First Minister criticises Labour oil and gas plans

Humza Yousaf has accused the Labour Party of trying to “raid” Scotland’s oil and gas sector.

The Scottish First Minister spoke in Aberdeen earlier, where he said locals in the north-east were “extremely angry” at opposition party proposals for the North Sea.

Sir Keir Starmer announced he wanted to raise the windfall tax on fossil fuel firms from 75% of excess profits to 78% while also extending it to 2029.

Yousaf's anger at the plans come on the back of Sir Keir's speech to the Scottish Labour conference in Glasgow on Sunday where he pledged work in the oil and gas sector would continue "for decades to come".

The First Minister rejected Sir Keir's attempts at calming the industry, saying the “aggressive” plans are bid to plug a financial black hole caused by the Labour’s intention to build new nuclear plants in England.

Mr Yousaf added: "Now, don't get me wrong. We support a windfall tax in order to protect people during a cost-of-living crisis but Labour's plans to increase this to pay for new nuclear power plants in England is plain wrong and will cost tens of thousands, if not more, jobs in the north-east.

"Labour's fiscal rules are nothing more than a defence against Tory attacks. But in effect they bind Labour to Tory austerity.

"Westminster is so broken, so skewed to the right, that even Labour know they can't win unless they promise to be just as right wing as the Conservatives.

"The wolf hasn't even bothered to put on the sheep's clothing.

"It's just a stuck on a red rosette."

Labour plans "would cost 100,000 jobs"

The First Minister told industry leaders that Labour's plans would "raid the north-east energy industry", to a loss of some 100,000 jobs.

He said the tax proposals came on the back of Labour announcing it would no longer invest a £28 billion a year on green policies, instead committing to other policies like wind farms and the clean energy firm GB Energy.

Mr Yousaf said: "Let's be abundantly clear. The SNP believes in a just transition.

"There is no justice in a transition that throws north-east workers on the scrapheap.

"The SNP will not let the north-east go the way that coal and mining towns went under Margaret Thatcher - that is exactly what Labour is threatening to do."

Labour's shadow Scottish secretary Ian Murray said: "Humza Yousaf's latest position on Labour's plans is completely incoherent and out of touch.

"Last year energy giants recorded profits of £33 billion while a third of households in Scotland were living in fuel poverty - but after a dizzying series of u-turns, it seems the SNP has decided to side with the energy giants.

"It beggars belief that Humza Yousaf thinks that a person earning more than £28,500 deserves to pay more tax, but energy giants earning billions in profits from soaring bills should pay less.

Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross said: "Humza Yousaf is displaying breathtaking hypocrisy masquerading as a friend of Scotland's oil and gas industry when he and the SNP have abandoned it at every opportunity."

He cited the party's opposition to new oil and gas licences, and their refusal to back the Rosebank development.

Mr Ross also said Labour's plans would be "catastrophic" for the region, adding: "You can barely put a cigarette paper between Labour and the SNP on this."

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