US president Donald Trump has called on Sir Keir Starmer to take full advantage of North Sea oil and gas to bring down Britain's energy bills.
Speaking at a joint press conference at Chequers, Trump pointed out that his "drill, baby, drill" policy had helped bring down prices in America.
Trump, the Press Association reports, said: “We had the worst inflation in the history of our country and we had an expression that I used a lot: drill, baby, drill.
“And as you know, we brought fuel way down. The price is way down.
“That brought the inflation way down and now we have very little inflation and we have a very, very strong economy.
“So that was very important. Drill, baby, drill. And you have a great asset here… it’s called the North Sea. The North Sea oil is phenomenal.”
Starmer assured reporters he remains "absolutely determined" to bring down energy costs for businesses and households.
He went on: “The mix will include oil and gas for many years to come from the North Sea. We have been clear about that for some time, but we also need to mix that with renewables. And it’s the mix that’s really important.
“And the approach I’ve taken on this is the same approach that I say to many other things: a pragmatic approach.”
Reacting to Trump's comments, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch posted on social media: "Not surprised Trump was so emphatic.
"It’s all we spoke about last night. We have to get our oil and gas out of the North Sea.
I'm serious about energy security cutting energy bills.
"We have to make the most of our natural resources. It’s mad to leave billions of £ in there."
The US president doubled down on his North Sea comments in an interview with Fox News, insisting that Starmer "has to open up the North Sea".
He added: "They have some of the best oil in the world and they have a lot of it.
“They have a lot of it and they made it impossible for people to drill. I think that’s what causes their energy … they have a big energy problem here with the pricing.”