Swinney’s response on oil and gas ‘is incoherent’

ITV News · ITV News · 2026-11-06 12:15 UTC

The UK Government announced plans to ban new oil and gas exploration in the North Sea this week.

The Scottish Government’s stance on oil and gas is “incoherent”, campaigners have claimed.

First Minister John Swinney told MSPs on Thursday that his Government was against the UK Government’s attempts to ban all new exploration in the North Sea.

Mr Swinney was accused of a “U-turn” on the issue, given Nicola Sturgeon’s administration had supported a presumption against new oil and gas, a position which has softened in the year since.

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