Campaigners denounce John Swinney’s oil‑gas shift as contradictory, warning of job cuts, climate danger and no bill relief.
During a recent session of the Scottish Parliament, First Minister John Swinney announced that his administration would resist the United Kingdom government’s proposal to bar any fresh exploration licences in the North Sea. The declaration marked a reversal from the policy endorsed by former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, whose cabinet had previously advocated a presumption against new oil and gas projects.
Opposition parties and environmental groups quickly labelled the move a political U-turn, arguing that the shift undermines a decade-long commitment to phase out reliance on fossil fuels. Critics also pointed out that the North Sea, after 50 years of drilling, is an ageing basin whose output and employment have been falling sharply.
John Swinney’s change of tone
When questioned by Members of the Scottish Parliament, Swinney asserted that Scotland should not be compelled to accept a blanket ban on new licences, describing the UK proposal as “unreasonable”. The First Minister’s remarks were met with an immediate rebuke from Dr Rosie Hampton, principal policy adviser at the anti-fossil-fuel coalition Uplift.
She described the response as “incoherent”, adding that “New licensing will do nothing meaningful for Scotland’s energy security or the industry’s future.” Hampton highlighted that jobs supported by the sector have more than halved in the past ten years and warned that “it won’t cut a penny from people’s bills”.
Green campaigners and environmental voices
Scottish Green energy spokesman Kristopher Leask intensified the criticism, likening Swinney’s stance to “pouring petrol on a fire”. Leask argued that betting on a dwindling supply of North Sea resources benefits multinational oil conglomerates while Scottish households remain exposed to volatile fuel prices and the escalating climate emergency. He called for a robust investment in the existing oil-gas workforce, especially in the North East, Orkney and Shetland, to facilitate a managed transition toward greener alternatives.
Opposition parties and reformist critiques
Conservative leader Russell Findlay attacked Swinney’s credibility, calling him “a Slippery Swinney” and accusing him of two-faced behaviour that contradicts the SNP’s own presumption against new drilling. Findlay asserted that oil-gas workers would see through the “fork-tongued” rhetoric.
Reform UK’s energy spokesperson Duncan Massey framed the licence ban as “perverse economic self-harm”, insisting that a modern economy still needs “cheap, abundant, reliable energy” supplied by fossil fuels in the medium term. He advocated a strategy that maximises domestic oil and gas, pivots decisively to nuclear power for the long haul, and uses renewables to fill any remaining gaps.
The Scottish Liberal Democrats, represented by Sanne Djikstra-Downie, urged a swift roll-out of climate-friendly heating solutions, an emergency home-insulation programme and broader access to renewable power. She cited geopolitical shocks such as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and tensions involving Iran as proof that “energy security” cannot depend on imported fossil fuels.
While the Scottish Government has not yet responded to the barrage of statements, the debate has shifted from a simple licence veto to a broader question of how Scotland will secure a low-carbon future without sacrificing jobs or inflating household energy costs. All eyes remain on the next parliamentary session, where the government is expected to outline a detailed transition plan.
