I don’t trust Swinney to control Scotland’s energy, says Badenoch

Kemi Badenoch has said she would not trust the First Minister with Scotland’s energy policy after he said his party would call for more powers if it won May’s election.

John Swinney revealed on Monday he would draft a Section 30 order to acquire the responsibilities over energy on the first day after he was re-elected as First Minister.

The order would then have to be accepted and actioned by the UK Government – something they would be very unlikely to do.

Speaking to the Press Association in Aberdeen during a visit to an oil rig, the UK Tory leader said: “I do not trust John Swinney with Scotland’s energy.”

She added: “The SNP’s policy is pretty non-committal, so if he took control of those powers, we will still not be drilling.

“What we need to do right now is allow new licences, make sure that we can drill our own oil and gas and use those revenues to help the people of Scotland.”

During her visit to the north east of Scotland, the Tory leader touted her party’s new campaign to “get Britain drilling”, in the hopes of increasing energy security.

If the SNP was to make the request for new powers on the first day of the new parliamentary term, it would do so without a finalised energy strategy being produced by the Government.

The document was published in draft form under Nicola Sturgeon – including a presumption against new oil and gas – but never finalised, with a spokesman for the First Minister last week blaming the volatility in the global sector and the party’s Westminster leader Stephen Flynn saying confusion caused by the UK Government made it difficult to produce a plan.

Speaking ahead of the visit, the First Minister said: “Scotland is one of the most energy rich countries in the world – but we pay some of the highest bills in Europe.

“That is because for decades, Scotland’s energy wealth has flowed south to the Treasury rather than working for the people of Scotland.

“UK Government control over our energy resources is seeing bills soar, jobs destroyed and key energy investment projects denied.

“Westminster control is not working for energy security, it is not working for jobs and it is not working for people’s bills. By every measure Westminster has failed.”

The First Minister has said a majority for his party in May would secure a mandate for a second referendum on independence, but added: “The process of a referendum will take time, so I want to begin the journey to independence on day one of the new term with the immediate transfer of powers over our energy.

“Because Westminster’s abject failures are really hurting people now – costing jobs and seeing bills soar. So I want to be able to take action now.

“If Westminster will not act to bring down bills, they should get out of the way for a government that will. It’s Scotland’s energy – and it should be in Scotland’s hands.

“And if the UK Government refuse, it will only confirm that if we want to make Scotland’s energy wealth work for Scotland and bring down bills, that is only available through the fresh start of independence that I am offering at this election.”

While Scottish Labour finance spokesman Michael Marra said the First Minister “has no energy – let alone a serious plan for Scotland’s”.

“The SNP has squandered Scotland’s clean energy potential for years – ditching its plans for a publicly-owned energy company, selling off Scotland’s seabeds on the cheap and breaking its green jobs pledge,” he added.

“They can’t build a ferry, they can’t run our NHS and they can’t be trusted to keep their promises.

“John Swinney is not remotely serious about this half-baked plan – he just wants to avoid talking about this own record which has left Scots paying more and getting less.”