Keir Starmer wants to see an end to oil and gas exploration in Scotland
The Labour Leader spoke in Edinburgh this morning
Last updated 19th Jun 2023
Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer, is calling for an end to oil and gas exploration, and the development of green energy solutions.
He made the announcement in Edinburgh this morning and says he'll make Scotland the home of a new publicly owned green energy company, to make sure communities get the benefit.
Speaking to MFR Political Editor, Alan Smith, the opposition leader said: “Clean power by 2030 is something that will put our country right at the leading edge across the world in terms of renewables power in this country,”
He continued: “What I don’t want to happen is what happened with coal mining where, in a sense, the government didn’t have the courage and the wherewithal to plan for the future, and we’re still living with the consequences decades later.”
Fears for jobs in Aberdeen
But it comes despite calls from Aberdeen's Labour group to rethink his decision on putting an early end to North Sea oil and gas.
The party leader has been invited to Aberdeen to talks to workers in the industry about what it would mean for jobs in the area.
Too little, too late - SNP
SNP Energy Security and Net Zero spokesperson Alan Brown MP says the proposal is too little, too late.
He said: “Whether it's the Tories or the pro-Brexit Labour Party, Westminster politicians have used Scotland as an energy cash cow for decades, so the pretence that they suddenly want to deliver a strategy for Scotland now is laughable.”
Starmer says if Labour win the next election he will put a stop to exploration.
He told Northsound: “Everybody realises in their heart of hearts, there’s going to have to be a transition to renewables, the rest of the world is in this race now, America is racing ahead, Europe is trying to catch up,”
He added: “It’s very important that in the UK we don’t sit it out, wait until oil and gas begins to dwindle even more and then realise we’re not even in the race.”