Topic Lifecycle: Dormant
This topic is currently dormant in the news cycle. It was last covered on Friday 23 October 2026 and has not appeared in recent broadcasts.
Coverage trend (last 30 days)
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On screen
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Recent stories
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What was reported
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Channels reported that the UK government had given the go-ahead this week for gas drilling at the Jackdaw Field. ITV1 reported that no decision had yet been made on Rosebank, which contains both oil and gas. GB News contributors supported the Jackdaw decision, saying it would bring British gas into homes and generate Treasury revenue; they also debated the tax treatment of oil and gas fields and whether Rosebank should proceed on its merits. ITV1 reported that US President Donald Trump praised Prime Minister Andy Burnham, saying the UK was opening up North Sea oil and that it would make the country very wealthy. ITV1 said Trump appeared to confuse oil and gas, and that experts expected the decision would not change the gas prices consumers pay in the short term. ITV1 also reported that Trump and Burnham had spoken, with confirmation that morning a couple of days after the announcement, and that Downing Street was pleased with how the president's remarks were read out. GB News discussion included claims about the oil and gas tax rate, past decisions on a sovereign wealth fund, a reported government wealth fund announcement by John Healey, and a Labour think tank suggestion that the other oil field could be a net cost to the state. One GB News contributor disputed that suggestion, while another said Rosebank should be judged on its merits rather than ideology.
Key Claims by Channel
Monday 17 August 2026
| Claim |  |  |
|---|---|---|
| Reported by all 2 channels | ||
| The public consultation on the Rosebank oilfield ended on the day of broadcast. | Reported by BBC News | Reported by BBC One |
| Rosebank is the largest undeveloped oilfield in the North Sea. | Reported by BBC News | Reported by BBC One |
| Rosebank is located about 80 miles west of Shetland. | Reported by BBC News | Reported by BBC One |
| The previous Conservative government approved both projects, but the approvals were quashed after a legal challenge. | Reported by BBC News | Reported by BBC One |
| The decision on the projects will be made by the Energy Secretary, not the Prime Minister directly. | Reported by BBC News | Reported by BBC One |
| Only on one channel | ||
| Jackdaw is a large natural gas field in the North Sea, 150 miles east of Aberdeen. | Not reported by BBC News | Reported by BBC One |
| The Energy Secretary is Miata Fonbula. | Reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One |
| The company behind the projects says they will create jobs, generate tax revenue, and produce less planet-warming gases than importing energy from abroad. | Not reported by BBC News | Reported by BBC One |
| The company claims 29 billion pounds of gross value add between Jackdaw and Rosebank. | Not reported by BBC News | Reported by BBC One |
| Environmentalists say the case for rejecting Rosebank has strengthened due to recent heatwaves and wildfires. | Not reported by BBC News | Reported by BBC One |
| The Prime Minister linked wildfires and climate change in a speech in the West Midlands on Friday. | Not reported by BBC News | Reported by BBC One |
| The First Minister of Scotland, John Swinney, has said projects could go ahead if compatible with emissions targets and energy security. | Reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One |
| The BBC's business editor said there is a high likelihood both projects will be approved. | Not reported by BBC News | Reported by BBC One |
| The Prime Minister said the UK will not be able to stop using oil and gas for some time. | Not reported by BBC News | Reported by BBC One |
| No date has been set for the decisions. | Not reported by BBC News | Reported by BBC One |
Tuesday 20 October 2026
| Claim |  | | |  |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Widely reported · 6 or more of 7 channels | |||||||
| The government is expected to approve the Jackdaw gas field. | Reported by Channel 5 | Reported by BBC News | Reported by BBC One | Reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by ITV | ||
| Reported by a few · 2–5 channels | |||||||
| No decision on Rosebank is expected yet. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Reported by BBC News | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by GB News | Reported by ITV | ||
| The Jackdaw gas field could supply up to 6% of UK gas demand, according to its owners. | Reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC News | Reported by BBC One | Reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by GB News | Reported by ITV | |
| A court found an earlier consent unlawful and required further environmental assessments. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Reported by BBC News | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by GB News | Not reported by ITV | Reported by Sky News | |
| Andy Burnham faced pressure from unions supporting the project and from environmentalists opposing new drilling. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Reported by GB News | Not reported by ITV | Reported by Sky News |
| Gas prices are set by international markets, so approval of Jackdaw may not bring down bills. | Reported by Channel 5 | Reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by GB News | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News |
| Ministers announced a new fund to direct North Sea tax revenues into green energy schemes. | Reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News | |
| Jackdaw gas was expected to start supplying homes and businesses by the end of the month. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC News | Reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by GB News | Reported by ITV | Reported by Sky News |
| Estimates of Jackdaw's job impact ranged from 27 new full-time roles to around 300 linked jobs, including 273 supported positions. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC News | Reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by GB News | Not reported by ITV | Reported by Sky News |
| The government will review removing standing charges from gas bills. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC News | Reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by GB News | Reported by ITV | Reported by Sky News |
| Donald Trump welcomed the decision. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by GB News | Reported by ITV | Reported by Sky News |
| There were reports that the Energy Secretary was leaning towards rejecting Rosebank. | Reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC News | Reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by GB News | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News |
| Only on one channel | |||||||
| Jackdaw and Rosebank together would support 3,500 jobs at peak construction and raise nearly £4bn in taxes by 2034, according to the owners. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by GB News | Not reported by ITV | Reported by Sky News |
| The SNP had recently abandoned Nicola Sturgeon's firm opposition to new oil developments at its party conference. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by GB News | Not reported by ITV | Reported by Sky News |
| The Guardian reported that Andy Burnham faced a climate revolt after approval of North Sea oil drilling, which GB News panelists disputed. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News | |
| A GB News panelist argued that extra gas on the international market could replace coal and lower global emissions. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Reported by GB News | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News |
| Jackdaw is one of two oil fields, alongside Rosebank. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News | |
| Labour says Jackdaw fits its manifesto because it is an existing licence, not a new one. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by GB News | Not reported by ITV | Reported by Sky News |
| Rosebank is the largest unexploited oil field in the North Sea, while Jackdaw is smaller. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by GB News | Not reported by ITV | Reported by Sky News |
| Both fields had been approved under the Conservative government before a legal challenge. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by GB News | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News | |
| A panel linked union pressure on net zero policy to concerns that the policy threatens members' jobs. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News | |
| Rosebank was described as more controversial because its oil would be exported. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by GB News | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News |
| No Labour MP publicly opposed the decision at PMQs. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by GB News | Not reported by ITV | Reported by Sky News |
Friday 23 October 2026
| Claim | | | |  | | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Widely reported · 6 or more of 8 channels | ||||||||
| There were reports that the Energy Secretary was leaning towards rejecting Rosebank. | Reported by Channel 5 | Reported by BBC News | Reported by BBC One | Not reported by BBC Two | Reported by Channel 4 | Reported by GB News | Reported by ITV | Reported by Sky News |
| Reported by a few · 2–5 channels | ||||||||
| The government is expected to approve the Jackdaw gas field. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by BBC Two | Reported by Channel 4 | Reported by GB News | Reported by ITV | Reported by Sky News |
| Gas prices are set by international markets, so approval of Jackdaw may not bring down bills. | Reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by BBC Two | Reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by GB News | Reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News |
| Donald Trump welcomed the decision. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by BBC Two | Not reported by Channel 4 | Reported by GB News | Reported by ITV | Reported by Sky News |
| Supporters said the Jackdaw approval would protect jobs and energy security, with some citing thousands of supply chain jobs, while critics said one rig would produce 28 jobs. | Reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Reported by BBC Two | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by GB News | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News |
| Only on one channel | ||||||||
| North Sea investment has fallen sharply since 2019. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by BBC Two | Not reported by Channel 4 | Reported by GB News | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News |
| The Treasury modelled a Norwegian-style fund, with a trillion-pound figure used. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Reported by BBC Two | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by GB News | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News |
| Jackdaw was a small field expected to meet less than about 2% of UK gas needs or imports. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC News | Reported by BBC One | Not reported by BBC Two | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by GB News | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News |
| The UK has among the highest electricity prices in the developed world. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by BBC Two | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by GB News | Reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News |
| The Prime Minister defended the Jackdaw approval and blamed the previous government for the delay. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC News | Reported by BBC One | Not reported by BBC Two | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by GB News | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News |
| GB News contributors said the Jackdaw decision would bring British gas into homes and generate billions of pounds in Treasury revenue. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by BBC Two | Not reported by Channel 4 | Reported by GB News | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News |
| GB News contributors said oil and gas fields pay a 78% tax. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by BBC Two | Not reported by Channel 4 | Reported by GB News | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News |
| A GB News contributor said the UK could have had a trillion pound sovereign wealth fund like Norway's but Margaret Thatcher failed to establish one. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by BBC Two | Not reported by Channel 4 | Reported by GB News | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News |
| GB News contributors said John Healey had announced a wealth fund to emulate Norway's. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by BBC Two | Not reported by Channel 4 | Reported by GB News | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News |
| A GB News contributor cited a Labour think tank suggestion that Rosebank should not be opened because it would be a net taker rather than a net giver, while another contributor disputed it. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by BBC Two | Not reported by Channel 4 | Reported by GB News | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News |
| A GB News contributor said the Aberdeen by-election was about local jobs and that thousands of jobs were being lost every week because there was no continuity. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by BBC Two | Not reported by Channel 4 | Reported by GB News | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News |
| BBC TWO described the North Sea as a declining basin. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Reported by BBC Two | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by GB News | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News |
| ITV1 reported that Trump seemed to conflate oil and gas. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by BBC Two | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by GB News | Reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News |
| Downing Street was reportedly pleased with how Trump's remarks were read out. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by BBC Two | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by GB News | Reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News |
This is a cross-channel consensus summary, not an objective account. Consensus can be uniformly wrong, or omit what only one channel covered.
Timeline
Where this topic appeared. Cells show coverage time and are darker when there was more coverage.
| Date | Channel 5 | BBC News | BBC One | BBC Two | Channel 4 | GB News | ITV | Sky News |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Friday 23 October 2026 | — | — | — | — | — | 7m 20s 10.7% | 2m 7s 2.5% | — |
| Thursday 22 October 2026 | — | — | 2m 59s 1.8% | — | — | — | — | — |
| Wednesday 21 October 2026 | — | 2m 14s 2.0% | — | — | — | — | 9m 56s 8.3% | — |
| Tuesday 20 October 2026 | — | — | 2m 9s 2.1% | — | — | 7m 50s 11.1% | — | 8m 20s 8.0% |
| Sunday 18 October 2026 | — | — | — | — | — | 2m 15s 6.6% | — | — |
| Friday 16 October 2026 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3m 31s 3.6% |
| Thursday 3 September 2026 | — | — | 4m 3s 4.3% | — | — | — | — | — |
| Tuesday 18 August 2026 | — | — | — | 11m 48s 40.4% | — | — | — | — |
| Monday 17 August 2026 | — | 3m 21s 7.4% | 4m 54s 4.8% | 18m 37s 63.3% | 6m 32s 13.9% | — | — | — |
| Saturday 15 August 2026 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 26m 9s 100.0% |
| Tuesday 11 August 2026 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5m 10.7% |
| Thursday 30 July 2026 | — | — | — | — | — | 7m 50s 10.3% | — | — |
| Saturday 18 July 2026 | — | — | — | — | 15m 10s 67.6% | — | — | — |