‘It never came up’: John Swinney admits he didn’t raise Rosebank oil field in talks with Andy Burnham
Scottish First Minister John Swinney said he did not raise the proposed Rosebank oil field during talks with Prime Minister Andy Burnham, prompting criticism that he failed to advocate for Scottish oil workers. The field’s future matters to Scotland’s energy industry and the UK’s energy supply, while Swinney faces pressure to clarify his position after the SNP backed domestic oil and gas over imports.
Rosebank, off Shetland, is estimated to contain the equivalent of 500 million barrels of oil and remains undecided; the UK Government recently approved the Jackdaw gas field east of Aberdeen. Swinney said the talks covered independence, which Burnham has ruled out for a second referendum, and UK relations with the EU. The meeting also agreed a “policy sprint” on devolving powers to local areas.
In short
- Swinney did not discuss Rosebank with Burnham.
- The field is estimated to hold 500 million barrels of oil.
- Swinney faces calls to clarify his stance on North Sea drilling.
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The case for
Swinney could reasonably argue that a meeting has limited time and that independence, relations with the EU and local powers were the priorities agreed for this one. Rosebank’s future is undecided, and he may have judged that a separate process was more useful than raising it in talks centred on constitutional and devolved-government issues.
The case against
Critics could argue that Rosebank has major implications for Scottish workers and the UK’s energy supply, so a meeting with the Prime Minister was an important chance to press Scotland’s interests. Given the SNP’s support for domestic oil and gas over imports, not raising the field may leave workers uncertain about whether that position is being actively advanced.
Explained simply
Rosebank is a proposed oil field west of Shetland, in waters off Scotland. It is estimated to hold oil equivalent to about 500 million barrels, but its development has not been decided.
John Swinney is Scotland’s First Minister and leads the Scottish National Party (SNP). Andy Burnham is the UK Prime Minister; decisions on whether major oil and gas projects can proceed are made by the UK Government.
The field’s future is relevant to jobs in Scotland’s energy industry and to the UK’s energy supply. The SNP has backed using domestic oil and gas rather than relying on imports, while the UK Government has recently approved the Jackdaw gas field off the east coast of Scotland.