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Tories and Reform would destroy energy sector in `pincer movement´ - SNP

Jenny Gilruth was speaking in the run-up to the Aberdeen South Westminster by-election.

The Deputy First Minister has accused the Conservatives and Reform of working in a “pincer movement” to “destroy” Scotland’s energy sector.

Jenny Gilruth pointed to the around 70,000 directly employed offshore workers in Scotland who lost their jobs under the Conservative government from 2010 to 2023, and said Nigel Farage’s Reform would end backing for renewables, which supports around 50,000 jobs in Scotland.

Ahead of campaigning in the Aberdeen South Westminster by-election, the Finance Secretary said the SNP would “protect the world-class oil and gas sector we have today while building another world-class renewables industry right by its side”.

She said her party wants to use the country’s energy resources “to enrich the Scottish people”, while “Reform and the Tories want to use our North Sea as a cash machine”.

Ms Gilruth said: “The Tories destroyed 70,000 oil and gas jobs and introduced the hated windfall tax, meanwhile Farage would ruin 50,000 renewables jobs overnight.

“It is no secret that the UK is bound for a Farage future and the Tories will be all too happy to wave that in (Conservative leader) Kemi Badenoch has made that crystal clear.

“They would destroy our energy sector in a pincer movement.

“Only the SNP wants to protect the world-class oil and gas sector we have today while building another world-class renewables industry right by its side Reform and the Tories want to use our North Sea as a cash machine.

“By putting Scotland’s energy in Scotland’s hands, we will do what only the SNP will do use our resources to enrich the Scottish people, take sensible licensing decisions that meets our needs, and end the Tories’ windfall tax.

“In Aberdeen South, only Richard Thomson and the SNP can beat the Tories and Nigel Farage we cannot let them get their hands on our energy wealth.”

But Douglas Lumsden, the Tory candidate for Aberdeen South, said voters in the area “won’t fall for the SNP’s desperate spin”.

He said: “Aberdeen used to be the oil and gas capital of Europe before the SNP and Labour declared war on the industry.

“The SNP opposed Jackdaw, opposed Rosebank, and still back (UK Energy Secretary) Ed Miliband’s crazy ban on new drilling in the North Sea, which is putting our energy security at risk and risking thousands of jobs.

“On June 18, voters can send a powerful message to Labour and the SNP that their ideological attack on oil and gas workers must end, by electing me as their new MP.”