Nicola Sturgeon Urges SNP to Oppose New Oil Fields

Published: 07 November 2025. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online.

Former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has urged the Scottish National Party (SNP) to take a firm stand against the development of new North Sea oil and gas fields, calling on party leader John Swinney to “pick a side” and formalise a presumption against new drilling projects.

In a debate at Holyrood, Sturgeon said Swinney should confirm the party’s opposition to further oil and gas expansion, highlighting that the climate crisis demands decisive leadership. She argued that continued fossil fuel extraction was incompatible with Scotland’s environmental ambitions and the future of its workforce.

Swinney, however, faces growing internal pressure from within the SNP — particularly from Westminster leader Stephen Flynn, the Aberdeen South MP — to adopt a more supportive stance on oil and gas exploration ahead of the next Holyrood election. Flynn, representing a region heavily reliant on the energy industry, has pushed for policies that sustain jobs and economic stability in the northeast.

To balance these conflicting demands, Swinney has proposed a “case-by-case” approach, suggesting that each application for new oil and gas projects undergo a climate compatibility assessment before approval. This approach, he claims, reflects both environmental responsibility and pragmatic governance.

However, divisions within the SNP deepened on Thursday after Flynn released a statement urging the Chancellor to abolish the windfall tax on oil and gas companies in the upcoming UK Budget — a move that infuriated environmentalists and widened the policy rift.

Ross Greer, co-leader of the Scottish Greens, used First Minister’s Questions to challenge Swinney directly, accusing him of wavering on the issue and urging him to oppose the controversial Rosebank oil field north-west of Shetland. The massive project, backed by Norwegian energy giant Equinor, is estimated to hold around 300 million barrels of oil and has become a flashpoint in Scotland’s energy debate.

Greer reminded Holyrood that Sturgeon previously described Rosebank as “the greatest act of environmental vandalism” in her lifetime, and that both she and former First Minister Humza Yousaf had openly opposed it. “John Swinney has quietly abandoned the Scottish Government’s energy strategy, which in its first draft opposed new oil and gas exploration,” Greer declared. “He must choose a side — does he stand with the climate or with the oil lobby?”

In response, Swinney reiterated that any new project must meet strict climate standards. “Any development of oil and gas licensing has to be compatible with our journey to net zero,” he said, defending his position as balanced and evidence-led.

Still, Swinney emphasised that Scotland must pursue a “just transition” to renewable energy, warning against repeating the “industrial devastation” of the 1980s when Conservative-led economic restructuring decimated Scottish industries.

Later, the SNP government published its draft climate change plan, which reinforced a commitment to scrutinising all new North Sea projects. The document stated that decisions should be “rigorously evidence-led, case by case, with climate compatibility and energy security as key considerations.”

Critics, however, accused Swinney of trying to appease both sides without taking a clear stance. Douglas Lumsden, the Scottish Conservatives’ shadow energy secretary, claimed that “John Swinney and Nicola Sturgeon may differ in rhetoric, but they are united in their mission to destroy Scotland’s vital oil and gas sector.”

Meanwhile, Labour’s Energy Secretary Ed Miliband has already imposed a ban on new North Sea exploration, although Rosebank remains exempt due to its pre-existing licence granted under the previous Conservative government.

Adding to the political storm, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch recently warned of an “oil and gas emergency”, accusing Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Miliband of “net zero fanaticism” and urging them to restart exploration to secure Britain’s energy independence.

As the debate intensifies, Sturgeon’s intervention marks a significant moment in the SNP’s ongoing identity crisis — torn between its traditional base in the energy-rich northeast and its progressive, climate-conscious supporters across Scotland. Her remarks underline a growing divide between pragmatism and principle within the party as it navigates the complex balance between jobs, energy security, and the environment.

Observers say Swinney’s final stance on Rosebank could shape the SNP’s environmental credibility and electoral prospects in the coming year. For now, the First Minister’s balancing act continues, with the party under pressure to show whether it will lead on climate or yield to industry demands.