US president-elect Donald Trump has criticised the British government's energy policy with a demand the country "open up" the ageing North Sea oil and gas basin and get rid of wind farms.
The North Sea is one of the world's oldest offshore oil and gas basins where production has steadily declined since the start of the millennium. At the same time, it has become one of the world's largest offshore wind regions.
"The UK is making a very big mistake. Open up the North Sea. Get rid of Windmills!" Trump said in a post on his social media platform Truth Social.
Climate-sceptic Trump has long opposed wind farms. In 2015, he unsuccessfully fought plans to construct one near his luxury golf course in Scotland.
His post on Friday (3) included a link to a report from last November about US oil and gas producer APA Corp's unit Apache's plans to exit the North Sea by year-end 2029. The company expects North Sea production to fall by 20 per cent year-on-year in 2025.
Prime minister Keir Starmer's Labour government won last year's elections with a pledge to build up Britain's low-carbon economy. The government aims to quadruple offshore wind generation capacity by 2030 to 60 gigawatts as part of goals to lower carbon emissions and improve air quality.
In October, the British government said it would increase a windfall tax on North Sea oil and gas producers to 38 per cent from 35 per cent and extend the levy by one year. The government wants to use the revenue from oil and gas to raise funds for renewable energy projects.
Oil and gas companies have said the higher tax rate could lead to a drop in investments. Some companies have sold assets while others merged operations and sought to diversify to other regions.
The North Sea Transition Authority, Britain's offshore oil and gas regulator, declined to comment about Trump's post. Britain's energy security department did not immediately reply to a request for comment.
Claire Coutinho, the opposition Conservative party's shadow energy minister, said in a post on X in response to Trump's comments that "no other major economy is shutting down its domestic oil and gas production... It's totally mad".
Claire CoutinhoOil companies have been exiting the North Sea to focus on newer basins. Production has declined from a peak of 4.4 million barrels of oil equivalent per day (boed) at the start of the millennium to around 1.3 million boed now.
Britain and countries in mainland Europe have overseen major offshore wind farm development, but the sector's growth has stalled as costs ballooned due to technical and supply chain problems as well as higher interest rates.
Some developers been reconsidering their investments in offshore wind, or have assumed impairments, due to the rising cost of building wind farms that can be more than 100 km (60 miles) offshore.
Orsted, the world's biggest offshore wind farm developer, trimmed its investment and capacity targets last year.
Britain has a target to largely decarbonise its power sector by 2030, which will mean reducing its reliance on gas-fired power plants and rapidly increasing its renewable power capacity.
(Reuters)
Moglai Bap and Mo Chara of Kneecap perform at Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm in Pilton, Somerset, Britain, June 28, 2025. REUTERS/Jaimi Joy
Police may probe anti-Israel comments at Glastonbury
BRITISH police said they were considering whether to launch an investigation after performers at Glastonbury Festival made anti-Israel comments during their shows.
"We are aware of the comments made by acts on the West Holts Stage at Glastonbury Festival this afternoon," Avon and Somerset Police, in western England, said on X late on Saturday (28).
Irish hip-hop group Kneecap and punk duo Bob Vylan made anti-Israeli chants in separate shows on the West Holts stage on Saturday. One of the members of Bob Vylan chanted "Death, death, to the IDF" in a reference to the Israel Defense Forces.
"Video evidence will be assessed by officers to determine whether any offences may have been committed that would require a criminal investigation," the police statement said.
The Israeli Embassy in Britain said it was "deeply disturbed by the inflammatory and hateful rhetoric expressed on stage at the Glastonbury Festival".
Prime minister Keir Starmer said earlier this month it was "not appropriate" for Kneecap to appear at Glastonbury.
The band's frontman Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh was charged with a terrorism offence last month for allegedly displaying a flag in support of Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah at a concert in November. He has denied the charge.
A British government minister said it was appalling that the anti-Israel chants had been made at Glastonbury, and that the festival's organisers and the BBC broadcaster - which is showing the event - had questions to answer.
Health secretary Wes Streeting said he was also appalled by violence committed by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank.
"I'd also say to the Israeli Embassy, get your own house in order in terms of the conduct of your own citizens and the settlers in the West Bank," Streeting told Sky News.
"I wish they'd take the violence of their own citizens towards Palestinians more seriously," he said.
(Reuters)