Tories push for Holyrood commitment to oil and gas
They are urging support for new projects, including the controversial Cambo field
The Scottish Conservatives are set to bring a vote to Holyrood on future oil and gas projects, including the controversial cambo field.
They'll use opposition time on Wednesday to hold a vote on the matter, as they urge the Scottish Parliament to back more drilling in the north sea.
Last month First Minister Nicola Sturgeon wrote to Boris Johnson asking that he and the UK Government 'reassess' Cambo field.
The spot off Shetland could produce around 800 million barrels of oil - but it's drawn much protest from environmental groups.
The Scottish Conservative motion for the vote will call for the Scottish Parliament to back future oil and gas projects, both to protect Scottish jobs and to cut down on emissions by limiting the need to import energy.
North East MSP and Scottish Conservative Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero, Energy and Transport, Liam Kerr, said: “We are bringing forward a vote on future North Sea projects, including the Cambo field, so that the Scottish Parliament can have its say on the importance of Scotland’s oil and gas industry during our transition to net zero.
“Nicola Sturgeon has already said future projects should be ‘reassessed’ and Patrick Harvie has boasted of shifting the SNP’s position on oil. The North East deserves to know if the Scottish Government still supports this vital industry and the 100,000 jobs it supports.
“The SNP have a choice: side with the North East economy or the extremist Greens. They can either back a sensible transition to net zero that limits the need to import costly energy from abroad.
"Or they can be upfront that they favour a radical shift to end Scotland’s oil and gas industry quickly, which would likely harm our environment.
“As the SNP used to shout - it’s Scotland’s oil. We are far better off using our own energy than paying higher prices to import from abroad, where the environmental protections are lower and the carbon cost is higher.”
However, the Scottish Green Party claim that the Tories are misleading the public with the debate, and say it fails to understand the meaning of the words 'just transition'.
Scottish Greens climate spokesperson Mark Ruskell said: “The Scottish Conservatives clearly do not understand the meaning of the word transition.
"We are investing in jobs in alternative industries while the Tories call us names from the sidelines.
“Expanding oil and gas production is the opposite of a transition, and it is misleading to the communities who rely on this industry for jobs and livelihoods to suggest otherwise.
"The UN General Secretary himself has called for no more expansion in fossil fuels, and the UK Government’s own advisers the Climate Change Committee told MSPs the case has not been made.
"It appears the Scottish Conservatives are willing to call them extremists too, rather than provide a real future for Scotland’s communities.”
You can learn more about the debate on the oil and gas transition, and everything you need to know ahead of the Cop26 conference in our new podcast.