US President Donald Trump said he knows little about Andy Burnham, who is expected to become Britain’s next prime minister, describing him as a “mayor of a town” and someone who is “extremely liberal”.

Speaking late on Wednesday, Trump suggested Burnham would probably oppose expanding oil drilling in the North Sea.

North Sea Oil Debate Returns

The US president once again argued that Britain should increase oil and gas production in the North Sea, repeating a position he had previously urged on outgoing Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

While Trump renewed his criticism of Britain’s energy policies, he stopped short of directly attacking Starmer, focusing instead on the issue of North Sea drilling.

“I hear he’s extremely liberal, extremely, so that means he probably won’t open up the North Sea,” Trump said.

“You know I gave Keir Starmer some pretty good advice, I said open up the North Sea.”

Starmer Resigns

Starmer announced his resignation on Monday after coming under pressure over weak polling numbers and disappointing local election results.

Burnham is currently the only declared candidate to replace him as Labour leader and prime minister, with a leadership contest expected to conclude by mid-July.

Asked about Burnham, Trump replied: “I don’t know anything. I see that he was, I guess, the mayor of a town.”

Relations Cooled Over Iran Strikes

For months after his election in 2024, Starmer sought to maintain good relations with Trump, including offering him an unprecedented second state visit to Britain in 2025.

However, ties between the two leaders reportedly cooled after Britain initially declined a US request to use British military bases for strikes against Iran.

London later granted permission for the bases to be used.

Trump’s latest remarks suggest that Britain’s energy policy could remain a point of discussion between Washington and any future government led by Burnham.

(with inputs from Reuters)