# Swinney opposes UK plan to ban new North Sea licences

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/finally-swinney-breaks-with-sturgeon-and-backs-drilling-in-the-north-sea/
- Published: 2026-11-05T19:06:55+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-05T19:28:41+00:00
- Original publisher: Daily Mail (publisher lean: Right)
- Original article: https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-16269539/Finally-Swinney-breaks-Sturgeon-backs-drilling-North-Sea.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490
- Topics: Government, Politics, World

## Key points

- Swinney opposes Labour’s proposed ban on new North Sea licences.
- The SNP will seek to remove the ban from the Bill.
- It may vote against the Bill if the ban remains.

## Summary

First Minister John Swinney says the Scottish Government opposes the UK Government’s proposed ban on new North Sea oil and gas licences, marking a formal shift from Nicola Sturgeon’s previous presumption against them. The position matters because the legislation could prevent new exploration and has become a point of dispute over Scotland’s energy policy and economy.

Swinney said new licence applications should be assessed against climate targets, while noting that oil and gas will remain in use for years. His spokesman said the SNP will try to remove the ban from the Energy Independence Bill and vote against the Bill if the provisions remain at its final vote. The comments followed questions from Reform UK and the Scottish Conservatives, including whether Swinney supports the Rosebank development.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.