LONDON (Reuters) -British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Friday that he had spoken to the bosses of oil majors Shell (LON:RDSa) and BP (LON:BP) and underlined the need for investment in the country amid soaring energy prices.
"Our message to them, and what is very, very clear, ... this is a moment where we need you as a country to invest massively in clean, green, renewables, in the stuff that is going to make a difference to people's energy prices," Johnson told reporters.
Calls for a 'windfall tax' have been growing as the two London-listed oil firms have reported billions of dollars in profits at a time when people are struggling with the rising cost of essential items from food to fuel.
Asked about a windfall tax, Johnson said: "What the country needs is a government that will take a big decision about how to fix our energy supply, and you don't do that simply by clobbering the companies that we need to make investments in our domestic energy security."