Scottish government set to drop opposition to new oil and gas fields

The Scottish government, led by the SNP since 2007, is poised to abandon its opposition to new oil and gas fields in the North Sea. Two unnamed senior government officials, speaking anonymously to POLITICO, revealed that the current energy plan will be revised to adopt a more permissive stance towards oil and gas exploration. While environmental compatibility with climate targets will still be assessed, the government will no longer approach new projects with an inherent opposition.

This significant policy shift represents a major change in Scotland's energy policy. The SNP has previously advocated for a "presumption against" new oil and gas fields, a stance that is now deemed outdated. The forthcoming strategy, expected by the summer, will reflect the current global circumstances. The change in policy coincides with the U.K. government's expected approval of the Jackdaw gas field in the coming week.

Although Scotland holds limited authority over the licensing of such projects, it plays a crucial symbolic role, capable of influencing the U.K. government's approval decisions. The SNP's internal dynamics have also been affected by this shift. At their recent conference in Aberdeen, party members privately acknowledged that their stance on Jackdaw had politically disadvantaged them.

The party's conference resolution, passed on Friday, now acknowledges that domestic oil and gas production is "clearly preferable to importation." This change in party policy will guide the drafting of the new energy strategy. The SNP's fortunes were further impacted in the summer when they lost a crucial parliamentary by-election in Aberdeen to the pro-drilling Conservatives, where their North Sea messaging was a central focus.

The defeated SNP candidate at the by-election called the Conservative victory a relief, noting that they had been "haunted" by the 'presumption against' label.