A SENIOR SNP MP has come out against a controversial proposed oil field, igniting debate within his party over its position on fossil fuels.
Pete Wishart, the SNP’s longest-serving Westminster representative, said that Rosebank is a “test of whether we are serious about the climate commitments we have made” as he called for the project to be rejected.
The UK Government is currently weighing up approving the exploitation of the field, which lies to the west of Shetland, after a consultation closed on Monday.
Writing in The National today, Wishart urged ministers to reject approval for the development to go ahead, saying it would fuel further “climate chaos”.
The Perth MP, who previously served as Stephen Flynn’s deputy in the Commons, warned that “climate scepticism has returned to the political mainstream” adding: “I have watched, like everybody else, as the world has burned this summer.
“Extreme heat, drought and wildfires are no longer distant warnings about some hypothetical dystopian future. They are increasingly becoming part of our very present.”
Pointing to figures which showed that Rosebank could be responsible for 200 million tonnes of carbon dioxide being pumped into the atmosphere, Wishart said: “More atmospheric carbon contributes to more warming, meaning more climate chaos.
“There is no political argument in the world that can change that basic physical reality.”
Arguing that new oil drilling in the North Sea “would not mean that UK households suddenly receive cheaper energy bills”, Wishart also took aim at the arguments for Rosebank on the grounds of energy security.
He said: “The invasion of Ukraine and the turmoil in international energy markets have demonstrated the vulnerability created by dependence on fossil fuels whose prices can be determined by events thousands of miles away.
“UK production has fallen dramatically from its peak and new exploration licences would make very little material difference to security of supply.
“The answer to that vulnerability cannot be to remain permanently dependent on the fossil fuels that expose us to precisely this instability.”
Wishart said that this meant that the UK should look away from new North Sea oil and focus instead on renewables.
He said: “Scotland must accelerate its transition to renewable energy and stop looking to new oil and gas extraction as the answer to our energy future.”
On the issue of jobs, Wishart said that, in light of research from Aberdeen's Robert Gordon University which found that regional offshore jobs fell from around 56,000 in 2016 to 42,200 in 2024, North Sea oil and gas jobs were “in systemic decline”.
The MP said that fossil fuel companies must be incentivised by the UK Government to invest “in the renewable industries that will replace them”, adding: “Rather than incentivising the continuation of the North Sea oil and gas industry, we would be incentivising the industry to use its capital, expertise and workforce to build its successor. That is the transition we should be fighting for.”
He added: “New drilling will not reduce household energy bills. It will make next to no contribution to UK energy security, and the oil it produces will ultimately add to the stock of carbon emissions driving climate change. There is a better choice.
“Let's properly incentivise the just transition we all say we want to see. Let's take the extraordinary skills and expertise created by the North Sea and put them to work building its successor. The future of the North Sea should be renewable. And Scotland should be leading the way.”
His comments have sparked controversy within the SNP, who were hammered on oil and gas by the Tories in the Aberdeen South by-election earlier this year.
Richard Thomson, the SNP candidate who lost to Douglas Lumsden, told The National that he did not “think there’s a single sensible person would argue with” Wishart’s comments about the climate and greater investment in renewables.
He added: “What we can’t do is just wish away the reality that over 70% of Scotland’s present day energy needs are being met from oil and gas, or overlook that our European allies are trying to move away from reliance on Russian oil and gas too.
“None of that is going to change overnight, even with the scale of investment that Pete calls for. And it won't change by refusing new North Sea developments either.
“If we are not helping to meet our oil and gas demand from domestic waters, then we will end up meeting it by importing from somewhere else. And that will come at the cost of higher emissions, and at the expense of the jobs and skills of the Scottish workers we will need to make a success of our energy transition.
“On future energy policy, we can choose to trade in symbolism, or to engage with how we can actually deliver a transition. The hard reality is that energy transition only comes from investing over time to reduce our demand for oil and gas, not by making ourselves ever more reliant on supply from somewhere else, while losing our skilled workforce and supply chain along the way.”
Wishart’s stance also puts him at odds with at least one of his colleagues in the Scottish Parliament, with Aberdeen Central MSP Jack Middleton last month coming out in favour of Rosebank and Jackdaw.
The former special adviser, who worked for Humza Yousaf and John Swinney before his election, said: “Right now, Westminster is throwing North Sea workers on the scrapheap and Jackdaw and Rosebank would not only create thousands of Scottish jobs, it would be a massive boost to businesses and local economies the length and breadth of Scotland.”
A UK Government spokesperson said: “The North Sea remains a vital national asset, supporting jobs, growth and the UK's energy security.
“We are clear that oil and gas will continue to play an important role in our energy system for decades to come, alongside transitioning to clean power to protect jobs and tackle the climate crisis.”
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “Decisions on consenting for offshore oil and gas projects, as well as those on licensing and the associated fiscal regime, are matters currently reserved to the UK Government.
“The Scottish Government’s position is well known. We continue to call on the UK Government to approach decisions for North Sea oil and gas projects on a rigorously evidence-led, case by case, basis to ensure compliance with climate compatibility tests and that energy security is a key consideration.
“The Scottish Government is determined to realise the benefits of renewable energy, with our commitment seeing us lead the way in onshore wind deployment and support across the UK.”
