Trump says Aberdeen is dancing over Andy Burnham’s North Sea oil push

Trump the president claimed the incoming UK leader would open the North Sea to full drilling, though Burnham has not confirmed the reports.

First Published: July 19, 2026, 10:41 AM ET

WASHINGTON D.C. — Donald Trump claimed the people of Aberdeen are dancing in the streets over new North Sea oil drilling.

Here is the full post on truthsocial: “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! 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. 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! Trump”

The president made the claim in a post on his Truth Social platform on July 19, 2026 at 2:27 PM ET. Andy Burnham, the incoming UK prime minister and former mayor of Greater Manchester in northwestern England, has not confirmed reports that he would approve new fossil fuel production, according to scmp.com. Reports point to the North Sea’s Rosebank and Jackdaw fields. Trump, a vocal supporter of fossil fuels, said further drilling would move the United Kingdom from a poverty-stricken disaster to one of the richest countries in the world.

“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,” Trump said in the post.

The stakes reach across the North Sea energy economy. Oil operators and Aberdeen’s workforce would gain from expanded production, while renewable developers and climate advocates would lose ground if wind projects shrink. Trump also renewed his attack on wind power, suggesting the UK would move the windmills that loom over the city of Aberdeen, according to scmp.com.

Burnham has not confirmed that he is considering approval for the Rosebank and Jackdaw fields, according to scmp.com. The claim carries weight because Aberdeen has long marketed itself as the oil capital of Europe, and North Sea output has declined steadily since its late-1990s peak.

For the average US reader, the effect is indirect. Global oil supply and pricing respond to production decisions in major basins, so a North Sea policy shift could feed into fuel costs that ripple through American markets.

Has this happened before? This has happened before. Trump has repeatedly criticized wind turbines near his Scottish golf properties and pressed governments to expand oil and gas output, a theme running through years of his public statements.

Burnham is the next figure expected to weigh in, and he has not announced a date for any decision on North Sea drilling.

The North Sea has drawn political fights before, as happened again here. Commercial oil production in the basin began after major discoveries in the early 1970s, and the Forties field came onstream in 1975. Output later peaked near 4.5 million barrels per day of oil equivalent before entering a long decline, reshaping the fortunes of the leaders who staked their economic plans on it.