Exclusive:Harbour Energy: 'Idealistic' UK government net zero approach causing Scottish job losses, Stephen Flynn says

The Aberdeen South MP insisted he was a “firm believer” in the green transition, but accused policy makers in Westminster of leaving workers behind and risking great damage to the economy.

It comes as the Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber of Commerce (AGCC) on Friday called for urgent government action following a wave of job losses across the North Sea energy sector, with Harbour Energy blaming “punitive” government measures for its plan to cut 250 jobs.

Mr Flynn argued that responsibility for recent job losses lay solely with UK ministers, suggesting there were only a few areas where the Scottish Government could make progress.

Speaking exclusively to The Scotsman, Mr Flynn also defended his Holyrood ambitions and insisted there was no issue with any of his SNP colleagues, despite a backlash when he first announced his intention to run for the Scottish Parliament. The 36-year-old has been nominated to stand for the SNP in Aberdeen South and North Kincardine at next year’s Scottish election.

Discussing net-zero goals, Mr Flynn said: “I’m a firm believer in making sure that we deliver net zero because I think it affords us a huge economic opportunity and the ability to to export our skills and expertise around the world in the same way that we've done in the likes of the subsea sector of oil and gas.

“But in order to deliver net zero and meet our aspirations in that context, you can't lose what you already have.”

Mr Flynn added: “If we pursue the route that the UK government is going down at the moment, where there's a very real and present danger to the future of the oil and gas sector, the individuals who work in that sector, given its a transient workforce and it is a global workforce, will seek employment elsewhere and that will do huge damage to our economy.

“Policy makers have perhaps been overly idealistic in London as to how easy this is going to be to achieve and the timeframes which are attached to it, and the consequences of that are that people are losing their jobs right here and now.”

Asked if the Scottish Government had any responsibility over closures such as Grangemouth, and if both administrations could do more on net zero, Mr Flynn insisted it was the responsibility of the UK government.

“When it comes to the oil and gas sector, licensing is a matter for the UK government,” he said. “There is a great deal of uncertainty in relation to that. Then you have the taxation policy, again a matter wholly in the responsibility of the UK government.

“The responsibility for Scotland’s oil and gas sector lies directly at the feet of the energy secretary in London, and the Chancellor in London, and no amount of equivocation can change those facts of the constitutional set-up that we have.”

AGCC chief executive Russell Borthwick said promises made by the UK government to protect jobs in the North Sea had been broken, pointing at almost 600 job losses announced over the past fortnight.

A poll carried out by Survation for the chamber found 68 per cent of voters want to meet oil and gas demand from domestic production, rather than relying on imports. Only 27 per cent thought the windfall tax had helped reduce bills.

Survation polled 1,020 adults aged 16 or older in Scotland between May 2-5.

Mr Borthwick said: “We are witnessing the start of deindustrialisation in the UK’s energy capital. This is not what the public voted for ... the Energy Profits Levy is starving the sector of investment and damaging the very supply chain we need to deliver net zero.”

The chamber has called for an emergency summit involving Sir Keir Starmer and First Minister John Swinney in a bid to prevent further job losses, and wants the Acorn Carbon Capture project at Peterhead to be backed with funding commitments.

Mr Flynn meanwhile addressed the recent backlash against his run for the Holyrood seat held by SNP MSP Audrey Nicoll. He said with Ms Nicoll announcing in February she was stepping down next year, there was no issue.

“There’s never been any issue from my perspective,” he said. “People are perfectly entitled to have different views and different perspectives on any selection contest.

“By its very nature, contests can be challenging and I was, of course, one of the very first to say I was seeking to put myself forward. In order to be successful, we have to be a united team and I’m more than willing to play my part in that. Those who have served besides me in Westminster would agree that can be achieved.”

Asked it was damaging to leave Westminster having won an election, Mr Flynn pointed to precedent.

He said: “It is the public who are going to decide which parliament, if any, myself or [fellow SNP MP] Stephen Gethins serve in, or whether that was [Health Secretary] Neil Gray in the past, John Swinney in the years prior to that, or [former first minister] Alex Salmond. It’s somewhat of a novelty for a parliamentarian to go from Westminster to Holyrood, it’s usually the other way round. And some sort of Labour politicians going to the House of Lords, rather than the Commons.

“I think we can take that experience of being in that environment and the challenges that come with that, and take it into the Holyrood setting and play an active part in policy development, making an improvement to people’s lives and helping convince people that Scotland’s future means we don’t need to send people to Westminster anymore.”

The UK government has been approached for comment.