Swinney’s response on oil and gas ‘is incoherent’

The Scottish Government’s stance on oil and gas is “incoherent”, campaigners have claimed.First Minister John Swinney told MSPs on Thursday that his Government was against the UK Government’s attempts to ban all new exploration in the North Sea.Mr Swinney was accused of a “U-turn” on the issue, given Nicola Sturgeon’s administration had supported a presumption against new oil and gas, a position which has softened in the year since.In a statement on Friday, Dr Rosie Hampton, principal policy adviser at anti-fossil fuel campaigners Uplift, said: “The First Minister’s response is incoherent.“New licensing will do nothing meaningful for Scotland’s energy security or the industry’s future.“After 50 years of drilling, the North Sea is an ageing basin in decline, with industry-supported jobs more than halving in the past decade.“Even the oil and gas lobby accepts that the ban on new exploration licences is right.“Worse, this debate distracts from Scotland’s real energy problems.“It won’t cut a penny from people’s bills, which is what’s worrying people, while our continued reliance on fossil fuels is driving the wildfires, flooding and extreme weather we’re increasingly experiencing.“The SNP’s response to both crises is wholly inadequate.“The Scottish Government must urgently deliver a coherent transition plan – that means public investing in homegrown renewables, creating secure, long-term jobs and powering Scotland’s future – not siding with oil profiteers like some tartan Trump.”The Scottish Government has been contacted for comment.