Ban on new oil and gas projects would cost Scots £6bn by 2030, Tories claim

Blocking new oil and gas projects in the North Sea would cost Scots £1,100 each, the Conservatives said as they took aim at Sir Keir Starmer’s reported plans for the industry.

Sir Keir is reportedly on the verge of announcing that no new licences would be granted by a Labour government as part of its net-zero energy policy he is due to set out next month.

The Scottish Conservatives said analysis of plans to end exploration revealed it would cost the Scottish economy an estimated £6 billion by 2030.

Liam Kerr, the party’s energy spokesman, said the move would “devastate communities across the north east and hammer every Scot to the tune of £1,100”.

Describing such a proposal as “economically illiterate, short-sighted and a betrayal of the north east”, Mr Kerr claimed only the Tories would deliver a transition to net-zero which safeguards communities, jobs and Scotland’s energy security.

He added: “Labour’s policy means, of course, we’d need to import oil and gas from overseas to meet our energy needs, which would increase our carbon footprint, as well as throwing tens of thousands of skilled workers under the bus.

“We already knew that the SNP and Greens had abandoned oil and gas workers, but as it’s the Westminster Government who decide on granting new licences, it’s Keir Starmer and Labour who would deliver a hammer blow to Scotland’s economy if they won the next general election.”

The Tories said the £6 billion figure came from the Scottish Government’s energy strategy report which was published earlier this year.

According to The Sunday Times, Labour would also only borrow to invest in green enterprises, and it expects its plans to create up to half a million jobs in the renewables industry, including 50,000 in Scotland.

A Scottish Labour spokesperson said “This is fantasy economics from the party that crashed our economy and inflicted Liz Truss on our country.

“Labour’s transformational green prosperity plans will ensure workers don’t pay the price for our climate goals and unlock the jobs, opportunities and industries of the future.”