Gas for 1.4 million homes on hold as Burnham delays Jackdaw decision

Andy Burnham appears to have pushed back a decision on the Jackdaw gas field in the North Sea until after the Holborn and St Pancras by-election on 8 October, according to the Daily Express. The paper says the field could provide enough gas to heat the equivalent of 1.4 million UK homes. It also says Burnham had been expected to approve it before the apparent delay.

The by-election was triggered by the recent resignation of Sir Keir Starmer. The Express reports that Labour faces a serious challenge from the Green Party, whose leader Zack Polanski is standing for the seat in a bid to become an MP. According to the paper, Burnham fears that announcing new oil and gas drilling would anger environmental campaigners and hand the Greens victory.

None of the reports we have seen includes an official statement confirming the delay or explaining the timing. The Express itself admits Jackdaw would not on its own slash energy bills or solve Britain's energy problems. It argues that every extra source of home-grown gas helps when global supplies are tight.

Why Jackdaw still needs a fresh green light

Jackdaw is backed by the energy companies Shell and Equinor, and the Express says it had previously secured regulatory consent. Further consent is now required after legal challenges and changes to the project. The paper also blames what it calls foot dragging by former energy secretary Ed Miliband.

According to the Express, Shell and Equinor have already invested heavily and say the platform is installed. The developers claim that, subject to consent, Jackdaw could supply British homes and businesses within weeks. The paper calls holding back the decision for political convenience an extraordinary gamble.

The Express sets the delay against a warning of a winter energy crisis, saying oil prices are rocketing because of the Iran war and gas storage levels are falling. It says Britain is heavily dependent on imported gas and has very little storage capacity. The paper notes that the Conservatives have already accused Burnham of chickening out of this decision once, and says he had previously indicated he would back drilling before Polanski made the North Sea a central by-election issue.

Who would feel a delay to Jackdaw

The Express argues that the people most exposed are households facing cold homes and higher heating bills this winter, and it singles out pensioners. Its central claim is that Burnham is willing to risk millions of Britons feeling colder and poorer to gain a political edge. Those are the paper's words, and the government's side of the argument has not been published in the reports available.

In terms of scale, the Express says Jackdaw would provide around 6% of projected UK North Sea gas production. No estimate has been published of how much the field would change a typical household gas bill, or what a delay of a few weeks would cost in pounds.

The paper also lists other decisions it says have been put off under Burnham, including defence spending decisions moved into 2027, welfare reform and an immigration clampdown. It describes this as a pattern, though no official reason has been given for any of the timings.

Key numbers

• 1.4 million: the number of UK homes Jackdaw could heat the equivalent of, according to the Express.
• 6%: roughly the share of projected UK North Sea gas production the field would provide.
• 8 October: polling day in the Holborn and St Pancras by-election, after which the decision is now expected.
• 2027: the year the Express says vital defence spending decisions have been pushed into.
• 1 October 2026: the date from which the government's VAT cut on household electricity bills begins, according to Citizens Advice.
• 5%: the standard VAT rate on household electricity, which returns from 1 April 2027.

What happens after the 8 October by-election

Nothing has changed yet. Jackdaw cannot supply gas until it receives the further consent it needs, and no date for that decision has been announced. If the Express is right, the decision will come at some point after polling day on 8 October.

Even if consent is given, the developers' own claim is that gas could reach homes and businesses within weeks rather than straight away. Any effect on supply this winter therefore depends on how quickly a decision is made once the by-election is over.

What you can do now

Whatever happens to Jackdaw, the help available with heating costs this winter is set separately. Citizens Advice has a guide to grants and benefits to help you pay your energy bills, covering the Warm Home Discount, Winter Fuel Payment and Cold Weather Payment or Winter Heating Payment. It explains that the help you can get depends on how you pay for your energy, the type of energy you use and whether you claim benefits.

The same guide says the government is cutting VAT on household electricity bills for 6 months, from 1 October 2026 to 31 March 2027. You get the cut automatically if you pay your electricity bills and do not need to apply. Taking a meter reading at the start of October will make it easier to check your first bill under the new rate.

If you are already struggling to pay or to top up a prepayment meter, contact your energy supplier early. Use the Citizens Advice guide to see which schemes you may qualify for before the coldest months arrive.

Your questions answered

Would approving Jackdaw cut my gas bill this winter?

Not on its own, by the Express's own account. The paper says the field would not magically slash everyone's energy bills, but argues that extra domestic supply helps when global supplies are tight. No figure has been published for its effect on a household bill.

Has the government confirmed the decision is delayed?

No official confirmation has been published in the reports we have seen. The Express says Burnham now appears to have postponed the decision until after the 8 October by-election, which is the paper's reading of events rather than an announced timetable.

Why does Jackdaw need approval if it already had consent?

The Express reports that Jackdaw had previously secured regulatory consent, but further consent is required following legal challenges and changes to the project. Shell and Equinor say the platform is already installed and waiting.