Britain is enduring relentless heatwaves, with temperatures above 30C and no rain, while gardens die, crops fail, and wildfires spread. Andy Burnham has prioritised the cost of living in his first month in government, but the last six weeks highlight another major issue building for the UK, which could cost everyone dearly, especially as he appears to be actively choosing to make things worse.
Record-breaking heat and drought
Even before this year's heatwaves and drought, a report by the Royal Meteorological Society in 2025 highlighted startling statistics. 2025 was the warmest year in the UK since records began in 1884, with the last four years all among the five warmest. This was the sixth time this century this record had been set.
The report noted that 2025 included the UK's warmest spring and summer, with the six months from March to August all in the top 10 warmest respective months. The most recent decade, 2016–2025, has been 0.51°C warmer than 1991–2020, and 1.33°C warmer than 1961–1990, with warming extending northwards.
Proposed policies under scrutiny
According to recent reports, Mr Burnham is considering more North Sea oil drilling and lifting the 2030 ban on new petrol and diesel cars. Tessa Khan, executive director of Uplift, said: “Whether it comes online next week or next year, Jackdaw [the North Sea oil drilling] will have no impact on our energy bills, which is the thing really keeping people up at night, and will do little to increase our energy security.”
She added: “Even in the most optimistic scenario, and assuming none of its gas is exported, it would provide just 2% of UK gas demand over its roughly 10-year lifetime. Given the fires, drought and heatwaves that have ravaged the country in recent months, it would be a disaster for the UK government to prioritise oil and gas companies over the public that has suffered through this extreme weather.”
Economic impact of heatwaves
People want money off their bills, which North Sea oil drilling won't provide. The UK needs energy security, which it also won't provide, and relief from the climate crisis, which drilling will make actively worse. Just this week, it was reported that heatwaves may have cost the UK economy £4.4billion in 2026 in less than eight months, according to think tank Verdant based on Allianz Insurance’s estimates of lost worker productivity. By 2030, this could reach £25bn a year.
The climate crisis has arrived in full swing, as seen this summer, and unless Mr Burnham takes the right course on these key climate issues quickly, the economy and the population could be equally affected.
