Cameron wins Obama BP assurance

Sunday, 13 June 2010 12:00 AM

By politics.co.uk staff

Barack Obama will not seek to undermine BP's value, the US president has pledged, after a telephone conversation with David Cameron.

The prime minister won the assurance as the White House and No 10 bid to defuse tensions over the oil giant's handling of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill.

Mr Cameron and Mr Obama spoke yesterday afternoon to prevent the environmental disaster turning into a diplomatic spat.

In a statement Downing St said the leaders had "agreed that BP should continue - as they have pledged - to work intensively to ensure that all sensible and reasonable steps are taken as rapidly as practicable to deal with the consequences of this catastrophe".

It added: "The prime minister stressed the economic importance of BP to the UK, US and other countries. The president made clear that he had no interest in undermining BP's value.

"The president and prime minister reaffirmed their confidence in the unique strength of the US-UK relationship."

A statement from the White House said: "The president and the prime minister discussed the impact of the tragic oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, reiterating that BP must do all it can to respond effectively to the situation."

On Friday Mr Cameron spoke with BP chairman Carl-Henric Svanberg via phone as he returned from Afghanistan. Mr Svanberg also met with chancellor George Osborne in Downing St. He told ITN after leaving the meeting BP had done "everything we can" to fill the well.

Mr Cameron has come under pressure from senior business and political figures in the UK, with mayor of London Boris Johnson calling on the prime minister to defend BP amid allegations of anti-British sentiment from the White House.

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