Prime Minister Andy Burnham hinted at a shift in Labour's ideological ban on new drilling, saying that at a time of tight government finances the North Sea was a resource 'we can't ignore'.

The Prime Minister also revealed he had told US President Donald Trump that he would take a 'pragmatic approach' to fossil fuels during their first talks last week.

The U.K. aims to hit net-zero emissions by 2050 by reducing reliance on fossil fuels via lowering incentives and blocking future projects.