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Brexit discussion with big oil wrong priority

Patrick Harvie MSP, Economy spokesperson for the Scottish Greens, today (18 Aug) challenged Scottish Secretary David Mundell over his decision to meet oil industry bosses as part of the UK Government's Brexit negotiation preparations.

Patrick said:

"It speaks volumes that David Mundell isn’t here to listen to the universities which face losing research funding, or to the trades unions who know they have a fight on their hands to save our EU workplace protections. His time would be better spent in finding solutions for Scotland which respect the mandate from the 62% of voters who chose to remain in the EU, than on pushing forward with a Brexit process they didn’t vote for, and which will do so much harm.

"The UK Government’s reckless referendum has left our economy facing even more uncertainty than it was before, and has placed workers’ rights in peril at the very time we’ve seen strike action in the North Sea over attacks on terms and conditions.

"It’s no surprise that just weeks after the UK Government abolished the Department of Energy and Climate Change, David Mundell is choosing to meet with the fossil fuel industry. Neither he nor the rest of the Tory Party has shown the slightest interest in supporting the transition toward renewables that will generate the jobs of the future and the clean energy we need."