President Trump hailed Andy Burnham, Britain’s next prime minister, amid reports that he will open the North Sea for oil drilling.
“The people of Aberdeen, in Scotland, are dancing in the streets because the new Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, has stated that he will be opening up, all the way, the invaluable North Sea Oil!” Mr. Trump posted on social media. “It is one of the greatest sources of quality oil on earth, has hundreds of years of capacity left, with much not even found yet and will make the United Kingdom from a poverty stricken disaster to one of the richest countries anywhere in the world.”
Mr. Trump called the move a “big day” for Britain and criticized it for buying oil from Norway, saying it was “ridiculous.”
Mr. Burnham is slated to be appointed as prime minister on Monday, following Keir Starmer’s departure from the position. Mr. Starmer stepped down amid flagging support and an inability to carry out campaign promises.
The new prime minister is expected to announce his plans for the energy sector on Monday. In his first speech as prime minister, Mr. Burnham is expected to announce support for oil drilling in the North Sea.
British oil and gas companies have pressed Mr. Burnham to “set a new direction” and increase domestic production. But environmentalists have been critical of the expected proposal.
Oil and gas prices have surged since the U.S.-Israel war with Iran began in late February, delivering what the International Energy Agency has described as the “most severe oil supply shock in history.”
The energy shock has hit Britain the hardest of all the world’s advanced economies, according to the International Monetary Fund. In its latest World Economic Outlook, the IMF cut its estimate for British growth to just 0.8% this year, down from a projection of 1.3% before the hostilities began.
Mr. Trump has long criticized Britain’s energy policy, deriding the ruling center-left Labour government’s decision to ban licenses for new oil and gas fields in the North Sea.
“Europe is desperate for energy, and yet the United Kingdom refuses to open North Sea Oil, one of the greatest fields in the world. Tragic!!!” Mr. Trump posted in April.
“Aberdeen should be booming. Norway sells its North Sea Oil to the U.K. at double the price. They are making a fortune,” he posted.
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