Donald Trump has declared Andy Burnham will “open up the North Sea” just as the new Prime Minister gears up for his “reset of priorities” tomorrow.
The US President said the people of Aberdeen will be “dancing in the streets” after Mr Burnham was believed to be setting out plans to allow oil and gas drilling.
The newly-crowned Labour leader will enter Downing Street tomorrow, becoming the UK’s seventh Prime Minister in 10 years, and will outline his Government’s agenda for the first time – as well as his Cabinet.
It is said he could be considering plans to approve new fossil fuel production in the Rosebank and Jackdaw fields, which his ally and Energy Secretary Ed Miliband has previously opposed.
Mr Trump has often heaped pressure onto Sir Keir Starmer to change direction on a number of issues, including energy and immigration policy.
The 47th President, whose love for Scotland is well-established, has railed against Mr Miliband’s refusal to open up the North Sea for drilling.
A day before Mr Burnham becomes Prime Minister, Mr Trump lauded the rumoured move.
Penning his praise on Truth Social, Mr Trump said the decision would “make the United Kingdom, from a Poverty Stricken Disaster, to one of the Richest Countries anywhere in the world”.
The US President has piled pressure on Labour to change direction on its energy policy
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He further celebrated that the UK would ditch the “old and horrible looking windmills looming over Aberdeen”.
“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 raved.
Mr Trump continued: “It is one of the Greatest Sources of quality Oil on Earth, has hundreds of years of Capacity left, with much not even found yet, and will make the United Kingdom, from a Poverty Stricken Disaster, to one of the Richest Countries anywhere in the World!
“Britain pays Norway Billions of Dollars a year to buy its Oil, which they get from a less valuable part of the North Sea — How ridiculous is that! Also, word is that the UK is going to move the old and horrible looking windmills, which loom over and destroy the City of Aberdeen.
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“That will be a big day for the Country, and will be very much appreciated by everybody.
“Such great potential in the UK, but it all starts with OPENING NORTH SEA OIL. WE LOVE YOU SCOTLAND! President DONALD J. TRUMP.”
Earlier today, Labour’s deputy leader and close ally of Mr Burnham Lucy Powell said the Government would stick by their manifesto pledges from 2024.
However, Ms Powell admitted the party needed to consider a more “pragmatic” approach going forward.
Proposals to issue more licences have fuelled fiery debate between senior Labour figures, with many arguing the expansion of renewable energy will reduce the impact of climate change and guarantee energy security.
Mr Miliband previously branded the licence issues to Rosebank as “climate vandalism” as energy policy continued to create a rift between world leaders across the Atlantic.
Upon hearing of Mr Burnham’s path to No10, Mr Trump said that, due to the new MP being “extremely liberal”, the incoming Prime Minister “probably won’t open up the North Sea”.
He told reporters last month: “I gave Keir Starmer some pretty good advice. I said open up the North Sea, go to Aberdeen, which was the hottest city of the whole continent.
“It was the oil city of Europe, and they closed everything. It was terrible. I couldn’t believe it.”
The President said: “Norway’s got now two trillion dollars in the bank, and the UK is dying, so they should open up the North Sea, and it’s an easy one, and a lot of good things are going to happen. It’s among the greatest deals in the world.”