Labour MP savages Burnham's 'hypocritical and pointless' ban on North Sea oil drilling

A Labour MP has accused Andy Burnham of a 'hypocritical and pointless' ban on further North Sea oil drilling.

The Prime Minister will press ahead with legislation to prevent future development off the Scottish coast despite previously vowing to be 'pragmatic' on the issue.

But his backbenchers have criticised the decision as a poll showed Labour supporters back more drilling, including at the Rosebank oil field off Shetland.

Henry Tufnell, the Labour MP for Mid and South Pembrokeshire, accused the PM of 'an act of self–harm' in championing the legislation.

He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'We are prepared to import gas from the US, we're prepared to import gas that has been drilled in Norway, but we are not prepared to drill our own oil and gas in the North Sea and bring in the economic benefits from tax receipts and support jobs there.

'There is a hypocrisy there that I really struggle to get my head around.'

He added: 'We think that energy security is national security, we think it can bring huge benefits for economic growth and ultimately protect lots of jobs.'

He said his party needed to adapt to an 'ever–changing world' as he argued that energy security was vital.

Andy Burnham is set to proceed with legislation blocking new oil and gas developments off the Scottish coast, despite previously pledging to take a 'pragmatic' approach

Henry Tufnell, Labour MP for Mid and South Pembrokeshire, said it made little sense for Britain to import oil and gas from countries such as the US and Norway while refusing to develop its own reserves

'The important thing to recognise here is the fact that we've got conflict in the Middle East, we have conflict in Ukraine,' he said.

'We live in a world where energy security has rocketed up the geopolitical agenda as a result of these threats and we have to respond accordingly. I find the whole thing very strange.'

Mr Tufnell and Steve Yemm, the Labour MP for Mansfield, have founded the cross–party Industry First pressure group to support new oil and gas drilling.

It came after Labour published the Energy Independence Bill which will block future licences despite the cost–of–living crisis.

The law change will not affect the decision on Rosebank because it was approved in 2023 before being legally challenged.

A poll found that nearly two–thirds of Labour supporters want to see the Government endorse the project after gas field Jackdaw was given the go–ahead last month.

Polling for Offshore Energies UK found 65 per cent of those who backed Labour in the 2024 general election want to see Rosebank get the green light.

It is the largest undeveloped oil field in UK waters and its future has split the Cabinet, with the Energy Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh suggesting she is not minded to approve it.

Less than a fifth (17 per cent) of the party's voters agree with Ms Fahnbulleh's reported view on Rosebank. However, 68 per cent of Labour supporters backed her decision to approve the Jackdaw gas field.

Meanwhile, 72 per cent of those who voted for the party in 2024 agreed that oil and gas are 'essential for the foreseeable future'.

Brittany Cartwright was spotted anxiously chain smoking shortly before news broke that her estranged husband Jax Taylor was seeking more than $17,000 a month in spousal support from her.

The Valley star, 37, took a smoke break on Friday while in San Diego with her castmates to shoot scenes for the next season of the hit Bravo series.

At one point, a tense Cartwright crouched next to a trash can that was overflowing with garbage as she sucked on a cigarette before filming started.

She was joined by her co-stars Janet Caperna, Lala Kent, and Michelle Saniei.

The group were at a local cemetery to visit the grave of Saniei's mom, who passed away in 2024 from cancer.

The outing comes as Taylor asked a judge to order Cartwright to fork over $17,401 a month in spousal support as part of their bitter divorce proceedings.

Brittany Cartwright was spotted anxiously chain smoking shortly before news broke that her ex Jax Taylor was seeking more than $17,000 a month in spousal support from her

According to TMZ, Taylor's lawyer Mark Vincent Kaplan also asked Cartwright for $250,000 to pay his legal fees, and another $10,000 to hire a forensic accountant.

Taylor, a former Vanderpump Rules star, claims that he's earned $30,334 in average monthly income over the last 12 months, but says that his estimated monthly expenses total $28,944.

He also claims that he's lost out on employment opportunities, including a 'lucrative' reality TV role, after Cartwright publicly accused him of abuse.

'Jax is seeking monthly child support and spousal support from Brittany based upon the undeniable, clear and vast disparity between the parties’ incomes and access to funds and his inability to maintain the marital standard of living without a contribution from Brittany,' Taylor’s attorney claimed in court documents shared by Us Weekly.

'This disparity is directly due to Brittany’s documented campaign, commencing in or about early 2026, to wreak havoc on Jax’s public image and sabotage his ability to continue his career in the entertainment industry and earn an income.'

His attorney Kaplan also told the outlet that Taylor is now '700+ days sober' and 'would be able to return to gainful employment, at the top of his game, were it not for Brittany’s actions aimed at sabotaging his employability.'

Kaplan added, 'The effects of Brittany’s campaign against Jax have been emotionally and financially devastating.'

The Daily Mail has contacted Cartwright for comment.

The Valley star, 37, took a smoke break on Friday while in San Diego with her castmates to shoot scenes for the next season of the hit Bravo series

At one point, a tense Cartwright crouched next to a trash can that was overflowing with garbage as she sucked on a cigarette before filming started

In August, Cartwright was granted a temporary restraining order against her estranged husband amid their increasingly contentious divorce.

She claimed years of alleged abuse in a bombshell filing made to the L.A. Superior Court, including alleged death threats from Taylor – who was ordered to stay 100 yards away from her.

The former Vanderpump Rules star, 37, also filed for sole custody of their five-year-old son Cruz, who is autistic, but TMZ reports that the judge denied the request pending a court hearing.

In a statement at the time, Taylor admitted that he was 'ashamed' of his actions and said that he'd changed.

'I made a lot of mistakes and behaved in ways during that period of my life that I'm truly ashamed of and regret and take full responsibility for,' he said.

'The person I was in 2024, during the darkest time of my life and at the height of my addiction, is not the person I am today. I got help, went to treatment, and today I'm 1 year and 9 months sober. I've remained committed to treatment and therapy, working on myself and changing my life,' he continued.

The outing comes as Taylor asked a judge to order Cartwright to fork over $17,401 a month in spousal support as part of their bitter divorce proceedings

In July, it was revealed that Taylor had been secretly dating Cartwright's 'good friend' and longtime publicist Lori Krebs

'I was shocked to see claims about alleged incidents from over two years ago being brought up now, especially when there have never been any police reports filed or criminal charges brought against me related to them. There are allegations being made that I strongly dispute. The full story, context and evidence will be addressed where it belongs - in court.'

He finished: 'I will respect the court's orders and the legal process. My focus continues to be my sobriety, working on my mental health, being the best father I can be to Cruz and moving forward in a healthy and responsible way. All I can do is own my mistakes, stay committed to the changes I've made and make sure the choices I make today reflect the man and father I want to be.'

In July, it was revealed that Taylor had been secretly dating Cartwright's 'good friend' and longtime publicist Lori Krebs.

Cartwright labeled Taylor's relationship with Krebs as a 'complete betrayal' and said that she had once considered her ex publicist 'family.'

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are to visit Brussels next week as they resume public appearances in the wake of child sexual abuse image allegations facing Meghan's father.

Prince Harry and Meghan will deliver a joint keynote address at the opening of the Lost Screen Memorial in the European Parliament on Tuesday.

It is expected to be the first time the pair will have been seen in public since Thomas Markle Sr was reported to police in the Philippines and the FBI over a haul of suspected child abuse images.

The brief trip abroad will see Harry and Meghan listen to addresses by European Parliament president Roberta Metsola and MEP Antonio Lopez-Isturiz, the first vice-chairman of the Child Rights Intergroup, before delivering their own speech.

The Sussexes will have between 15 and 20 minutes for their rare dual-address, which they will use to speak about the importance of children's digital safety.

Harry and Meghan will also be shown the memorial exhibition, which remembers children who have lost their lives as a result of the harm they suffered on social media.

The Duke will later join a panel discussion called Beyond Promises: Building A Digital Future That Works For Children to discuss how to protect children online.

Prince Harry and Mehgan arrive for a visit to Himmah Hub in Nottingham on October 15

The Philippine National Police (PNP) has said videos of alleged child sexual abuse and exploitation were among files found in four storage boxes that allegedly belonged to Mr Markle Sr, after he was reported by his son Thomas Markle Jr last month.

Major General Wilson Asueta of the PNP said it had yet to be confirmed who owned the devices, which included nine mobile phones, three memory cards, five hard drives and a camera.

The 82-year-old was reported to police in the Philippines and the FBI last month by Mr Markle Jr, who handed over a haul of alleged child abuse images he said he found in his father's belongings in Cebu City.

A second hoard was discovered last Friday in a storage unit Thomas Markle Sr is said to have rented near his former home in Rosarito, Mexico, during a raid by Mexican police.

Reports have since claimed Mr Markle Sr was moved into a care home for dementia patients in Florida, described as a specialist 'memory care' facility.

It has raised concerns the FBI may never be able to interview Meghan's estranged father because of the legal barriers over interrogating suspects with cognitive issues in care homes.

Meghan was left 'deeply distressed' at the allegations and revealed she was sent a letter via the Metropolitan Police and Royalty and Specialist Protection seven years ago which made 'troubling and disturbing allegations' about her father, but that she was given assurances these were being investigated.

Harry and Meghan are set to be seen in public for the first time since her father Thomas Markle was reported to police over a haul of alleged child sexual abuse images

The Metropolitan Police has admitted it never shared the details with other law enforcement agencies, with the police watchdog, the Independent Office for Police Conduct, now investigating the force's conduct.

The Duchess had wanted to 'speak out' immediately after reading the letter but police advised her against this, sources said.

Meghan has been estranged from her father since the run-up to her 2018 wedding when he was caught staging paparazzi photographs and then had a heart attack, meaning the King, then-the Prince of Wales, stepped in to walk Meghan down the aisle.

When former TV lighting director Mr Markle Sr had his leg amputated in the Philippines last year, he made pleas for the duchess to contact him, saying he did not want to die while they were still estranged.

A spokesperson for the duchess confirmed at the time she had 'reached out to her father'.

Last week, it emerged Meghan wrote in this final letter that she knew he was an abuser and that he would never see his grandchildren Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.

Mr Markle Sr, who returned to the US in May, has admitted to paying for sex in the Philippines but denied ever possessing child abuse imagery.