Andy Burnham, former mayor of Greater Manchester and current Prime Minister, has acknowledged the role of Extinction Rebellion (XR) in elevating climate change on the political agenda, noting that the group has performed a “great service” despite concerns over their disruptive tactics. The comments, made during a public question time event in October 2019, came amid a series of high-profile protests orchestrated by XR that year.

In early October 2019, Extinction Rebellion coordinated a 10-day wave of demonstrations in London, targeting key locations including London City Airport, areas around Parliament, and the Bank of England. Some protesters escalated their actions by climbing onto Tube trains during rush hour, causing significant disruption to the capital’s public transport network. The protests, which aimed to draw urgent attention to the climate crisis, resulted in more than 3,700 arrests across multiple events in April, October 2019, and September 2020. The cost of policing these demonstrations exceeded £50 million.

During the October 2019 event, Burnham admitted that the protests had “got [him] worried a little bit” due to the risk of climate change becoming a “divisive” issue. However, he maintained that XR’s activism had succeeded in bringing environmental concerns sharply into public and political focus. When a member of the public compared XR’s efforts to those of the Suffragettes, Burnham responded that this was a “fair point.”

Burnham’s remarks have drawn criticism from Conservative politicians, who have called on him to distance himself from the disruptive consequences of XR’s tactics. Chris Philp, the shadow home secretary, condemned the group’s protests for causing widespread inconvenience, including blocking children’s access to schooling and hindering hospital visits. Philp urged Burnham to “withdraw his support for this reckless criminality” and to explicitly state that actions such as city blockades and property damage cross into criminal behavior.

In Manchester, XR also staged demonstrations, blocking Deansgate—the city’s major thoroughfare—in August and September 2019, further illustrating the group’s commitment to direct action outside the capital.

Since becoming Prime Minister, Burnham has indicated a pragmatic stance on North Sea oil and gas development in light of energy cost pressures facing households. Yet, the intensification of climate-related challenges, including widespread wildfires across the UK, has intensified demands from environmental campaigners for the government to block projects like Jackdaw and Rosebank, signaling ongoing tensions between economic considerations and climate objectives.