the year. Polanski urged Andy Burnham, widely expected to become the UK's next prime minister, to pursue bold climate action. He characterised any weakening of the party's environmental pledges as a moral and political failure that would result in electoral consequences.

A debate has emerged within Labour and the trade union movement regarding climate commitments and North Sea drilling. Unison, the UK's largest union, has called for an end to new oil and gas drilling in the North Sea. By contrast, Wes Streeting, the former health secretary, has advocated for expanded drilling, including approval of the Rosebank oilfield. Sharon Graham, leader of Unite which represents oil and gas workers, supports new drilling and stated that energy secretary Ed Miliband's net zero commitment would be detrimental to job creation. The British Chambers of Commerce has urged Burnham to extract remaining fossil fuels to prevent job losses.

Critics note that North Sea industry employment has declined from 441,000 to 214,000 over the past decade, despite successive governments issuing hundreds of new licences. Official data suggests that between 90 and 93 per cent of all viable oil and gas reserves in the basin have already been extracted. A senior trade union source reported widespread unease within the union movement regarding Unite's pro-drilling position. Some within the party and union movement have backed Streeting over Miliband in discussions about who should serve as Burnham's chancellor.