John Swinney is facing fresh internal division within the SNP after one of his own MSPs, former housing minister Paul McLennan, called on Prime Minister Andy Burnham to reject two major North Sea oil and gas developments, Rosebank and Jackdaw. His stance puts him at odds with other senior SNP figures, including Cabinet member Stephen Flynn and Aberdeen Central MSP Jack Middleton, who have both publicly backed the projects, exposing a significant rift within the party over energy policy.

Speaking on a pro-independence podcast, McLennan acknowledged the potential economic and jobs benefits of the fields but argued that tackling climate change outweighed short-term gains, urging Burnham to "see sense" and block the developments. This follows reports that Labour's net zero policies could threaten around 100,000 North Sea jobs over 25 years, with the Conservatives branding the stance "economic insanity". Both Flynn and Middleton have previously pledged to champion the oil and gas sector, with Middleton citing energy security concerns amid reliance on the Middle East and Russia, while Scottish Conservative energy spokesman Liam Kerr accused the SNP of a "civil war" while ministers in Westminster continue to delay a final decision on the projects.