Swinney Accused of Prioritizing Independence Over Scottish Jobs
First Minister John Swinney reportedly did not raise the Rosebank oil field during a meeting with Andy Burnham, despite discussing Scottish independence.
Scottish First Minister John Swinney has faced criticism for allegedly failing to advocate for North Sea jobs during a recent meeting with Andy Burnham, while he did raise the prospect of another Scottish independence referendum. Swinney admitted that the Rosebank oil field, a significant potential development off Shetland, was not discussed during his meeting with Burnham in Glasgow on Friday.
The Rosebank field is estimated to contain 500 million barrels of oil, and its approval by the UK Government is pending. This comes after the UK government approved the Jackdaw gas field earlier in October. Swinney stated, "I didn’t, no. It never came up," when asked if he had raised Rosebank with Burnham.
Instead, Swinney confirmed that he and Burnham discussed another referendum on Scottish independence and the potential for resetting relations with the European Union. "The Prime Minister knows that I support a referendum on independence and I made clear to him that I reiterate that position," Swinney said. He also noted discussions regarding "the relationship of the United Kingdom to the European Union, because obviously that has some significant implications for Scotland on a number of different questions."
This stance has drawn criticism from some quarters. Duncan Massey, a Reform MSP for North East Scotland, questioned Swinney's commitment to Scottish workers and the domestic oil and gas industry. "We need a Scottish Government to be an unambiguous supporter of Scottish oil and gas, which is still one of our most important industries," Massey stated. He urged Swinney to clarify his position, asking whether he would "put Scotland’s workers first, or if he plans to continue moonlighting to as the Greens’ best spokesperson."
Swinney's party, the SNP, has been under pressure to shift its policy on North Sea developments. The former First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, had previously introduced a presumption against new North Sea developments in a draft energy strategy in 2023. However, the SNP's recent party conference saw a backing of domestic oil and gas over foreign imports, suggesting a potential policy reevaluation.
Downing Street confirmed that the meeting between Swinney and Burnham focused on devolving powers to local levels, while reiterating that a second independence referendum is "off the table."