Kemi Badenoch has urged voters in Aberdeen South to turn next month’s Westminster by-election into a referendum on the future of the North Sea oil and gas industry.
The Leader of the Opposition will visit the constituency today (Friday) with Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay and the party’s candidate, Douglas Lumsden.
Ms Badenoch said it was “lunacy” that Labour and the SNP were opposed to new drilling in the North Sea when the sector is shedding an estimated 1,000 jobs per month.
She added that voters could tell both parties “enough is enough” by backing the Scottish Conservatives in what will be a two-horse race between them and the SNP.
Findlay warned that voting for any party other than the Scottish Conservatives in Aberdeen South risked handing victory to the SNP.
Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch said: “Voters in Aberdeen South can turn this by-election into a referendum on the future of the North Sea oil and gas industry.
“It’s lunacy that the Labour Government, supported by the SNP, are blocking new drilling off the coast of Aberdeen.
“That ban, coupled with the Energy Profits Levy, is costing 1,000 jobs in the sector every month. Now, to add insult to injury, Labour have eased the sanctions on oil and gas imported from Putin’s Russia.
“Next month’s by-election is the chance for people in Aberdeen South to say: ‘Enough is enough, this war on domestic oil and gas must stop’.
“It’s a two-horse race between the Scottish Conservatives and the SNP, and voters can send a loud and clear message to Scotland’s two out-of-touch governments by backing Douglas Lumsden.”
Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay said: “This crucial by-election is a straight fight between our party and the SNP.
“People in Aberdeen South won’t be fooled by the SNP, who dishonestly claim to back oil and gas while actually opposing new drilling in the North Sea.
“They also know that Labour are determined to kill the industry, with mass job losses that would bring economic carnage to the North East.
“The only way to effectively back the oil and gas industry is by voting for Douglas Lumsden on June 18.
“A vote for any other party, including Reform, will only result in an SNP victory. That’s what happened in the Holyrood election where we came within just over 1,000 votes of beating the SNP.”