‘Excessive’ rents and labor are forcing oil and gas workers off the edge of the cliff – Flynn

Scottish oil and gas workers face “extremely difficult conditions” reform uk And LaborStephen Flynn said.

SNP Westminster leader said “extreme” stance was taken Nigel Farage And sir keir starmer were a threat to north sea Industry.

Speaking to the PA news agency as the SNP conference began in Aberdeen, Mr Flynn said Westminster was responsible for the falling number of fossil fuel jobs.

It comes as a Future Economy Scotland report found Scotland lost three oil and gas jobs for every job created in the clean energy sector.

Mr Flynn, who represents Aberdeen South, claimed there had been “no proper change” under UK Energy Secretary Ed Miliband.

He said the UK government was pushing workers “off the cliff” by “not providing opportunities in the North Sea Basin”.

“I would also tell you who is offering a massive lead,” Mr Flynn said, “It is Nigel Farage and Reform because what they want to do is tell the public fibre.

“They’re saying oil and gas will be there forever, for 200 years.

“There is no one working in this industry in this town who recognizes this as a reality and you can do the ‘baby drill’ ad infinitum.

“And meanwhile, what he is saying is that they are going to eliminate all offshore wind, all carbon capture and storage, any form of renewable project.

“So in 10, 15, 20 years’ time, maybe even sooner, there will be a cliff over our city that people will fall off of because they won’t have any jobs to go to.

“We need a change that works for the workforce. The Labor Party is at its peak. Reform is at its peak.

“Ultimately, there is a middle ground that protects the workforce, creates opportunity, and that’s what I’m focused on.”

Mr Flynn said people in the North East are “frustrated and angry” that “Whitehall politicians are not listening to them”.

The MP also defended his ambition to become an MSP at Holyrood.

Mr Flynn said he would only leave Westminster if he became an MSP but said voters in both seats were “mainly the same people”.

He said: “It’s their job to give their judgment on me and the work I’m doing on their behalf, I think I’m doing OK on their behalf, but not enough.

“Now I want to take myself to Holyrood and do better for them, to make sure we have a Government that is providing even more for them going forward.

“And if they put their trust in me, I would be very grateful.”

Asked whether he would like to become a minister in a future SNP government, he said it was “the First Minister’s decision”.

And when asked about any future ambitions to become leader of her party, the SNP MP did not rule it out, but said: “What will happen in the future and how my views on this issue will be dominated by the fact that I have two young children.”

A spokesperson for the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero said: “Scotland is at the heart of our clean energy mission.

“We have taken swift action to deliver the next generation of good jobs for North Sea workers in a fair and prosperous transition, including investing in offshore wind and carbon capture, and helping oil and gas workers access clean energy jobs through our ‘skills passports’ and training programmes.

“It comes alongside the launch of Great British Energy in Aberdeen, which has already committed £1 billion to domestic supply chains, unlocking significant investment and helping to create thousands of skilled jobs, progressing our mission to make Britain a clean energy superpower.”

Duncan Massey, Reform UK councilor in Aberdeen, said: “It is disappointing that the SNP continues to talk down and dismiss our oil and gas industry.

“The future of the North Sea oil and gas industry is very bright and important if we get our policies right.

“That means moving away from the SNP’s stance against new drilling, fixing our tax system and ensuring that big projects like Rosebank and Jackdaw can go ahead.

“Meanwhile, everyone now recognizes that net zero and the resulting excessive use of renewable energy is completely the wrong policy.

“This policy has resulted in the highest energy costs in the world, leading to deindustrialization and job losses, as well as making the grid even more unstable and locally dominant.

“Renewables can be part of the UK’s energy mix. But the excessive subsidies they require to get them going are simply not fair or sustainable.”