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Belfast Telegraph
2 days ago
- Politics
- Belfast Telegraph
Independent Scotland would cut ties with Israel, says SNP Westminster leader
Speaking on the News Agents podcast, Stephen Flynn said he was 'deeply upset and angry' about what was happening in Gaza as he hit out at the UK Government's 'weak' position on the issue. The Scottish Government, under the leadership of both Humza Yousaf and John Swinney, has been outspoken on the conflict, consistently calling for a ceasefire and for humanitarian aid to be able to enter Gaza. The Aberdeen South MP also said the UK Government should do something to catch the Israeli government's attention as it looks to ramp up pressure. Asked if an independent Scotland would close its embassies in Israel and break off relations with the country, Mr Flynn said it would. 'I've gone into the House of Commons on God knows how many occasions now and listened to David Lammy and Hamish Falconer, the Middle East minister, and they've told us how 'we're going to do this, or we're going to do that, and this is the latest thing we're going to do'. 'And then he stands up and says, 'but they're ignoring us'. 'Well, if they're ignoring you, then do something that captures their attention.' Mr Flynn's comments come as the Foreign Secretary announced the UK would be sanctioning two Israeli ministers. Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, Israel's security minister and finance minister respectively, have been 'inciting violence against Palestinian people for months and months and months, they have been encouraging egregious abuses of human rights', David Lammy said. Both will be subject to a travel ban and asset freeze. The Westminster SNP leader went on to say that it would not be 'wise' for his party's MPs to visit Israel, claiming they were likely to be turned away from the country, as happened with Labour MPs earlier this year, owing to the party's outspoken opposition to the conduct of the war in Gaza. 'I'd be amazed if any of them did, because they're not daft, and they probably know that they would get turned around and stuck on a plane right back out Israel,' he said. 'Look, I'm deeply, deeply upset and angry about what's happened in Gaza, and what continues to happen in Gaza, and the fact that the UK position has been so weak for far too long in respect of this. 'I think it's important that you convey your views to people who are rational actors.'
Scotsman
09-05-2025
- Business
- Scotsman
Harbour Energy: 'Idealistic' UK government net zero approach causing Scottish job losses, Stephen Flynn says
Sign up to our Politics newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn has claimed plans by an oil and gas firm to axe 250 jobs in Scotland was a direct result of the UK government having an 'idealistic' approach to net zero. The Aberdeen South MP insisted he was a 'firm believer' in the green transition, but accused policy makers in Westminster of leaving workers behind and risking great damage to the economy. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad It comes as the Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber of Commerce (AGCC) on Friday called for urgent government action following a wave of job losses across the North Sea energy sector, with Harbour Energy blaming 'punitive' government measures for its plan to cut 250 jobs. Mr Flynn argued that responsibility for recent job losses lay solely with UK ministers, suggesting there were only a few areas where the Scottish Government could make progress. Speaking exclusively to The Scotsman, Mr Flynn also defended his Holyrood ambitions and insisted there was no issue with any of his SNP colleagues, despite a backlash when he first announced his intention to run for the Scottish Parliament. The 36-year-old has been nominated to stand for the SNP in Aberdeen South and North Kincardine at next year's Scottish election. Discussing net-zero goals, Mr Flynn said: 'I'm a firm believer in making sure that we deliver net zero because I think it affords us a huge economic opportunity and the ability to to export our skills and expertise around the world in the same way that we've done in the likes of the subsea sector of oil and gas. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Stephen Flynn, pictured in the Westminster parliament, has designs on a switch to Holyrood. Picture: Leon Neal | Getty Images 'But in order to deliver net zero and meet our aspirations in that context, you can't lose what you already have.' Mr Flynn added: 'If we pursue the route that the UK government is going down at the moment, where there's a very real and present danger to the future of the oil and gas sector, the individuals who work in that sector, given its a transient workforce and it is a global workforce, will seek employment elsewhere and that will do huge damage to our economy. 'Policy makers have perhaps been overly idealistic in London as to how easy this is going to be to achieve and the timeframes which are attached to it, and the consequences of that are that people are losing their jobs right here and now.' Asked if the Scottish Government had any responsibility over closures such as Grangemouth, and if both administrations could do more on net zero, Mr Flynn insisted it was the responsibility of the UK government. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'When it comes to the oil and gas sector, licensing is a matter for the UK government,' he said. 'There is a great deal of uncertainty in relation to that. Then you have the taxation policy, again a matter wholly in the responsibility of the UK government. 'The responsibility for Scotland's oil and gas sector lies directly at the feet of the energy secretary in London, and the Chancellor in London, and no amount of equivocation can change those facts of the constitutional set-up that we have.' The oil refinery at Grangemouth has now closed amid the drive to achieve net-zero carbon emissions (Picture: Andrew Milligan) | PA AGCC chief executive Russell Borthwick said promises made by the UK government to protect jobs in the North Sea had been broken, pointing at almost 600 job losses announced over the past fortnight. A poll carried out by Survation for the chamber found 68 per cent of voters want to meet oil and gas demand from domestic production, rather than relying on imports. Only 27 per cent thought the windfall tax had helped reduce bills. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Survation polled 1,020 adults aged 16 or older in Scotland between May 2-5. Members of the Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber Of Commerce speak at a press conference | Contributed Mr Borthwick said: 'We are witnessing the start of deindustrialisation in the UK's energy capital. This is not what the public voted for ... the Energy Profits Levy is starving the sector of investment and damaging the very supply chain we need to deliver net zero.' The chamber has called for an emergency summit involving Sir Keir Starmer and First Minister John Swinney in a bid to prevent further job losses, and wants the Acorn Carbon Capture project at Peterhead to be backed with funding commitments. Mr Flynn meanwhile addressed the recent backlash against his run for the Holyrood seat held by SNP MSP Audrey Nicoll. He said with Ms Nicoll announcing in February she was stepping down next year, there was no issue. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'There's never been any issue from my perspective,' he said. 'People are perfectly entitled to have different views and different perspectives on any selection contest. 'By its very nature, contests can be challenging and I was, of course, one of the very first to say I was seeking to put myself forward. In order to be successful, we have to be a united team and I'm more than willing to play my part in that. Those who have served besides me in Westminster would agree that can be achieved.' Asked it was damaging to leave Westminster having won an election, Mr Flynn pointed to precedent. He said: 'It is the public who are going to decide which parliament, if any, myself or [fellow SNP MP] Stephen Gethins serve in, or whether that was [Health Secretary] Neil Gray in the past, John Swinney in the years prior to that, or [former first minister] Alex Salmond. It's somewhat of a novelty for a parliamentarian to go from Westminster to Holyrood, it's usually the other way round. And some sort of Labour politicians going to the House of Lords, rather than the Commons. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'I think we can take that experience of being in that environment and the challenges that come with that, and take it into the Holyrood setting and play an active part in policy development, making an improvement to people's lives and helping convince people that Scotland's future means we don't need to send people to Westminster anymore.'
Glasgow Times
08-05-2025
- Business
- Glasgow Times
Labour was warned of ‘real and present danger' to oil and gas sector
Mr Flynn, also the MP for Aberdeen South, was speaking after bosses at Harbour Energy blamed 'punitive' Government measures for the decision to axe 250 jobs in Scotland. The job losses come on top of 350 roles that were cut by the firm in 2023. Mr Flynn said the latest cuts amount to a quarter of the company's workforce in Aberdeen, where much of the UK oil and gas industry is based. Stephen Flynn voiced concern the job cuts at Harbour Energy could be 'the start of something that could be quite devastating for Aberdeen and the north east' (James Manning/PA) The MP said he and 'many others', including the Unite trade union, are now 'very fearful' the job losses at Harbour Energy may be 'the start of something that could be quite devastating for Aberdeen and the north east'. Mr Flynn told BBC Radio Scotland's Good Morning Scotland programme: 'Harbour is one of many companies that operate out of Aberdeen, one of many huge companies that work out of Aberdeen and there is a real and present danger, it was something that the Labour Party was warned about prior to the election, that the decisions they were seeking to take in relation to policy both for licensing and taxation in relation to the North Sea sector would lead to catastrophic job losses.' Scott Barr, managing director of Harbour Energy's UK business, said on Wednesday the job losses were 'due mainly to the Government's ongoing punitive fiscal position and a challenging regulatory environment'. Mr Flynn pressed Sir Keir Starmer on the issue at Prime Minister's Questions this week, and he told the programme on Thursday: 'If 250 jobs were being lost elsewhere in the UK, perhaps in Keir Starmer's constituency, he would be more interested than he appeared to be yesterday when I asked him about it.' Mr Flynn, who is due to meet senior directors at the firm on Friday, said as well as the increase the Energy Profits Levy – also known as the windfall tax – changes had been made to the licensing regime when Sir Keir's party came to power. Chancellor Rachel Reeves said the job losses were a 'commercial decision' by Harbour Energy (Andrew Milligan/PA) Labour has been clear on its opposition to new developments in the North Sea, with Mr Flynn saying there has been a 'direct impact upon investment decisions'. The SNP MP said: 'Everyone knows the North Sea is a depleting asset but the argument is how quickly you seek to shut down the industry and what we are seeking is a clear pattern of direction from the Labour Government in that regard, which is seeking to accelerate that.' Speaking during a visit to Scotland on Wednesday, Chancellor Rachel Reeves said the job losses at Harbour Energy were a 'commercial decision by the business'. She stressed 'the Energy Profits Levy is being used to properly fund public services', and she insisted oil and gas will have an 'important role' in the UK economy 'for years to come'. Ms Reeves added: 'It's a commercial decision by one company… but there are many other companies that aren't laying off workers. 'It is important that, with energy companies making record profits after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, that we ask those companies to pay their fair share of tax, especially when ordinary working people saw their energy bills go through the roof.'
Western Telegraph
08-05-2025
- Business
- Western Telegraph
Labour was warned of ‘real and present danger' to oil and gas sector
Mr Flynn, also the MP for Aberdeen South, was speaking after bosses at Harbour Energy blamed 'punitive' Government measures for the decision to axe 250 jobs in Scotland. The job losses come on top of 350 roles that were cut by the firm in 2023. Mr Flynn said the latest cuts amount to a quarter of the company's workforce in Aberdeen, where much of the UK oil and gas industry is based. Stephen Flynn voiced concern the job cuts at Harbour Energy could be 'the start of something that could be quite devastating for Aberdeen and the north east' (James Manning/PA) The MP said he and 'many others', including the Unite trade union, are now 'very fearful' the job losses at Harbour Energy may be 'the start of something that could be quite devastating for Aberdeen and the north east'. Mr Flynn told BBC Radio Scotland's Good Morning Scotland programme: 'Harbour is one of many companies that operate out of Aberdeen, one of many huge companies that work out of Aberdeen and there is a real and present danger, it was something that the Labour Party was warned about prior to the election, that the decisions they were seeking to take in relation to policy both for licensing and taxation in relation to the North Sea sector would lead to catastrophic job losses.' Scott Barr, managing director of Harbour Energy's UK business, said on Wednesday the job losses were 'due mainly to the Government's ongoing punitive fiscal position and a challenging regulatory environment'. Mr Flynn pressed Sir Keir Starmer on the issue at Prime Minister's Questions this week, and he told the programme on Thursday: 'If 250 jobs were being lost elsewhere in the UK, perhaps in Keir Starmer's constituency, he would be more interested than he appeared to be yesterday when I asked him about it.' Mr Flynn, who is due to meet senior directors at the firm on Friday, said as well as the increase the Energy Profits Levy – also known as the windfall tax – changes had been made to the licensing regime when Sir Keir's party came to power. Chancellor Rachel Reeves said the job losses were a 'commercial decision' by Harbour Energy (Andrew Milligan/PA) Labour has been clear on its opposition to new developments in the North Sea, with Mr Flynn saying there has been a 'direct impact upon investment decisions'. The SNP MP said: 'Everyone knows the North Sea is a depleting asset but the argument is how quickly you seek to shut down the industry and what we are seeking is a clear pattern of direction from the Labour Government in that regard, which is seeking to accelerate that.' Speaking during a visit to Scotland on Wednesday, Chancellor Rachel Reeves said the job losses at Harbour Energy were a 'commercial decision by the business'. She stressed 'the Energy Profits Levy is being used to properly fund public services', and she insisted oil and gas will have an 'important role' in the UK economy 'for years to come'. Ms Reeves added: 'It's a commercial decision by one company… but there are many other companies that aren't laying off workers. 'It is important that, with energy companies making record profits after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, that we ask those companies to pay their fair share of tax, especially when ordinary working people saw their energy bills go through the roof.'
The National
08-05-2025
- Business
- The National
Stephen Flynn calls out BBC host for 'distasteful' question
The SNP MP for Aberdeen South was speaking with BBC Radio Scotland's Good Morning Scotland host Laura Maxwell on Thursday about Harbour Energy's announcement yesterday, where the firm said it plans to cut 250 jobs in Aberdeen. Flynn had spoken at length about the impact the decision will have on his constituents while warning how 'serious the situation is,' adding that he is fearful it could be the start of something that could be 'quite devastating for Aberdeen and the northeast'. Maxwell had quizzed Flynn over the Scottish Government's position about supporting a windfall tax, which Harbour Energy blamed for the job losses, before moving on to his own career ambitions. READ MORE: Scottish Power loaned £600m to build offshore cables carrying wind power to England Flynn was confirmed as the SNP's candidate for Aberdeen Deeside and North Kincardine for next year's Holyrood election, stepping down as the MP for Aberdeen South. Maxwell asked Flynn what Swinney's plans to lead the party for a further five years mean for his own leadership ambitions, a question which the MP branded as 'quite distasteful' before backing his colleague. (Image: PA) 'We heard from the First Minister, John Swinney, yesterday, he told us [BBC Radio Scotland] if he was re-elected as First Minister next year, he would continue for a full term in office,' Maxwell said. 'I wonder where that leaves your leadership ambitions, seeing as you're moving north, trying to get elected to move to Holyrood.' Flynn replied: 'Look, I hold the BBC in the highest regard, as you know, and I'm very grateful to come on your show at all available opportunities. 'I think it's a little bit distasteful when 250 of my constituents are losing their jobs to ask me such a question. He added: 'However, I will humor you in that context and just make it clear to yourself and to others that when Nicola Sturgeon, and this is a wee insight for you, when Nicola Sturgeon stood down as First Minister, the first person that I called to take over the party, hoping that they would was John Swinney. 'Of course, he didn't want to do so at the time when the same happened with Humza Yousaf shortly thereafter again, the first person I called to take over as First Minister and leader of our party was John Swinney. 'I did that because John Swinney is the best politician in Scotland, and he's the best placed person to lead our party and our country over the course of the next 12 months.' Flynn continued saying that he, along with his other SNP colleagues, would work 'incredibly hard' alongside Swinney to make sure that he's returned as Scotland's First Minister. He added: "You'll forgive me if in the meantime, my focus is fully 100% on my constituents who are losing their jobs, and I'm sure your listeners will appreciate that right now.'
