John Swinney to demand Labour devolves energy policy to Holyrood if SNP re-elected
The SNP leader will demand energy powers are transferred to Holyrood on the first day of him being re-elected as First Minister.
John Swinney has vowed to demand the “immediate transfer of powers over our energy” on the first day of him being re-elected as First Minister - amid a claim that Westminster has failed to act to cut household bills.
The pledge from the SNP leader comes as UK Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch is expected to visit Scotland, claiming that opening up the North Sea to more oil and gas exploration will cut bills.
Mr Swinney, who will spend today campaigning in the North East, said that if he is re-elected as First Minister in May, he will immediately request that the UK government uses a section 30 order he will draft to transfer energy policy to the Scottish Parliament. Mr Swinney has previously claimed that independence could cut energy bills by up to £300.
The SNP has long warned that the Labour government at Westminster has failed to act to bring down energy bills as promised ahead of the UK general election in 2024. Sir Keir Starmer’s government had vowed to untie gas and electricity prices, but Labour has not yet acted on its pledges.
The SNP government has not published a full energy strategy since 2017, having repeatedly delayed an updated blueprint.
Mr Swinney said: “Scotland is one of the most energy rich countries in the world – but we pay some of the highest bills in Europe.
“That is because for decades, Scotland’s energy wealth has flowed south to the Treasury rather than working for the people of Scotland.
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“UK government control over our energy resources is seeing bills soar, jobs destroyed and key energy investment projects denied.
“Westminster control is not working for energy security, it is not working for jobs and it is not working for people’s bills. By every measure Westminster has failed.”
The SNP leader admitted that “the process of a referendum will take time”.
He added: “So I want to begin the journey to independence on day one of the new term with the immediate transfer of powers over our energy.
“Because Westminster’s abject failures are really hurting people now – costing jobs and seeing bills soar. So I want to be able to take action now.
“If Westminster will not act to bring down bills, they should get out of the way for a government that will. It’s Scotland’s energy – and it should be in Scotland’s hands.”
Mrs Badenoch will also campaign in the North East today, alongside her party’s leader in Scotland Russell Findlay, following the launch of the party’s “get Britain drilling” campaign, which calls for an end to the windfall tax and the UK government’s ban on new oil and gas licences.
The party is also calling for VAT on energy bills to be scrapped, along with the levies imposed on electricity generation and subsidies for wind developments, which the Tories claim will cut bills by £200.
Ending the UK’s reliance on fossil fuels and the global energy markets which can fluctuate due to geopolitical events is the strategy pursued by the Labour government.
“I know families and business owners across Britain will be very worried about how the global energy crisis will impact them,” Mrs Badenoch said.
“That’s why I find it appalling that Labour’s solution is to tax working people to fund a bailout for those on benefits.
“By drilling in the North Sea and scrapping Ed Miliband’s crazy green taxes, our cheap power plan would reduce bills by £200 for everyone.”
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