US President Donald Trump has issued an update after a phone call with Andy Burnham. Mr Trump said he had a “good conversation” with the Prime Minister and said he expects the Labour leader to approve new drilling in the North Sea.
“That will make the UK pretty reach, I’ll tell you,” Mr Trump said to reporters in the Oval Office. He said the UK has an “energy problem” but approving new projects would “solve” this. The President said that would be “a big thing”, before adding: “That would make [the] UK rich. If you open up the North Sea, it’s one of the great finds anywhere in the world.”
It is unclear whether Mr Trump, who returned to the White House last year with a pledge to “drill, baby, drill”, was referring to a new conversation or not.
The leaders spoke over the phone on Mr Burnham’s first day as PM last month.
Mr Trump said Mr Burnham had told him he would “open up the North Sea” in the call.
However, Mr Burnham said he told the American President he would take a “pragmatic approach” to North Sea oil and gas drilling.
Mr Trump’s latest comments come as the oil and gas industry urges the Government to approve two controversial North Sea projects.
Reports suggest Mr Burnham is leaning towards approving the Jackdaw development.
The decision to go ahead with the gas field, east of Aberdeen, and the Rosebank oil field, north-west of Shetland, is now in the hands of ministers after consultations on the projects closed.
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