Swinney rejects Labour ban on new North Sea oil and gas exploration

The Scottish first minister has formally opposed the UK Government’s proposal to legislate a ban on new oil and gas exploration in the North Sea. John Swinney stated that the Scottish Government does not support the specific provisions of the draft Energy Independence Bill that would prohibit the granting of new licences for such developments. He argued that any future applications must be evaluated against carbon reduction targets, noting that the UK will continue to rely on fossil fuels for the foreseeable future.

Swinney outlined the Scottish Government’s position during a parliamentary session at Holyrood on Thursday. He responded to questions from Malcolm Offord, the Reform UK leader in Scotland, and later addressed queries from Russell Findlay, the Scottish Conservative leader. While the first minister acknowledged that the bill contains measures the Scottish Government supports, such as initiatives to lift individuals out of fuel poverty and increase renewable energy capacity, he explicitly rejected the clauses regarding the cessation of new fossil fuel exploration. He maintained that the decision to approve or reject specific projects, such as the Rosebank oil field, should be based on a rigorous assessment of their impact on emissions rather than a blanket prohibition.

The controversy over the Rosebank development has been highlighted by new polling data released on Thursday. A survey conducted for the Offshore Energies UK (OEUK) found that 65% of Labour supporters, who voted for the party in the 2024 general election, favoured approving the project. The same poll indicated that 68% of these voters believed the approval of the Jackdaw gas field off the coast of Aberdeen was the correct decision. Broader results from the survey, which questioned 2,050 adults across the UK, showed that 55% of the general population supported increasing domestic oil and gas production, while 63% specifically wanted the Rosebank project to proceed.

Political opponents of the UK Government’s stance have voiced strong criticism of the proposed ban. Malcolm Offord accused the first minister of abandoning Scotland’s oil interests, arguing that the country cannot re-industrialise with the most expensive energy in the western world. He described the move to shut down the North Sea as madness, given the available resources. In contrast, Katherine May, head of Oxfam Scotland, challenged Swinney’s position, stating that there is no such thing as a climate-compatible new oil and gas field. She suggested that the concept of climate compatibility tests is increasingly used to avoid acknowledging the environmental reality of new extraction projects.

The UK Government unveiled the draft Energy Independence Bill earlier this week, which aims to codify the ban on North Sea exploration into law. The announcement has generated mixed reactions across the industry and among political opponents. Swinney reiterated that while the Scottish Government supports measures to enhance energy security and reduce fuel poverty, it disagrees with the approach to new fossil fuel licences. He emphasised that the use of oil and gas will persist for years, necessitating a careful balance between energy needs and climate goals.