Swinney swerves ‘yes or no’ questions on Rosebank – Daily Business

Russell Findlay taunting John Swinney at First Minister’s Questions

John Swinney caused uproar in the Scottish parliament after he failed to give a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer when asked if he thought the Rosebank oil field should be approved.

Both Labour leader Michael Marra and his Conservative counterpart Russell Findlay pressed the First Minister to clarify his position on the controversial field which awaits a decision from the UK government.

Opening First Minister’s Questions, Mr Marra said: “I was in London this week telling the UK Energy Secretary and the Chancellor that I support Rosebank. Does the First Minister?”

Amid jeers from the opposition benches, Mr Swinney replied that the application “has to go through a quasi judicial process” and that carbon emissions have to be compared with those of imported oil.

“Fairly short, but not too sharp,” said Mr Marra, referring to the new arrangements for FMQs. “He won’t back Rosebank investment, he’s blocking nuclear jobs, he can barely bring himself to say the word defence. These are all areas where we can get the Scottish economy growing.”

Tory leader Russell Findlay asked Mr Swinney the same question: “Should Rosebank get the green light? Yes or no?”

The First Minister responded: “I answered that question to Michael Marra.”

Mr Russell retorted: “Oh no, you didn’t. We know it is a Labour government decision but their budget said nothing. So I am asking John Swinney if he thinks it should go ahead. Yes or no?”

Once again, Mr Swinney replied: “I answered that question to Michael Marra.”

Amid calls of “yes or no?” around the chamber, Mr Findlay persisted with his line of questions. “John Swinney spouts his opinion on everything else that is not in his remit. So I ask for a third time, Rosebank: yes or no?”

Mr Swinney said: “And for the third time, I answered that question to Michael Marra.”

“I am getting a headache,” said Mr Findlay, “this is absolute torture. He’s got opinions on Gaza, Israel, Russia, Iran, Europe but not on the North Sea. So I’ll try again. It is a yes or no question. Rosebank, do you support it? Yes or no?”

Mr Swinney said: “There is a legal responsibility for every application to be considered whether it is compatible with our journey to net zero.

“We will have a requirement for oil and gas for some years to come and the question the UK government has to deterimine is whether the importing of oil and gas will lead to greater carbon implications than extraction in our own waters. That was the test applied to Jackdaw.

“I know this is performative by Mr Findlay, but some of us take our responsibilities seriously.”

Mr Findlay said:”I didn’t hear a yes or no. That is all I ask him. Why doesn’t Mr Swinney show a bit of backbone. Yes or no? That’s all I asked. There are 1,000 jobs being lost every month, why can’t Mr Swinney get off the fence?

Mr Swinney said he would take no lectures from the Tories about jobs in the North Sea, but Mr Findlay said “the people of Scotland will see that for exactly what it is.

“He talks about energy wealth, but he would reject North Sea oil, he would kill off jobs in the North Sea and would risk energy security and rely on dirty foreign imports.

“And we know why. He is scared of the Green Party and Nicola Sturgeon. Isn’t that the truth, Mr Swinney?”

Mr Swinney replied that he wanted to see Scotland powered by renewable energy and that independence would allow it to make its own choices.

He also responded to questions from Green party co-leader Ross Greer about why the government approved the Peterhead gas plant by saying it was tied to conditions around carbon capture.

Daily Business Bulletin: Subscribe here for our free morning bulletin of breaking news

#Swinney #swerves #questions #Rosebank #Daily #Business