Leaving oil in the ground an ‘act of national self-harm', says Findlay
Speaking as his party's conference got under way in Edinburgh, Russell Findlay said Scotland should use its own oil, rather than relying on foreign imports.
He also continued his attacks on the Scottish Government's target to reach net zero by 2045, describing the goal as 'completely unrealistic'.
UK Tory leader Kemi Badenoch is expected to tell the Scottish conference on Friday that the windfall tax on oil and gas companies, and the ban on new licences in the North Sea, should be scrapped.
Appearing on BBC Radio Scotland's Good Morning Scotland programme, Mr Findlay said Scots will need oil and gas 'for decades to come'.
He said: 'We are the party who completely support the North Sea oil and gas industry.
'The SNP in Edinburgh are completely hostile to any form of new exploration, and it's exactly the same with Sir Keir Starmer and Ed Miliband in London.
'They want to leave this oil and gas in the North Sea and import oil and gas from further afield. It makes absolutely no sense.'
He warned it would be a mistake not to drill for more oil in Scotland.
'We, as a country, are going to need oil and gas for decades.
'The SNP's net zero target of 2045 is completely unrealistic on the basis of what we know the cost that it will inflict on the paying public.
'Even if net zero is achieved within a timescale, any kind of timescale like that, we're still going to need that oil and gas.
'It's a complete act of national self-harm to leave this natural resource in the ground and then just rely on foreign imports.'
Mr Findlay said there should be a 'mix' of energy production in Scotland, including nuclear energy – something opposed by the Scottish Government.
In her keynote speech to the conference at Murrayfield, Ms Badenoch will accuse the UK Government of 'killing' the North Sea oil and gas sector.
She will say the current windfall tax on energy firms – first introduced by the last Conservative government and extended by Labour – would mean that by 2030, there would be no oil and gas industry to tax.'We must scrap the ban on new licences,' she will say.
'We must overturn the ban on supporting oil and gas technology exports.
'And we must champion our own industry.'
Dame Jackie Baillie, the deputy leader of Scottish Labour, said the Tories are on the side of oil and gas companies 'rather than working Scots'.
She added: 'With Kemi Badenoch desperately attempting to rally the few remaining Scottish Tories, it seems like it won't be long until they can fit all of their MSPs in a single taxi.'
The SNP has been approached for comment.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
37 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
Chaos in UK town see rioters hurl petrol bombs at police amid 'week of shame'
Petrol bombs were thrown at police for a fifth consecutive night in Northern Ireland, in what has been dubbed a "week of shame" for the region. After serious public disorder erupted in Ballymena on Monday, the focus of the violence and unrest has since shifted to Portadown. One officer was directly in the impact of a petrol bomb that landed behind a line of police vehicles during a sustained standoff with those participating in the unrest on Friday. Fireworks, masonry, and bottles were among other items thrown at riot police deployed in the town. Shortly before midnight, the PSNI used a water cannon on the crowd in an effort to disperse those gathered on West Street into other areas. The force used the water cannon again at around 12.30am on Saturday. Elsewhere on Friday, there were reports of disruption and damage to public property as riot police responded to another protest in the Tullyally area of Londonderry. It came after a senior officer said there would be a "scaled-up" policing presence across Northern Ireland in anticipation of further disorder over the weekend. Assistant Chief Constable Ryan Henderson said the mobilisation, which would include officers sent over from Scotland, was "to reassure our communities and protect our streets". Disorder started in Ballymena on Monday after an alleged sexual assault of a girl in the County Antrim town at the weekend, and continued throughout the week. The unrest and riotous behaviour spread to other towns and cities including Larne, Belfast and Coleraine. A number of homes were targeted, and the Northern Ireland Housing Executive has said about 50 households have received assistance across the week, and 14 families have been provided with emergency accommodation. A police representative group said at least 63 police officers have been injured in the five days of disorder, which led political leaders to call for calm during a meeting of the British Irish Council in Newcastle, County Down, on Friday. First Minister Michelle O'Neill said everyone is condemning the disorder and calling for it to stop. She said: "What we have seen over the last four days has been devastation, has been horrific for those people targeted - this is women and children, these are families, at the brunt of racist, violent attacks, and it is wrong on every level. The whole of the Executive is united on that front." Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly described a "difficult time for Northern Ireland" with "disgraceful scenes of violent disorder", and said her thoughts are with the residents of the areas affected. Additional police officers from Scotland supported the PSNI after a mutual aid request. Scottish First Minister John Swinney said it was an illustration of how cooperation between police forces is "absolutely essential". While disorder in Ballymena raged across Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday night, it appeared to have largely abated in that town by Thursday. However, disorder instead flared in Portadown - although generally at a lower intensity compared to scenes seen earlier in the week. There have also been incidents in other towns, including the burning of Larne Leisure Centre on Wednesday and an arson attack on a house in Coleraine in the early hours of Friday, from which a man and woman, and four young children escaped. It is being treated by police as arson with a racially motivated hate element. The Police Federation, which represents rank and file officers, said that since violence erupted in Ballymena on Monday, 63 officers have been injured. Federation chairman Liam Kelly said it has been "a week of shame with appalling levels of unrest in towns and cities". He said: "Burning people out of their homes, attacking a leisure centre, and the specific targeting of individuals and property fuelled by overt racism and prejudice, is totally deplorable. "Yet again, our overstretched police officers have also been attacked with petrol bombs, bricks and fireworks as they sought to keep people safe and maintain law and order. "They have held the line with great courage and professionalism and are owed a debt of gratitude by this community. They went to the aid of vulnerable people, have prevented further savage attacks and have undoubtedly saved lives." Police Service of Northern Ireland Chief Constable Jon Boutcher warned on Thursday that his officers would be coming after the "bigots and racists" behind the disorder. He also said that the young girl who was the victim of an alleged sexual assault in Ballymena at the weekend had been "further traumatised" by the rioting across the week.
The National
an hour ago
- The National
Where is scrutiny of UK's nuclear submarine plans?
In particular, there has yet to be any serious scrutiny of the proposal to build 12 nuclear-propelled submarines under the Aukus agreement, the military co-operation agreement between the US, UK and Australia. This scrutiny is especially necessary given that the Pentagon this week announced a review of its commitment to the agreement, raising questions about whether the billions of pounds committed by the UK Government are destined for the drain. The Aukus agreement's main aim is the material support of the Australian Navy in the Indo-Pacific, primarily by providing it with eight nuclear-powered submarines of the kind announced in the SDR. This means several of the 12 nuclear submarines will probably end up lurking around in the South China Sea, contributing nothing to the defence of the UK and raising regional tensions. READ MORE: Jeremy Corbyn says police 'picked on him' as Gaza protest case dropped No mainstream journalist or news organisation has questioned the Government over whether this is a sensible use of public resources or even a rational 'defence' strategy in any meaningful sense of the word. There has been no coverage of the fact the Government's watchdog the Infrastructure and Projects Authority (IPA) recently declared the manufacture of nuclear reactors to power the new Dreadnought submarines 'unachievable'. It gave the nuclear reactor project its lowest rating of 'red' in January of this year, as reported by The Ferret in February. While the IPA assessment rated the delivery of the new Aukus-class submarines as 'amber' ('facing significant issues requiring management attention'), it is widely assumed that the same nuclear reactors will power both the prospective nuclear-armed Dreadnought and Aukus submarines. In short, the Government's own infrastructure office just this year assessed that an indispensable component of all these submarines is not deliverable. This was hardly given a moment's airtime during the media furore on the SDR. (Image: PA) This alone is a serious indictment of Britain's elite journalists and indicates that their role has not been to question the Government's obscene military spending plans but rather to promote them. It therefore falls to citizens and civil society to raise the questions over serious doubts about the Government's costly nuclear plans. The Pentagon's review of its commitment to Aukus to determine if it aligns with the new administration's 'America First' agenda carries a weight of irony. Less than two weeks ago, UK Defence Secretary John Healey was espousing the supposed great benefits of the 'special relationship' with the US in terms of military co-operation and trade. Wednesday's development highlights just how little the UK gains from obsequiously aligning with US geopolitical interests, such as attempting to corral China in the Indo-Pacific. The unreliability of this relationship should compel a total reassessment of the predominant ideology about UK security, which currently prioritises being an arm of the US military in far-flung corners of the world over genuine domestic security. UK CND recently published an Alternative Defence, focusing on strengthening domestic social investment and a programme for common international security. The full report is on the UK CND website. The UK Government's irrational and incoherent military spending plans come at a time when the current generation of submarines based at Faslane are in an increasingly atrocious state of disrepair. Serious radioactive risk incidents at the naval base are increasing. The Vanguard nuclear-armed submarines are going on record-long assignments while their substitutes sit rusting in the repair docks. Crew are likely enduring awful conditions during six-month stints underwater, with some reports saying they ran out of food during the last assignment. Meanwhile, the Dreadnoughts that will supposedly replace these ailing vessels are unlikely to enter service for 10 years at least – if the reactors to power them can be built at all. The UK's nuclear superpower farce is unsustainable and a disaster waiting to happen. Those of us who understand this in Scotland must support the parties which oppose nuclear weapons in the run-up to the 2026 election, and keep up the pressure on Scottish parliamentarians to support the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. Samuel Rafanell-Williams is Scottish CND's communications officer
Powys County Times
an hour ago
- Powys County Times
Letter: British pensioners are among the poorest in Europe
The Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced that pensioners with taxable incomes of £35,000 or less will still receive the Winter Fuel Payment this winter. In the year ending March 2022, pensioners in the UK paid £19.5 billion in income tax. This tax was collected from pensioners whose total income - including State Pension, private pensions, and other taxable earnings - exceeded the £12,570 personal allowance threshold. If say the £200 Winter Fuel Payment (WFP) were spread out over a full year, it would equate to approximately £3.85 per week (£200 divided by 52 weeks). Shame it could not be added to the State Pension instead then there would have been no means testing. Even with the Triple Lock system, which ensures the pension rises annually by the highest of inflation, wage growth, or 2.5%, the UK State Pension remains below the minimum wage and is one of the lowest in Europe. For example, pensions in France, Spain, and Germany tend to be significantly higher. In contrast, pensioners in Luxembourg receive up to £5,426.93 per month, significantly more than in the UK. As for the £10 Christmas Bonus has remained unchanged since it was introduced by Edward Heath's Conservative government in 1972. If it had been adjusted for inflation, it would be worth around £165 today. Some estimates suggest it could be closer to £130.
