SNP ‘backed into corner’ as North Sea oil is no longer ‘Scotland’s oil’

Both Nicola Sturgeon and Alex Salmond during their rule as SNP leaders made their names on pushing North Sea oil as 'Scottish oil'.

A move which is now impossible for the SNP under Hamza Yusuf following their coalition with the Green Party.

They have been keen to push a Green agenda in Scotland.

Green Party MP Caroline Lucas slammed the new deal, claiming that giving the green light to this huge new oil field is 'morally obscene'.

WATCH NOW: Liam Halligan on Rosebank oil deal

Appearing on Britain's Newsroom, GB News Business and Economics Editor Liam Halligan shed light on the new deal, and the political uproar the deal has created.

Presenter Andrew Pierce asked: "Is there a big coo and cry from the environmental lobby about it?"

"Interestingly though Andrew and Emily, this is quite clever politics, because it really corners the SNP. Humza Yousaf says he wants to make Aberdeen the energy capital of Europe, of course, into the net zero capital of the world. A lot of voters on that East Coast don't like that. A lot of you know the best jobs in Scotland are in the oil and gas industry."

Halligan continued: "And then interestingly also, this puts Labour in a corner, because you've got Gary Smith, who runs the GMB, a very astute leader of Britain's the biggest union. He absolutely backs new oil fields. It's loads of jobs for the GMB. And he makes the point that actually it's more climate friendly.

"So particularly for Labour, Labour have got their university town, rather effete, tote bag carrying Waitrose requenting voters.

"But they've also got a lot of blue collar voters in the red wall and they've got blue collar voters in Scotland and they want to, you know, re-establish Scotland as the key to a majority at Westminster. It's really difficult to know what Keir Starmer can say about this."

Halligan added that the SNP previously championed the idea of using North Sea oil, but appear to have had a change of heart as central Government closes in.

"Up until a few years ago, it was all about Scotland's oil", he said.

"Now the SNP are in coalition with the Greens, and they're siding up to them, Yousaf wants to make Aberdeen the net zero capital of the world, that's fair enough. But an awful lot of people in Scotland would prefer Aberdeen to stay the oil and gas capital of Europe, which it currently undoubtedly is."

Pierce then noted: "And also there's a by-election coming up in Scotland, which they think they've got to win because the SNP MP was booted out because she broke the COVID rules."

Halligan replied: "We've obviously got the Tory conference coming. I think a lot of what Suella Braverman has been doing, it's very much pre-empting that.

“But also we've got a lot of politics now. Rishi Sunak is finally doing some politics. He's doing his 2030 to 2035 ban with cars. He's boldly at a very opportune moment saying we want this new oil field.

“I think a lot of, there'll be a lot of fire and brimstone and fury from the One Nation Tories got a lot of the broadcast media and so on. But I think a silent majority of people across the country will say this might this might even cut some of our fuel bills.”

GMB General Secretary, Gary Smith, shared his support for the deal and said that 'taking responsibility for more of our own gas supply will support good union jobs, both directly and in the wider supply chain'.