Swinney Splits With London on North Sea Drilling Ban
The Scottish government has broken with Westminster over North Sea oil and gas. First Minister John Swinney told MSPs he does not support a ban on any new exploration, and his SNP plans to try to strip that ban out of the UK bill.
The SNP's plan for the bill
If the SNP cannot remove the ban on new drilling from the legislation, it will oppose the whole bill. That would happen even though the party supports other measures in it.
Swinney told parliament the bill contains several measures his government backs. "But we do not support the provisions of that bill in relation to the position on the granting of new licences," he said.
The bill covers more than licences: it would formally end gas standing charges and bring in changes meant to make grid connections faster.
What the UK bill would change
The Energy Independence Bill, if MPs pass it, would take away the North Sea Transition Authority's ability to grant fresh oil and gas licences. It follows a Labour manifesto pledge not to permit new fields. Licensing decisions are made by the UK government, not in Edinburgh.
Existing fields would still be allowed extra output from inside their current boundaries or in nearby areas. The UK government said that could produce about 60 million barrels of oil and support hundreds of jobs.
The bill has no bearing on Rosebank, off Shetland, the UK's largest known untapped field. Approval came in 2022, before legal challenges. Swinney has repeatedly declined to say explicitly whether he supports drilling there.
Swinney's case for exploration
At First Minister's Questions, Swinney argued that fossil fuels would be needed "for some years to come". In his view there is a rational basis for considering developments within Scotland's own jurisdiction if they emit less carbon than imported oil and gas. Each application, he said, should be weighed against its effect on the country's carbon reduction target.
A move away from the 2023 line
Under Nicola Sturgeon, the Scottish government proposed a presumption against new oil and gas developments, set out in its 2023 energy strategy. The Swinney administration appears to have drifted from that line, particularly after war began in the Middle East, though ministers say new projects must still fit the aim of cutting carbon emissions over time.
Scottish Greens co-leader Gillian Mackay called the comments a "shocking U-turn". She said it shows how far the SNP has drifted when even the UK government takes a stronger position.
Reform UK Scotland leader Malcolm Offord said he welcomed the news because it overrules the SNP's long-standing presumption against new exploration.
Source: BBC News