The Conservatives “killed the North Sea”, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has claimed ahead of the Aberdeen South by-election.
The contest, triggered by the resignation of former SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn following his election to Holyrood, has increasingly become a battle over the oil and gas sector, given the city’s status as the energy capital of Europe.
During a visit to Scotland on Tuesday, Mr Farage hit out at the previous Conservative government policy over the issue.
“All I would ask voters to do is remind yourselves who is it that began the closure of the North Sea,” he told the Press Association.
“It was a Conservative chancellor called Jeremy Hunt – that’s what killed the North Sea and we’re the only party that stood up and opposed that and said it was madness.”
Mr Farage spoke during a visit to Grangemouth, where he is understood to have met with Ineos boss, Sir Jim Ratcliffe.
If the UK is going to continue to use oil and gas for energy, domestic production should continue, he said.
“We’re going to be using oil and gas, so why not produce it ourselves?” he said.
“Why not have jobs? Why not have tax revenues? Oh, and by the way, while we’re at it, why not have cheaper prices?
“The whole thing’s a madness and it’s like this cult of net zero has overtaken our politicians almost as a substitute for religion.
“We are going to be using oil and gas for decades to come – let’s produce our own.”
SNP candidate in the seat – and former MP – Richard Thomson, said: “Nigel Farage has his eyes fixed on Aberdeen South and our energy wealth – we cannot let him get his hands on it because just like the rest of the unionist parties, he wants to exploit our oil and gas to fill his Westminster boots and send nothing back the other way.
“£400 billion has been syphoned off by Westminster from our North Sea with nothing sent back in return except jobs losses on an industrial scale and sky high bills.
“Only the SNP wants to use our resources to enrich the Scottish people. We do that by putting Scotland’s energy in Scotland’s hands and take sensible licensing decisions that suit our needs and end the Tories’ hated windfall tax on our oil and gas.
“In Aberdeen South, only the SNP is on the side of our energy sector and only the SNP can send Nigel Farage packing.”
While Tory candidate Douglas Lumsden said: “Any vote for Reform in Aberdeen South will only help elect another SNP MP which will accelerate the decline of the North Sea even quicker.
“This by-election is a referendum on the future of the oil and gas industry and if I am fortunate enough to be elected next week, I will champion the sector every day at Westminster.
“Pro-UK voters who want to beat the SNP and get Britain drilling again must unite around me on June 18.”
Mr Thomson also hit out at the drop in direct offshore jobs from 153,000 to just under 84,000 between 2010 and 2023, blaming the previous Conservative government for the drop.
“The Tories syphoned off billions from our oil and gas industry and sent nothing back in return, but now we know the cost – 70,000 jobs lost,” he said.
Douglas Lumsden accused the SNP of ‘desperate spin’ (Paul Reid/PA)
PA Wire
“Kemi Badenoch should apologise for 14 years of Tory theft, destruction and callousness.
But Mr Lumsden accused the SNP of “desperate spin” on the issue.
“The SNP were the first party to call for the windfall tax, which the Scottish Conservatives are committed to scrapping, and they still have a shameful presumption against new oil and gas drilling,” he said.
“This reckless attitude is costing thousands of jobs and billions in lost revenue – so no one is buying their wolf in sheep’s clothing act.”
Seen as a three-horse race between the SNP, the Conservatives and Reform, voters will go to the polls on June 18.
