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Trump hits out at Starmer over taxes and says North Sea oil is 'treasure chest'
The Independent
|July 30, 2025
Donald Trump has hit out at Sir Keir Starmer's taxes on North Sea oil just hours after praising the prime minister when the two met at the US president's Scottish golf course.
Mr Trump said the resource is a “treasure chest for the United Kingdom” as he urged Sir Keir to “incentivise the drillers”. It comes less than a day after Mr Trump described Sir Keir as “strong” and “respected” in an impromptu press conference on Monday, even saying that he wanted “to make the prime minister happy”.
Now the president has used his Truth Social network to attack North Sea oil taxes, which he said make “no sense”.
He posted: “North Sea Oil is a TREASURE CHEST for the United Kingdom. The taxes are so high, however, that it makes no sense. They have essentially told drillers and oil companies that ‘we don’t want you’. Incentivise the drillers, FAST. A VAST FORTUNE TO BE MADE for the UK, and far lower energy costs for the people!”
This story is from the July 30, 2025 edition of The Independent.
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