Donald Trump attacks Sir Keir Starmer over decision to ditch North Sea oil
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Trump’s social media swipe comes amid a row between Elon Musk and Sir Keir Starmer in what has become a turbulent week for relations with the incoming US administration. Donald Trump has attacked Sir Keir Starmer’s clean energy plan, urging him to open up the North Sea and “get rid of windmills”.
In a social media outburst, the president-elect said the UK was making “a very big mistake” by reducing its reliance on oil and gas – an endeavour which puts the UK at loggerheads with his “drill, baby, drill” pledge. His comments come after the departure of a number of operators from the North Sea, which are abandoning Britain in protest against the government’s decision to increase the windfall tax on oil and gas producers, which will be used to fund renewable energy.
Mr Trump referenced the decision by oil and gas producer Apache to ditch the UK in his post to Truth Social on Friday, saying: “The UK is making a very big mistake. Open up the North Sea. Get rid of windmills!”. Energy secretary Ed Miliband has pledged to achieve clean power by 2030, putting the UK on a potential collision course with Mr Trump who has promised to expand US oil and gas production.
As part of the government’s plan to meet its 2030 clean energy deadline, it has blocked new drilling licences in the North Sea, instead pushing an increase in wind and solar. Mr Trump, on the other hand, has described the switch to green energy as a scam and suggested that wind turbines are causing whales to die.
