Kemi Badenoch, leader of the Conservative Party, has stated that a Scottish Conservative victory in Aberdeen South could provide the oil and gas industry with “the kiss of life”. The Conservative leader is visiting the constituency on Tuesday, ahead of the by-election scheduled for Thursday.
Ms Badenoch has been vocal about the party's support for drilling in the North Sea, arguing that voting for the Tories would “revitalise” the industry. She commented: “Every time I visit Aberdeen, people tell me that the city is on its knees because Labour and the SNP are killing the oil and gas industry that is its economic lifeblood.”
She further criticised Labour's proposed ban on new drilling licences, which the SNP supports, calling for an end to such policies and the windfall tax. “The Conservative Party are proudly pro-drilling because it’s crucial to the north-east economy and essential for the nation’s energy security,” she added.
Scottish Conservative candidate Douglas Lumsden, who worked in the sector for two decades, is standing in the by-election. Ms Badenoch urged voters to elect him, saying it would send a strong message to the SNP and Labour.
Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay will join Ms Badenoch on her campaign visit. He described the election as being “on a knife edge” between the Scottish Conservatives and the SNP, framing it as a referendum on the future of North Sea oil and gas. “If they split the vote by backing any other party, they’ll end up with an SNP MP who won’t stand up for oil and gas jobs,” he warned.
However, SNP candidate Richard Thomson accused the Tories of giving the “kiss of death” to thousands of jobs in Aberdeen. He claimed the Tories destroyed 70,000 oil and gas jobs and introduced the windfall tax, questioning their credibility on the energy sector. “Only the SNP can and will stand up for Aberdeen and our energy sector,” he asserted.
The UK Government has been approached for comment.
