SNP conference to debate energy policy amid Aberdeen job losses and drilling U-turn
The SNP conference in Aberdeen is discussing energy policy as the city faces oil and gas job losses and the party has softened its opposition to new North Sea drilling licences.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
The SNP conference in Aberdeen is turning to energy policy today, with North Sea oil and gas at the centre of a sensitive debate. The party is meeting in a city that has lost thousands of oil and gas jobs and is still waiting for a green transition that has yet to arrive.
The oil and gas workforce, heavily based in north east Scotland, is thought to have fallen by 70,000, to 115,000 people, over the past decade. Experts predict it could halve by the early 2030s. Aberdeen's port, once the bustling hub of Europe's oil capital, is much quieter. Local people describe a 'thousand cuts' as restaurants, bars and cafes decline.
Some businesses have pivoted to new sectors. Leap AI originally developed robots to clean and spray oil rigs but now uses the same core technology and local talent to pack fresh produce. Its system uses multiple cameras and machine learning to find salad bags on a conveyor and pick them up carefully. The company believes more support is needed for automation and robotics, arguing the UK has lagged behind and should be ambitious about investing in new technology.
Politics is more difficult. Like Labour, the SNP previously backed a ban on any new licences to drill in the North Sea because of its commitment to net zero. John Swinney has recently softened that position. The party now argues domestic supply is vital for energy security in an increasingly volatile world, but it will not definitively say whether it backs new licences for the Rosebank and Jackdaw oil fields. A UK government decision on those fields is expected any day.
One argument aired in the coverage says the oil and gas workforce has not been protected by Conservative or Labour governments, which have created an 'artificial cliff edge'. The same voice welcomes a serious and fulsome debate on Scotland's energy security and says the ultimate solution is to rely on domestic resources.
In June, Aberdeen voted in a new pro oil and gas Conservative MP after six years of SNP representation. Many in the city believe politicians should do more to help the economy. The SNP wants control over all Scotland's North Sea resources through independence from Westminster. The UK government insists that is off limits and says GB Energy, a publicly owned firm, will help create 10,000 clean energy jobs by 2030.
For now, with the black gold nearly spent, Aberdeen hopes the promised just transition comes sooner rather than later.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, grouped by how many channels reported each one. Select a dot to see the source excerpt.
| Claim |  |
|---|---|
| Only on one channel | |
| The oil and gas workforce in north east Scotland has fallen sharply over the past decade, with experts predicting it could halve by the early 2030s. | |
| The SNP conference in Aberdeen is discussing energy policy amid oil and gas job losses in the city. | |
| The SNP has changed its position on new oil and gas drilling, arguing domestic supply is important for energy security. | |
| The SNP has not clarified whether it supports new licences for Rosebank and Jackdaw, with a UK government decision expected imminently. | |
| The UK government says its publicly owned GB Energy will help create 10,000 clean energy jobs by 2030. | |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
This broadcast led with the SNP conference in Aberdeen and framed energy policy as a sensitive U-turn for the party. It gave most space to the Amanda Akass report, focusing on Aberdeen's shrinking oil and gas workforce, local business adaptation and the unresolved Rosebank and Jackdaw licences. It also balanced SNP arguments for domestic resources with UK government claims about GB Energy and clean energy jobs.
- “The issue is highly sensitive having previously opposed new drilling The party has u-turned argue that domestic supply is vital for energy security in an increasingly volatile world”
- “There's definitely a thousand cuts really”
- “the ultimate Solution to that is to ensure that you're able to rely upon your own domestic resources”
This bulletin repeated the same Aberdeen report but framed it around the wider political day, noting that the Prime Minister would speak in Scotland and that the SNP conference was continuing. It kept attention on the city's job losses, the party's softened position on drilling and the UK government's pending decision on Rosebank and Jackdaw, while also giving space to the GB Energy pledge.
- “The party is due to discuss energy policy in a city that's reeling from thousands of job losses while awaiting a green transition that is yet to arrive.”
- “There's definitely a thousand cuts really. You know, we've seen restaurants, bars, cafes, all decline.”
- “The UK government insists that's off limits and say the creation of GB Energy, a publicly owned firm, will help create 10,000 clean energy jobs by 2030.”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.