The Scottish Conservatives will force SNP and Labour MSPs stop dithering over whether consent should be given for new oil and gas projects in a Holyrood vote today (Wednesday).
The party will use one of their debating slots to ask other parties to agree that the Jackdaw and Rosebank oil and gas fields should be given the green light by Andy Burnham as soon as possible.
Energy spokesman Liam Kerr says the vote will finally show Scots if John Swinney is prepared to “get off the fence” and ditch his presumption against new drilling in the North Sea.
Kerr also says his party’s motion is a test for new Scottish Labour leader Michael Marra, who says he backs both projects, to see if he can unite his party around standing up for oil and gas jobs.
The North East MSP says the ongoing dithering from the Prime Minister is hugely damaging for the sector and compromising both the UK’s energy security and its environmental leadership as the UK is increasingly reliant on imports.
Kerr added that voters across Scotland know that the SNP and Labour are no friends of the industry and voting against his party’s motion would only confirm that further.
Scottish Conservative energy spokesman Liam Kerr MSP said: “Giving the green light to Jackdaw and Rosebank is just common sense, but Andy Burnham is continuing to dither.
“While he does so, more and more jobs are being lost in the industry and the UK’s energy security becomes increasingly reliant on imports.
“This makes absolutely no economic , environmental or security sense, when we could be undertaking new drilling in the North Sea right now. Our debate will finally force SNP and Labour MSPs to get off the fence.
“I’m giving John Swinney and the chance to show they’ve ditched the SNP’s ideological, unevidenced and hugely damaging presumption against new oil and gas projects.
“It is also Michael Marra’s opportunity to show that Scottish Labour has finally stopped dancing to Miliband’s tune and back oil and gas jobs.
“People will be keen to see if he has authority over his MSPs or not.
“We saw in the Aberdeen South by-election that voters are furious the SNP and Labour’s hostility to the oil and gas industry and my North East constituents know they want to turn the taps off in the North Sea.
“A failure to back our motion today would confirm people’s suspicions. Only the Scottish Conservatives who can be trusted to always stand up for oil and gas workers and back one of Scotland’s most crucial industries.”
