John Swinney has intensified his demands for Holyrood to be granted authority over energy, asserting that this is the sole method to terminate the current 'Westminster rip-off'. The Scottish First Minister argued that transferring energy powers would enable his administration to abolish the 'hated' windfall tax on oil and gas, officially termed the energy profits levy. He further stated that it would facilitate 'sensible licensing decisions' regarding new energy initiatives and could reduce bills for individuals throughout Scotland.
His remarks come ahead of campaigning in Aberdeen, the heart of the UK's oil and gas sector, leading up to a Commons by-election. The Aberdeen South by-election, scheduled for June 18, was triggered after former SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn secured a seat at Holyrood earlier this month. Energy has emerged as a pivotal issue in the campaign, with Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch urging constituents to treat the vote as a referendum on the future of Scotland's oil and gas industry.
Mr Swinney's Saturday visit follows the regulator Ofgem's announcement of a rise in the energy price cap for July, and after MSPs backed a motion calling for the transfer of energy powers to Scotland. The First Minister declared: 'Westminster's energy rip-off of our country was in full view this week – Westminster controls Scotland's energy, the UK Treasury rakes in billions from our seabed, and Scots are left paying the price with higher energy bills. £400 billion has been syphoned off from our North Sea and the only way to break that rigged energy equation is by putting Scotland's energy into Scotland's hands.'
He criticised Westminster parties for visiting the north east only to discuss extracting maximum revenue from Scotland without reciprocating. Mr Swinney emphasised that instead of Scotland's energy benefiting Westminster, it should benefit the Scottish people. He vowed that the SNP would 'never stand by as Westminster casts workers in Aberdeen on the scrapheap', and that the party could protect the existing world-class oil and gas sector while simultaneously developing a world-class renewables industry.
The First Minister also targeted political rivals, stating: 'We cannot allow Nigel Farage or the Tories to get their hands on our energy wealth here in Aberdeen South. Only the SNP can beat them both and ensure our natural resources are used to the benefit of the people of Scotland.'
However, Simon Francis, co-ordinator of the End Fuel Poverty Coalition, countered that voters across parties support the windfall tax. He cited polling indicating that three-quarters of the population believe it is morally wrong for oil and gas companies to profit from the energy crisis caused by the Iran war, especially after revelations that the industry made £3 billion in profits on UK operations in the first quarter of 2026.
Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay dismissed Mr Swinney's statements as 'desperate and dishonest nonsense', accusing the SNP of engaging in classic grievance politics. He highlighted that the SNP, like Labour, opposes new drilling in the North Sea, while the Conservatives would scrap the windfall tax. He asserted that only the Scottish Conservatives can defeat the SNP in Aberdeen South.
A spokesperson for the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero stated that the priority is lowering bills, which remain high due to wholesale costs. They confirmed that oil and gas production will continue for decades, with existing fields managed for their lifespan, while scaling up clean energy industries in the North Sea. The spokesperson added that the government's drive for clean homegrown power will bring investment and up to 40,000 new jobs in Scotland by 2030.
