RUMOURS have swirled about what a new Prime Minister means for climate action and the North Sea industry.
His appointment of John Healey, the former defence secretary, as Chancellor, a position many considered Ed Miliband was set to take on, joined with his rhetoric on re-industrialisation points towards a new direction for the UK's economic and energy policy.
In his first phone call with US president Donald Trump he also reportedly said "we can't ignore" the resources of the North Sea.
Yet, no official stance has been unveiled, and it remains unclear as to what happens to key policies like the energy profits levy and restrictions on new drilling licenses.
This uncertainty is compounded as the SNP look to be separating themselves from the Greens, while attempting to position themselves as the party of the north east, easing their stance on the oil and gas industry.
In the wake of these movements, The National spoke to Friends of the Earth Scotland campaign manager Rosie Hampton on what could happen next.
"There's a lot to deconstruct", she told me when asked about Burnham's premiership and Healey's appointment.
Within the flurry of announcements and rumours that have come out in Burnham's first few weeks, Hampton said there are both positives and negatives.
On one hand, Burnham's devolution policy appears to be ushering in "tentative" rhetoric about shifting more power and ownership of energy into the hands of communities, but there are highly "worrying" signals about fossil fuel expansion, she said.
"We won't have to wait to see what direction he's going to go in for very long.
"But there are a couple of things that we're feeling more hopeful about, and some things that we're feeling quite concerned about," Hampton added.
On the SNP, she said it's a "tricky position" to understand.
Hampton said: “With Andy Burnham coming in, you had the SNP calling for energy to be devolved, that was a key kind of manifesto pledge of the SNP going into the election, and they've kind of hammered that home afterwards. But what does that look like?
"Are you asking for more energy powers just so you can fly the flag for oil and gas, or are you doing it to increase public ownership and doing more of that?
"There is much that both governments could be doing."
She also raised the point that nothing has been written into policy yet, warning of potential influence oil and gas lobbying could have on public perception of the issue.
"As much as reporting and kind of briefings by the oil and gas industries suggest that people are taking particular positions, I think actually what's been proven... [is that] Andy Burnham hasn't come out and said anything on oil and gas that's any new.
"You know, the SNP kind of soften around the edges, but there's nothing written that's a change in policy."
You can watch the full interview by playing the video below, or clicking here.
