Flynn: Labour government would be ‘extremely dangerous’ for Scotland

The SNP’s Westminster leader said Labour’s proposed cuts in the oil and gas sector would be harmful to all of Scotland.

Stephen Flynn said Labour policies could result in 100,00 job losses in the energy industry (Jane Barlow/PA) (PA Archive)

A Labour government would be “extremely dangerous” for all of Scotland, the SNP has claimed.

During an appearance on Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips, Stephen Flynn, the SNP’s Westminster leader, was asked about Labour’s plan to stop renewing oil and gas licences if the party comes into power.

Mr Flynn said: “If we want to talk about energy, it’s not the SNP that’s saying there’s going to be 100,000 job losses as a result of the Labour Party’s policies.

“This is industry investment experts who are saying that, and it’s not just to do with ending new licences, it’s to do with removing investment allowances and it’s to do with extending taxation upon the industry.

“If you take away those 100,000 jobs, you are no longer in a position to end net zero, because the people that can do that for you, the very clever people who live in my part of the world, the ones who can drive investment and deliver that net zero future, are the ones who will lose their jobs and their very talented workforce, and they’d seek to go elsewhere to support their families, and rightfully so.

“What the Labour Party are proposing is extremely dangerous, not just for the north-east of Scotland, but right across Scotland’s economy”.

He added: “It’s why experts have been calling them out on it, it’s why we’ve been calling them out on it, and it’s why the public need to reflect upon the damage that their policies will do to our economy, should they get into power.

“Of course, that’s the reason why need SNP MPs there, because if we’re going to capture our renewables opportunity, we need SNP MPs there to put Scotland first in that regard”.

Ian Murray, Labour’s shadow Scottish secretary, said the SNP Westminster leader is “resorting to increasingly desperate and dishonest attacks on Labour’s plans because the SNP doesn’t have any of its own”.

He said: “The SNP has missed its green jobs targets and slashed its green jobs funding – but Labour will make Scotland a clean energy superpower.

“While the SNP changes its position on oil and gas every week, Labour will tap into the vast skills and expertise of our energy industry to bring the jobs of the future to Scotland while continuing to support oil and gas for decades to come.

“These transformative plans – driven forward by a publicly-owned GB Energy company based here in Scotland – will deliver 69,000 new green jobs, lower bills and energy security”.