9 hours ago
2
The US ambassador to the UK has said Britain should transportation retired "more drilling and much production" successful the North Sea.
In his archetypal broadcast interrogation successful the job, Warren Stephens urged the UK to marque the astir of its ain lipid and state reserves to chopped vigor costs and boost the economy.
"Electricity costs are 4 times ours successful the UK, versus the US," helium told Mornings with Ridge and Frost.
"I privation the UK system to beryllium arsenic beardown arsenic it perchance tin be, truthful the UK tin beryllium the champion state to the US that it perchance tin be.
"Having a increasing system is indispensable to that - and the energy costs marque it precise difficult."
Mr Stephens told Wilfred Frost helium hoped Britain would "examine the policies successful the North Sea and frankly, marque immoderate changes to it that allows for much drilling and much production".
"You're utilizing lipid and gas, but you're importing it. Why not usage your own?" helium asked.
The ambassador said helium had held meetings with Sir Keir Starmer connected the vigor contented portion US President Donald Trump was successful the room, and that the premier curate was "absolutely" listening to the US view.
"I deliberation determination are members of the authorities that are listening," Mr Stephens told Sky News. "There is simply a small spot of question to marque changes connected the argumentation and I'll anticipation that volition continue."
Energy Secretary Ed Miliband has said the UK should beryllium prioritising nett zero by 2030 to bounds climate change, alternatively than issuing caller lipid and state drilling licences.
However, the ambassador said it would instrumentality "all vigor for each countries to compete" successful the future, fixed the immense powerfulness demands of information centres and AI.
"I don't deliberation Ed Miliband is needfully wrong," said Mr Stephens. "But I deliberation it's an incorrect argumentation to disregard your fossil substance reserves, some successful the North Sea and onshore."
The ambassador hosted Mr Trump connected the archetypal nighttime of his second UK authorities visit in September - a travel that was seen arsenic a occurrence by some sides.
Mr Stephens said Mr Trump and Sir Keir had a "great relationship" and pointed to the historical ties betwixt Britain and the US arsenic a large origin successful June's commercialized woody and the favourable tariff complaint connected the UK.
"The president truly loves this country," the ambassador told Sky News.
"I don't deliberation it's coincidental that the tariff rates connected the UK are mostly a third, oregon astatine worst half, of what a batch of different countries are facing.
"I deliberation the premier curate and his squad did a large occupation of positioning the United Kingdom to beryllium the archetypal commercialized deal, but besides the champion 1 that's been struck."
Mr Stephens - who began his occupation successful London successful May - besides touched connected the Ukraine warfare and said Mr Trump's patience with Russia was "wearing thin".
The Alaska acme betwixt Mr Trump and Vladimir Putin failed to nutrient a breakthrough, and the US person has admitted the Russian president whitethorn beryllium "playing" him truthful helium tin proceed the fighting.
Read much from Sky News:
Trump accused of 'new debased point' with exile order
Trump's sentiment of Xi gathering brushes implicit thornier issues
The ambassador told Sky News helium had ever favoured a pugnacious stance connected Russia and was "delighted" erstwhile Mr Trump sanctioned Russia's 2 biggest lipid firms a fewer weeks ago.
However, helium emphasised the president's telephone that other countries indispensable halt buying Russian energy to truly tighten the screw.
'The incorrect policy' - That's Trumpian diplomacy for you
"You're utilizing lipid and gas, but you're importing it. Why not usage your own?"
It's a tenable question for President Trump's apical typical present successful the UK – ambassador Warren Stephens – to ask, peculiarly fixed that our exclusive interrogation was taking spot successful the UK's lipid capital, Aberdeen.
The ambassador told maine that helium and President Trump person repeatedly lobbied Prime Minister Starmer connected the topic, and somewhat strikingly said the PM was "absolutely listening", adding: "I deliberation determination are surely members of the authorities that are listening. And determination is simply a small spot of question to marque immoderate changes to the policy."
Well, 1 subordinate of the authorities who is seemingly not listening, and happens to beryllium spending astir of this week astatine the UN Climate Change Conference successful Brazil, is Energy Secretary Ed Miliband.
"It's going to instrumentality each vigor for each countries to vie successful the 21st period for AI and information centres," the ambassador told me. "And so, I don't deliberation Ed Miliband is needfully wrong, but I deliberation it's an incorrect argumentation to disregard your fossil substance reserves, some successful the North Sea and onshore."
Not wrong, but the incorrect policy. That's Trumpian diplomacy for you.
His comments connected Russia, China and escaped code were besides fascinating. On the latter, helium said that successful the US idiosyncratic mightiness get "cancelled for saying something, but they're not going to get arrested."
"The president, has been, I would say, cautious successful ramping up unit connected Russia. But I deliberation his patience is wearing out," said Mr Stephens.
"One of the problems is simply a batch of European countries inactive beryllium connected Russian gas," helium added.
"We're mindful of that. We recognize that, but until we tin truly chopped disconnected their quality to merchantability lipid and state astir the world, they're going to person wealth and Putin seems intent connected continuing the war."
The ambassador besides struck a cautious but hopeful code connected aboriginal US and UK relations with China.
It comes aft Mr Trump said his meeting this week with President Xi Jinping was a "12/10", raising hopes the commercialized warfare betwixt the superpowers could beryllium simmering down.
China's immense system is excessively large to disregard - but it remains a large spy threat; the caput of MI5 warned past period of an increase successful "state menace activity" from Beijing (as good arsenic Russia and Iran).
Mr Stephens praised the country's system and said it would beryllium "terrific" if China could 1 time beryllium considered a partner.
Please usage Chrome browser for a much accessible video player
But helium warned "impatient" China is ruthlessly focused connected itself only, and would similar to spot the US and the West weakened.
"There's surely things we privation to beryllium capable to bash with China," added the ambassador.
"And I cognize the UK wants to bash things with China. The United States does, excessively - and we should. But I deliberation we ever request to support successful the backmost of our caput that China does not person our interests astatine heart."
:: Watch Mornings with Ridge and Frost connected weekdays Monday to Thursday, from 7am to 10am connected Sky News
English (US) ·