I'm The Scottish Labour Leader. Here's Why I Back The Government's Decision On Jackdaw

I support clean energy and a just transition for Scotland’s workers.

I also directly told Andy Burnham that approving Jackdaw was essential to meeting those goals.

Confused? Here’s the reality: oil and gas will be part of our energy mix for decades to come. Today’s decision to give the go-ahead to Jackdaw was a pragmatic decision that put industry ahead of ideology.

Rather than rely on imported gas, often with higher emissions from production and transportation, we should make responsible use of our domestic resources.

The decision from the energy secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh to give the gas field the green light is the right one and made clear that having homegrown energy is better than importing from abroad.

I have been at the forefront of making the argument for Jackdaw, driving the case with colleagues in the UK government and directly with the prime minister.

Along with colleagues, I pushed my party hard prior to 2024 and have continued to argue for a fiscal regime that supports investment.

We have secured a commitment from the Treasury to end and replace the energy profits levy by 2030, giving the industry greater certainty about its future.

Scotland’s energy sector, its skills base and the wider supply chains it supports are vital to our energy and economic security and, crucially, the transition to a lower-carbon economy.

Britain will continue to need oil and gas for decades to come. Producing more of what we need closer to home can secure and support jobs for Scottish workers, not just in the North Sea but right through the supply chain.

The decline of the North Sea may be seen as something to celebrate by those who want us to meet our climate obligations.

I understand that. But I ask those who call for a just transition to understand the anxiety in Aberdeen and the north east of Scotland over a political establishment which often feels to them that it considers anything but clean energy a dirty word.

This is people’s lives and livelihoods we are talking about. Not the millionaire shareholders of a billion-dollar multinational, but working-class people in vocational jobs.

A Labour Party that turned its back on them would not be worthy of the name. Today, the UK Labour government has backed them.

Jackdaw is essential to reindustrialising Scotland. Energy can be the sector that powers growth and secures good work for my country for decades to come.

In Scotland, more than 1,300 days have passed since the SNP government published its draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan. Its failure to finalise the strategy, and its lukewarm response to Jackdaw, are sending mixed messages to the industry and its workers.

Now that we have clarity on the gas field, I’m urging John Swinney to publish his energy strategy so we can work together on standing up for the industry. It’s not just oil and gas. We want a new generation of nuclear in Scotland and renewables, too.

A new energy wealth fund will be established by the chancellor, with an initial £2 billion investment to support renewable and low-carbon energy projects as part of the climate transition.

On top of that, GB Energy, headquartered in Aberdeen, is a vote of confidence in Scotland’s ability to win the race on clean energy, despite the first minister’s efforts to talk it down.

Renewables in Scotland are in a strong position. This week, we saw positive news of hundreds of jobs being supported by the Berwick Bank wind farm.

Meanwhile, Sumitomo opened its £350 million subsea cable factory in the Highlands, backing Scotland’s potential to become a manufacturing powerhouse in the energy transition.

Nuclear is more challenging. The SNP retains an effective veto over new developments in Scotland, despite the investment it would bring and the jobs it would support.

The Jackdaw decision has put industry before ideology and backed Scottish workers and Scotland’s energy potential. My challenge to John Swinney now is to do the same.

Michael Marra is Scottish Labour leader and MSP for North East Scotland

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