US President Donald Trump has criticised the UK Government's energy policy, urging it to boost oil and gas extraction in the North Sea. In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump said 'Aberdeen should be booming' and described the UK's approach as 'absolutely crazy'. He argued that Europe is desperate for energy and that the UK should 'drill, baby, drill' instead of focusing on wind power.
Trump's comments come as the Labour-led UK Government moves towards renewable energy. The US president has long opposed wind energy, particularly offshore wind, having previously opposed a development visible from his golf course in Aberdeenshire. This is not the first time Trump has criticised UK energy policy; he previously urged the Government to 'incentivise the drillers'.
Scotland's First Minister John Swinney disagreed with Trump, stating during a Channel 4 election debate that Scotland is developing formidable renewable energy resources. He said the problem is ensuring Scotland sees the economic benefit of its energy wealth. Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar also criticised Trump for trying to 'dictate' to Scotland but supported opening the Rosebank and Jackdaw oil fields.
Reform UK Scotland leader Malcolm Offord agreed with Trump, while the Scottish Greens argued that new oil exploration is incompatible with tackling the climate crisis. A UK Government spokesperson said the country needs to move away from fossil fuels and towards clean, homegrown power to ensure energy security and lower costs.
A Freedom of Information request revealed that as of March 4, there were 351 Seaward Production Licences in force on the UK Continental Shelf. The North Sea Transition Authority noted that the average time from licence award to production is approximately five years.
