Future of North Sea jobs becomes early battleground in SNP leadership race

SNP leadership contender Ash Regan says she would not support the rapid phase out of North Sea oil and gas – at odds with her party’s stance.

The former government minister adopted an immediately more pro-fossil fuel stance than under Nicola Sturgeon, making it an early battleground in the race to be next first minister.

Ms Regan also called for the dualling of the A9 between Perth and Inverness to be “accelerated” and for a separate project to dual the A96 between Aberdeen and Inverness to “commence without delay”.

On Monday afternoon, she said a move away from oil and gas as fast as possible would “throw tens of thousands of oil workers out of jobs”.

Ms Sturgeon’s government unveiled a new energy strategy in January which calls for a “presumption against” new North Sea oil and gas exploration.

It was condemned by one north-east business leader as a “breathtaking betrayal of one of Scotland’s biggest industries”. 

Ms Regan said: “I will not support an accelerated net zero path which sees us turn off the North Sea taps, throw tens of thousands of oil workers out of jobs, hollow out north-east and Highland and island communities whilst still using and importing hydrocarbons.

“I will stand up for our oil workers and their communities.”

Early battleground

Ms Regan is staking out a position as a rebel, having resigned from her role as community safety minister over gender recognition reforms.

The 48-year-old is going head to head against Highland MSP Kate Forbes and Health Secretary Humza Yousaf in the leadership race.

Nominations will close on Friday and the winner will be announced on March 27.

On dualling A9 and A96, which has been delayed despite government pledges, Ms Regan said: “There are too many accidents and near misses.

“We need these completed to release the full economic potential of the NE and Highlands and to connect communities.

“This is my number one infrastructure priority.”

Polling by Survation last month revealed more than three quarters of people in Scotland think the UK should aim to meet its demand for oil and gas from domestic production.

The research, commissioned by north-east advisory firm True North, suggests 76% of people in Scotland think North Sea drilling is preferable to importing oil and gas.

The SNP’s energy strategy underlines the “prosperity” the oil and gas sector has brought to the north-east, hailing the region as a “global centre for the energy industry”.

However, ministers stress that “unlimited extraction of fossil fuels is not consistent” with efforts to decarbonise.

Ryan Crighton, policy director at Aberdeen and Grampian Chamber of Commerce, said: “There is an acceptance in the public at large that leaving Scotland’s oil in the ground while importing increasing amounts of it from other parts of the world is environmentally illiterate.

“We welcome the fact this crucial issue has already made its way to the centre of the SNP leadership debate.”