SWINNEY SAYS SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT OPPOSES NEW OIL AND GAS LICENCE BAN

John Swinney told the Scottish Parliament that the Scottish Government opposes a provision in the UK Government's Energy Independence Bill banning new oil and gas exploration licences. He set out the position during First Minister's Questions at Holyrood, after facing pressure over North Sea developments. "We do not support the provisions of that bill in relation to the granting of new licences for the exploration of new oil and gas fields," he said. Swinney added that new applications should be judged against Scotland's carbon reduction targets, noting that oil and gas would still be used "for some years to come."

Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay raised the issue at First Minister's Questions, citing a letter from SNP MSP Jack Middleton, a former adviser to Swinney, saying the SNP backed the Rosebank oil field. Findlay invoked the party's "Scotland's oil" slogan and asked Swinney to instruct SNP MPs to vote against the bill at Westminster. Swinney had faced criticism a week earlier for declining to say whether he backed Rosebank, under questioning from Scottish Labour leader Michael Marra. Rosebank has been central to debate over new drilling and the Scottish Government's climate targets.

Reform UK leader Malcolm Offord welcomed the comments: "I'm delighted to hear the First Minister do yet another U-turn on his position. So much for the presumption against new licences in oil and gas." Scottish Greens co-leader Gillian Mackay called it a "shocking U-turn" that was "further shredding what remains of his party's climate credentials." She said it was "a huge departure" from a Scottish Government policy of presuming against new licences, calling it "a shameful retreat and a slap in the face for future generations."