End new oil and gas drilling
It’s time for the SNP to come clean and level with people about its position on new oil and gas drilling in the North Sea, say the Scottish Greens.
This follows an interview with the BBC in which the SNP’s Westminster leader Stephen Flynn argued for a tax break for oil and gas companies and appeared to water down his party’s presumption against new drilling - stressing it was a draft and blaming Westminster consultations for the lack of a final energy strategy.
Scottish Green MSP Patrick Harvie said:
“It’s time for the SNP to come clean and drop the weasel words.
“They have spent months refusing to answer basic questions about their position on new oil and gas, sticking to tired and discredited lines about climate compatibility tests and hiding behind Westminster consultations.
“Nobody who listened to this morning’s interview could have come away from it thinking the SNP wants to maintain a climate-led position on fossil fuel. So why don’t they save us all time and just admit that they are U-turning on it?
“Under Nicola Sturgeon’s leadership the SNP took a clear position against new drilling and supported a windfall tax on the eye watering profits that fossil fuel giants were raking in.
“Under John Swinney and Stephen Flynn they have rolled back on this and are now calling for a major tax break for some of the wealthiest and most polluting companies in the world.
“The climate emergency is only getting more severe but the Scottish Government is stripping back plans, shedding commitments and lining up with the Tories to hand back millions to companies who have exploited Scotland’s resources and workers for decades.
Patrick added:
“Clean, green renewable energy is the best, safest and cheapest energy available and Scotland has a vast potential.
“We have the chance to create tens of thousands of high quality jobs for the future and end our dependence on volatile fossil fuel prices. But the renewables industry needs certainty and it needs investment.
“Scotland already has the skilled workers and resources to be a climate leader. The main thing that is lacking is the political will and an unambiguous commitment to actually do it.”