The SNP is poised to perform an embarrassing climbdown over its plans to oppose new oil and gas fields.
In an interview with The Mail on Sunday, First Minister John Swinney disclosed that he is set to review his party’s policy against any further exploration in the North Sea.
The U-turn is in direct opposition to the stance held by his predecessors, Nicola Sturgeon and Humza Yousaf.
Last week the MoS revealed that the Nationalists planned to reverse their shambolic wood-burning stoves ban – a move which was later confirmed in a parliamentary statement at Holyrood.
The SNP’s draft energy strategy, published last year, stated that it would oppose licensing for new oil and gas fields, as Ministers felt that they could no longer support the fossil fuel industry.
John Swinney said he was set to review his party’s presumption against further exploration in the North Sea
Sir Keir Starmer’s Labour has also said it will not allow new oil and gas fields if it comes to power.
Yet rumours have swirled in recent weeks that the SNP is set to soften its position on the policy in a bid to woo voters who are dependent on the sector for a living.
The First Minister confirmed that there is an ‘exploration’ of the party’s former policy, telling The Mail on Sunday in Aberdeen: ‘I want the Scottish Government to work closely and carefully with the oil and gas sector to ensure its sustainability.
‘We need the oil and gas sector to contribute to the transition to net zero, so it has to be strong enough and robust enough to do that.
‘In addition to that, I want to make sure that the sector is able to contribute to the objectives of energy security that we’ve set out in our policy programme.
‘It’s an exploration of our position, that’s how I would describe it. The Scottish Government wants to work with the oil and gas sector to ensure its fiscal sustainability.’
The move comes after Rishi Sunak’s repeated assertions that the Conservatives are the only party which will protect the North Sea oil and gas industry, as it will look to continue granting exploration licences.
Speaking to this newspaper at the beginning of his election campaign, the Prime Minister pointed to his ‘support for Scotland’s energy industry which I have unequivocally backed, as have Douglas Ross and the Scottish Conservatives’.
He added: ‘You can’t say that for the SNP, who have been all over the place on it, and you certainly can’t say that for Labour, who want to ban North Sea oil and gas.
‘I support that industry because it’s good for Scotland’s economy, good for jobs, but it’s also good for our country’s energy security.’
Mr Sunak’s view is a position that the Scottish Tories last night maintained – with Andrew Bowie, the Conservative candidate for West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine, warning North-East voters not to trust the SNP.
Mr Bowie said: ‘John Swinney must think voters in the North-East are buttoned up the back.
‘The SNP have repeatedly turned their back on the oil and gas sector and the tens of thousands of workers it employs.
‘They refused to back Cambo. They refused to back Rosebank [oil fields]. They went into coalition with the extremist Greens who would shut down the industry overnight.
‘The SNP, like Labour, are no friends of the sector.’
Last year, Scottish Ministers confirmed that their position was a presumption against new oil and gas fields in its draft energy strategy.
Mr Swinney said the Scottish Government wants to work closely with the oil and gas sector to ensure its sustainability
Even though licensing is reserved to Westminster, it served as a stark warning to the energy industry.
Former net zero and energy secretary Michael Matheson, who continues to be embroiled in the £11,000 iPad data roaming row, said at the time that, instead, there should be focus on renewable energy sources.
He added: ‘While we do not hold all the powers to address these issues at source, this strategy sets out how we can achieve an energy transition that ensures we have sufficient, secure and affordable energy to meet our needs, support Scotland’s economic growth and capitalise on future sustainable export opportunities.’
However, the strategy was published during the SNP’s power-sharing agreement with the Scottish Greens, which Mr Yousaf dissolved shortly before his resignation.
In recent weeks, the SNP’s Westminster leader Stephen Flynn has also hinted that his party’s policy on new oil and gas exploration could change.
Mr Flynn said: ‘I think we all need to recognise, irrespective of where you are, the importance of the oil and gas sector to Scotland’s economy and the fact that those 100,000 individuals that we are talking about are absolutely crucial in our journey to net zero.’
Meanwhile, current Net Zero and Energy Secretary Mairi McAllan was also quoted as saying that Labour’s position – once shared by the Nationalists – was ‘too extreme’, but the SNP’s draft energy strategy has not yet been confirmed. However, Mr Swinney has now been clear – the SNP is reviewing the policy.
He has also positioned himself against the Tory policy of a continued windfall tax on oil and gas company profits – put in place to ease energy costs on consumers – as well as Labour’s plans to hike the penalties even further.
The First Minister said: ‘The Scottish Government wants to work with the oil and gas sector to ensure its fiscal sustainability. I am really worried about the tax grabs that the Conservatives and Labour are applying to the oil and gas sector – it’s a continuation of what’s been going on for 40-odd years.
‘The UK Government has used the oil and gas resources from Scotland to prop up the weaknesses in the UK financial system, and it’s a continuation of that activity that causes me deep concern.’