More than seven in ten people in the UK believe the country should produce its own oil and gas rather than rely on imports, according to new independent polling that adds to growing pressure on the government to revisit its energy strategy.
The survey, conducted by Opinium, found that 71% of respondents support domestic oil and gas production, while just 8% said it does not matter where supplies come from. The findings point to a clear preference for energy self-sufficiency amid ongoing concerns around global supply chains and geopolitical instability.
Support also extends to policy change in the North Sea. Nearly half of those surveyed (49%) said the UK should follow Norway’s approach by allowing new exploration licences, compared with 24% who favour maintaining the current ban. The data suggests a shift in public sentiment towards a more pragmatic stance on domestic energy development.
Notably, the poll indicates that Labour voters are also divided on the issue. Among those who supported the party at the 2024 general election, 42% said the UK should allow new licences, compared with 35% who backed continuing the existing ban. Meanwhile, almost 70% of Labour voters said the UK should prioritise producing oil and gas in its own waters rather than relying on imports.
The polling, commissioned by Offshore Energies UK, comes just days before Andy Burnham is expected to take office in Downing Street, intensifying calls for a rethink of current energy policy.
David Whitehouse chief executive of Offshore Energies UK said:
“This compelling new data shows that the British public are looking for huge change in energy policy from the new Prime Minister. Declining homegrown oil and gas production in the North Sea has increased UK exposure to imports and geopolitical risk. The voters have had enough.
“All corners of the UK population are looking for change from Andy Burnham, including the government’s own core supporters. Almost 70% of Labour voters said that the UK should continue producing oil and gas in the North Sea rather than rely on imports compared to just 9% who said it doesn’t matter where it comes from.
“Labour voters are also looking for a significant shift in the government’s flagship ban on new exploration. Only 35% of Labour supporters want the current ban on new offshore licences to continue, with a clear majority (42%) favouring Norway’s much more pragmatic approach to allowing new drilling offshore.
“The next Prime Minister is promising hope, to make sure that Britain’s industrial communities are not left behind. Nowhere is this more desperately needed than with the UK’s energy sector.
“Domestic production is less carbon-intensive, supports the energy transition, produces billions of pounds of tax revenues for the Chancellor, and builds industrial resilience across the country, making us all more secure.
“We need an energy policy reset to back North Sea oil and gas, not imports.”
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The survey polled a nationally representative sample of 2,050 UK adults between 7 and 10 July 2026, alongside a boosted sample of 1,000 Labour voters from the 2024 general election.
The findings are likely to fuel debate within government and across the wider energy sector, as industry groups continue to call for a policy reset that balances domestic production with the UK’s net zero commitments.
