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US president Donald Trump has said “Aberdeen should be booming” as he said the UK Government is “absolutely crazy” not to boost oil and gas extraction in the North Sea.
Mr Trump took to his Truth Social page on Tuesday to criticise UK policy in the basin, with the Labour-led Government moving towards renewable energy.
In the seemingly unprompted post, the US leader said: “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!!!
“Aberdeen should be booming. Norway sells its North Sea Oil to the U.K. at double the price. They are making a fortune. U.K., which is better situated on the North Sea for purposes of energy than Norway, should, DRILL, BABY, DRILL!!!
“It is absolutely crazy that they don’t… AND, NO MORE WINDMILLS!”
The US president has long voiced his dislike of wind energy, particularly offshore wind, having launched a battle with the Scottish Government to stop a development which was visible from his Aberdeenshire golf course.
His comments are the latest in a line of outbursts about the UK’s energy policy, including a Truth Social post where he urged the Government to “incentivise the drillers”.
A spokesperson for the UK Government’s Department for Energy Security and Net Zero said: “We are taking action to bear down on the cost of living, including taking £117 off average energy bills this month and supporting de-escalation in the Middle East.
“The lesson of yet another fossil fuel crisis is the UK needs to get off the fossil fuel rollercoaster and on to clean homegrown power we control.”
