Scottish First Minister John Swinney is confronting deepening divisions within his own party over North Sea oil and gas drilling, as a prominent Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) has called for two key projects to be rejected.
Paul McLennan, a former housing minister and SNP MSP, urged Prime Minister Andy Burnham to refuse consent for the Rosebank and Jackdaw developments. His stance exposes significant fissures among SNP lawmakers, with some senior party figures actively advocating for the projects to proceed.
McLennan stated his personal opinion that expanding the Jackdaw and Rosebank fields would not aid efforts to combat rising global temperatures. "Climate change is happening now, it is having an impact on us now, it will cost us a lot more than the economic benefits that will come through short-term if that is granted," McLennan said on the Full Scottish pro-independence podcast. He expressed hope that a more sensible approach would be taken, suggesting these developments are not needed at this stage.
His comments emerge as the Labour government's Net Zero agenda faces scrutiny, with warnings that a shutdown of oil and gas extraction could jeopardize 100,000 North Sea jobs over the next 25 years. The Conservative Party has branded the refusal to permit drilling in the Jackdaw and Rosebank fields as "economic insanity," arguing that both resources are essential for the UK's energy needs for decades.
Conversely, other SNP members, including Stephen Flynn, a cabinet member and former SNP Westminster leader, have pledged to champion the oil and gas industry. Flynn, who is considered a potential successor to Swinney, promised to advocate for the sector after his election. The SNP subsequently lost the by-election in Flynn's former Westminster seat of Aberdeen South to Conservative candidate Douglas Lumsden, who had framed the contest as a referendum on oil and gas.
Aberdeen Central MSP Jack Middleton, who previously served as a special adviser to Swinney and former First Minister Humza Yousaf, has publicly backed the Rosebank and Jackdaw projects. Middleton believes these developments would create thousands of Scottish jobs and significantly boost local economies. He also argued for increased use of domestic North Sea resources, suggesting it is a duty to European allies and a way to decrease reliance on Middle Eastern countries and those aligned with Russia.
Scottish Conservative energy spokesman Liam Kerr criticized McLennan's position, stating that a senior SNP figure should not support policies that endanger Scottish oil and gas jobs. Kerr highlighted the public support for the drilling projects from Flynn and Middleton, emphasizing the significant internal split within the SNP on this critical issue. He further urged Flynn and Middleton to challenge colleagues who wish to see the industry decline if they genuinely support oil and gas workers. Kerr also criticized the Labour government for its perceived dithering on the Jackdaw and Rosebank decisions, stating that Scottish workers need decisive action rather than internal party disputes and governmental inaction.
An SNP spokesperson clarified that McLennan, representing East Lothian Coast and Lammermuirs, had indicated his remarks were a personal view.