SNP Conference Backs Domestic Oil and Gas, Putting Pressure on Swinney

First Minister John Swinney faces mounting pressure to endorse new North Sea oil and gas drilling following a vote at the SNP's party conference to abandon a previous policy that opposed new drilling. The party's delegates in Aberdeen voted to scrap the ‘presumption against’ new drilling, a policy introduced by former leader Nicola Sturgeon. This marks a significant U-turn for the SNP, which had previously opposed new fields since Sturgeon introduced the presumption in a draft energy strategy in 2023.

The debate exposed divisions within the SNP, with some activists expressing concerns that the party was aligning too closely with the oil and gas industry. An amendment calling for increased windfall taxes on oil and gas profits was rejected by delegates.

Richard Thomson, the former MP who lost the recent Aberdeen South by-election, argued that the previous stance, particularly the phrase “presumption against,” had damaged the party’s electoral prospects. He stated that the Tories were able to position themselves as defenders of the industry while the SNP was seen as its opponent, a position he believes the party should no longer maintain.

Energy Minister Stephen Gethins, MSP Jack Middleton, and MP Lara Bird proposed a motion that stated, “in the interests of energy security, protecting Scottish jobs, and securing funding to accelerate growth in renewables, the utilisation of domestic production, reviewed by climate compatibility assessments, is clearly preferable to importation.” The motion also calls for policies that safeguard Scottish jobs and skills, reduce reliance on imported fuels, and utilize the economic benefits of remaining oil and gas resources to fund the transition to a net-zero economy.

Swinney has previously refrained from explicitly supporting new oil and gas licenses, including the Rosebank and Jackdaw developments. Gethins indicated that he hopes the conference vote will be reflected in Scottish Government policy and that the forthcoming energy strategy will support new drilling.

Conservative MP for Aberdeen South, Douglas Lumsden, welcomed the shift, stating that backing domestic resources over imports is common sense but criticized the SNP for the delay and its past policies, which he claims have harmed the sector. He urged Swinney to now support the Jackdaw and Rosebank developments and apologize for the industry's decline in Aberdeen.

During a fringe event at the conference, some activists voiced concerns about the party's direction, questioning its commitment to climate action and suggesting it was influenced by oil and gas lobbyists. Others raised questions about whether domestic drilling would benefit consumers or simply enrich energy executives, with one activist describing the approach as “rearranging deckchairs on the Titanic.”

David Whitehouse, chief executive of Offshore Energies UK, commented on the narrative surrounding oil and gas versus renewables, calling it “nonsense” and emphasizing that individuals working in the sector should not be demonized based on their jobs.

When asked if Nicola Sturgeon bore any responsibility for the previous opposition, Gethins defended her, stating that he did not believe she demonized individuals in the sector and that such language was not entirely helpful.