Donald Trump's call to "incentivise" North Sea oil production should prompt an urgent Downing Street meeting, the shadow Scottish secretary has said. Andrew Bowie called for a review of policies affecting the oil and gas industry following the US president's visit to Scotland.
The US president described the North Sea as "a treasure chest for the United Kingdom" during his visit earlier this week, warning that fossil fuel taxes make "no sense". He also criticised "some of the ugliest windmills you've ever seen", referring to wind turbines off the coast near Aberdeen.
Bowie calls for urgent review
Mr Bowie has written to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer (Labour) calling for a meeting in London to explore the effects of oil and gas policies. He referred to the windfall tax on the profits made from extracting UK oil and gas, introduced by the previous Conservative government in 2022 and retained until 2030 by Labour Chancellor Rachel Reeves.
In his letter to Sir Keir, Mr Bowie wrote: "As president Trump has said, the UK's 'very high' tax on oil and gas companies is a deterrent to investment." The Conservative MP for West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine added that the extension of the energy profits levy, coupled with uncertainty around future licensing, has created instability.
Trump urges domestic production
"President Donald Trump's remarks during your visit - calling Aberdeen the 'oil capital of Europe' and urging the UK to 'bring it back' - reflect a sentiment shared by many in the region," Bowie wrote. He urged the Prime Minister to consider Trump's call to incentivise domestic hydrocarbon production.
"Oil and gas still have a vital role to play in our energy mix and economic future; British people would rather see the UK benefit from domestic exploration and drilling than import more from Norway and Qatar," the Conservative MP added. He called for an urgent Downing Street meeting with industry leaders and the local workforce.
President criticises wind turbines
During his visit with Sir Keir, Trump posted on his Truth Social website: "North Sea Oil is a treasure chest for the United Kingdom. The taxes are so high, however, that it makes no sense." He claimed the Government has essentially told drillers and oil companies "we don't want you".
Speaking at his Turnberry golf resort in South Ayrshire, Trump said: "When we go to Aberdeen, you'll see some of the ugliest windmills you've ever seen, the height of a 50-storey building." Gesturing with his hands, he added: "You can take 1,000 times more energy out of a hole in the ground this big."
Government's energy strategy
Sir Keir responded at the time saying oil and gas are "going to be with us for a very long time, and that'll be part of the mix, but also wind, solar, increasingly nuclear". Aberdeen has been chosen by the Government to host the headquarters of GB Energy, a state-owned company set up to accelerate the rollout of renewables.
(PA) Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
