Donald Trump has declared that the people of Aberdeen are “dancing in the streets” after Andy Burnham signalled a more pragmatic approach to North Sea oil and gas – hours before the incoming prime minister promised to deliver “the biggest changes for the last 40 years” and act as a “circuit breaker for Britain”.
Speaking on his Truth Social platform, Trump posted: “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!” He described it as “a big day” for the UK that would be “very much appreciated by everybody”.
“Andy Burnham promises 'biggest changes in 40 years' and confirms no new North Sea oil licences.”
The intervention came after the BBC reported that Burnham, who enters Downing Street on Monday, would stick to Labour’s 2024 manifesto pledge to issue no new oil and gas licences but would honour existing ones. Labour’s deputy leader Lucy Powell confirmed the line on Sunday, telling Laura Kuenssberg the party would adopt a “change of emphasis” on the North Sea.
“We’ve been really clear that the way to achieve in the long term energy security and lower bills is by ensuring that we do have our own homegrown, clean, much cheaper energy,” Powell said. “But we’ve been absolutely clear that North Sea gas and oil is an important part of that transition. It’s an important part of the mix, and I think what Andy’s talking about is taking a more pragmatic approach and working with the industry.”
In his first Downing Street address on Monday afternoon, Burnham said he was “acutely conscious” of being the country’s seventh prime minister in a decade but promised his appointment would be a “circuit breaker for Britain”. He said his premiership would bring about “the biggest changes for the last 40 years”.
Despite Trump’s enthusiastic interpretation, the new prime minister will not be confirming approval for the controversial Rosebank and Jackdaw fields on day one. The operators were given the go-ahead by the previous Conservative government, but those decisions are having to be reconsidered after a successful legal challenge by environmental groups Greenpeace and Uplift. They argued that ministers had not considered the full climate impact from burning the fossil fuels the fields would produce.
A lengthy process is still underway by the Offshore Petroleum Regulator for Environment and Decommissioning (Opred), with both applications subject to consultations that close in August. Jumping the gun on those would certainly land the government back in court. How Burnham squares his “pragmatic approach” with the looming legal and environmental hurdles will become clear in the coming days and weeks.