Anas Sarwar 'cannot win Holyrood election without Labour ending oil licence ban' warns union boss
One of the UK’s leading trade union chiefs has warned Keir Starmer’s ban on new oil and gas developments is halting Anas Sarwar’s chances of becoming first minister.
Scottish Labour will not win next year’s Holyrood election if the party does not reverse its opposition to new oil and gas, one of the UK’s top union chiefs has warned.
Gary Smith, the general secretary of the GMB union, has told Anas Sarwar he will not become the next first minister without his party at Westminster having a change of heart on its pledge to ban new North Sea oil and gas licences.
The UK government has pointed to scientific evidence that new oil and gas licences are not consistent with global efforts to tackle the climate crisis and that continuing to drill for oil and gas will do nothing to cut energy bills.
But the vow has left Labour open to criticism over jobs and claims that Britain will have to import fuels from overseas.
Speaking to the New Statesman, Mr Smith starkly warned that “on the current policies, I don’t believe that Labour can win in Scotland”.
READ MORE: Rosebank and other North Sea oil and gas fields could be given green light under new guidelines
He added: “People don’t get that energy is an emotional issue in Scotland. We went hundreds of miles out in this inhospitable sea and built this incredible, groundbreaking energy infrastructure.
Labour ‘will need to rethink’ oil field ban
“If you’re on the west coast of Scotland, most people of a certain age have a drop of oil from Sullom Voe because there are so many families who were involved in building that project when they landed the oil in Shetland.
“This was an emotional story about Scotland. It’s important to its sense of self and the economy, and I don’t think people have really got that.”
Mr Smith has insisted that “they will have to rethink” the position on oil and gas “because the consequences in terms of energy prices, in terms of national security, in terms of the economy and jobs, are so profound”.
He added: “What we should be doing is taking a public stake in what is left of the oil and gas sector and using the profits for that sector, or part of them, to invest in a new green future.
“We should be talking about North Sea Two, how we’re going to collaborate with Norway – not just decarbonising the North Sea, but what comes next. Oil and gas is not the enemy: it’s actually the gateway to whatever comes next, and we’ve got to stop seeing it as a threat.”
Mr Smith attacked the UK’s industrial strategy and net zero policies, claiming that “for too long, we were exporting jobs and importing virtue, so we closed down British industry”.
‘Squandered opportunities’
He added: “That was great for emissions, not great for communities. Our notional emissions have fallen but all we’ve done is export jobs and industry to China, where they burn coal to produce the goods we then import on diesel-burning barges and ships – and that includes the vast bulk of all renewables industry.”
Pressed by The Scotsman over his position on oil and gas, Mr Sarwar said there “have been too many squandered opportunities”, adding that “all the big promises on green jobs have failed to materialise”.
The Scottish Labour leader added: “We’ve got to get the balance right, which is recognising oil and gas has got a significant role to play for decades to come, making sure we have a policy around oil fields that’s right.”
Mr Sarwar said that the UK government needs to have “a fiscal regime that attracts investment but also maximises potential tax receipts for the Treasury”.
The union concerns come as the UK government announces a £900,000 transition training fund that will help around 200 Aberdeen oil and gas workers to move into the clean energy sector.
The programme is open to current and former oil and gas workers who live in or are employed in Aberdeen or Aberdeenshire, and are interested in moving into roles within clean energy.
Successful applicants will receive careers advice and funding towards training courses - supporting local people into opportunities in sectors such as offshore wind, hydrogen and carbon capture and storage, which could include roles in welding, electrical engineering and construction.
Fund to help green jobs transition
It is hoped that up to 100,000 direct and indirect jobs could be supported by the offshore wind sector across the UK by 2030.
UK Energy Minister Michael Shanks, said: “Aberdeen has been the energy capital of Britain for decades and while oil and gas will be with us for decades to come, we are determined to make sure that workers are supported to access the thousands of jobs in industries such as offshore wind and carbon capture.
“This funding will help deliver a fair and prosperous transition in the North Sea, unlocking the full potential of renewable energy and reaping the economic benefits from the skills and experiences of Aberdeen’s workforce.”
The fund will be delivered by Skills Development Scotland and has been supported by an additional £40,000 from the Scottish Government.
SNP Climate Action and Energy Minister, Gillian Martin, said: “The North East has long been a titan in the oil and gas industry and the valuable expertise within our workforce must be at the heart of the transition to new fuels and sustainable energy.
“I am determined to ensure a positive impact and powerful legacy of Scotland’s clean energy revolution which benefits communities across the North East of the country.”
But Scottish Conservative energy and net zero spokesperson, Douglas Lumsden, claimed the SNP and Labour “boasting about this scheme” was "frankly embarrassing”.
He added: “This ‘support’ for 200 workers amounts to a drop in the ocean when compared to the projected 400 jobs a fortnight being lost thanks to their decimation of the oil and gas sector.
“Both parties shamefully opposed Rosebank and Cambo and have said they’re against North Sea drilling altogether. This sector drives £14 billion into our economy and supports 83,000 jobs, but John Swinney and Keir Starmer have sold it down the river.”
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