STEPHEN DAISLEY: ‘John Swinney has opinions on Gaza, Israel, Russia, Iran and Europe… but not on the North Sea’

At Holyrood, opposition leaders pressed First Minister John Swinney to say whether he supports approving the Rosebank oil field, after Westminster approved drilling at Jackdaw. The article argues that Swinney repeatedly avoided giving a direct answer, drawing criticism over his stance on North Sea oil and the jobs tied to the industry.

Swinney described the decision as a “quasi-judicial process” and referred back to his earlier response when Conservative leader Russell Findlay asked him three times for a yes-or-no position. Findlay said 1,000 North Sea jobs were being lost each month; Swinney countered by citing the previous UK government’s energy profits levy. The debate also touched on climate policy, a proposed frequent-flier tax that the article says could raise £50 million, and a claimed 1.3 per cent real-terms reduction in Scottish Government funds.