Finally, Swinney breaks with Sturgeon... and backs drilling in the North Sea

John Swinney has confirmed that his government is opposed to Labour ’s ban on all new North Sea drilling as he finally confirmed a U-turn on its previous ‘presumption against’ new licences. The First Minister yesterday said he opposes the new law proposed by the UK Government which would prevent further drilling. His spokesman also confirmed that the SNP will seek to get the proposal removed from the Energy Independence Bill and if they fail to do so the party will vote against the legislation at Westminster.

Mr Swinney’s comments at First Minister’s Questions are the first official confirmation that the Scottish Government has formally moved away from the ‘presumption against’ all new licences introduced by Nicola Sturgeon , which was set out in a previous draft energy strategy. It comes after he last week repeatedly refused to say whether he supports the Rosebank development getting the go-ahead despite being asked the question on seven separate occasions.

Reform UK’s Scottish leader Lord Malcolm Offord pressed the First Minister on the issue of new drilling yesterday as he questioned why Mr Swinney’s SNP has ‘given up on Scotland’s oil’. He said that the proposed Bill bringing a statutory end to any new North Sea licences ‘is a seismic moment for the UK economy which sounds a death knell for Aberdeen’. The Jackdaw field was finally given the green light last month The First Minister said on Thursday that he opposes the new law proposed by the UK Government which would prevent further drilling Lord Offord, Reform's leader in Scotland, said he was 'delighted' to hear the First Minister had done another U-turn on his position on the North Sea Mr Swinney said he supports some measures in the Bill, but said: ‘We do not support the provisions of that Bill in relation to the position on the granting of new licences for the exploration of new oil and gas fields for the simple reason… that any particular applications need to be considered in relation to their impact on our carbon reduction targets, given the fact that we are going to be using oil and gas for some years to come.’

Lord Offord said: ‘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. Delighted to hear that.’ During later exchanges yesterday, Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay asked the First Minister whether he would tell Nationalist MPs to vote against Labour’s ban on new drilling. The First Minister failed to directly respond, saying only that Reform and the Conservatives have asked him the same questions and he has set out the government position.

Following his exchanges, Mr Findlay said: ‘Andy Burnham’s attack on North Sea oil and gas will be catastrophic for Scottish jobs, energy security and Scotland’s economy. Swinney is culpable through his silence. ‘All he has to offer is increasingly shrill and desperate deflection. ‘My party will always back Scotland’s oil and gas industry.’ A spokesman for the First Minister later said: ‘We will seek to get those provisions removed from the Bill as it goes through parliament. ‘If those provisions are in the Bill when it goes to its final vote we can’t support the Bill.’