John Swinney under pressure as two senior Nats back oil and gas drilling in North Sea

By MICHAEL BLACKLEY, SCOTTISH DAILY MAIL POLITICAL EDITOR Published: 18:28, 7 July 2026 | Updated: 18:28, 7 July 2026 John Swinney is under growing pressure to support new oil and gas drilling after an MSP who was one of his key advisers backed two key developments. Aberdeen Central MSP Jack Middleton piled further pressure on the First Minister by announcing his support for the massive North Sea developments. It comes just weeks after the SNP suffered a humiliating defeat in the Aberdeen South by-election, which was billed by the Tories as a local referendum on oil and gas. Mr Middleton, who was Mr Swinney’s special adviser until the Holyrood elections, was joined by SNP MP for Aberdeen North Kirsty Blackman, who is chief whip for her party in the Commons, in backing Jackdaw and Rosebank. But the SNP Government still refused to say whether it supports the two new fields ahead of the looming decision on their licence, while the SNP Westminster group has also refused to confirm its formal position. Scottish Conservative energy spokesman Liam Kerr said: ‘The Scottish Conservatives have backed these new projects for years but John Swinney still refuses to back new drilling in the North Sea. John Swinney’s former special adviser has piled further pressure on the First Minister ‘Swinney’s former special adviser and new MSP has clearly seen how his party’s reckless stance meant they were hammered in the Aberdeen South by-election and is now saying anything in a desperate bid to shore up support for the nationalists in the North East. ‘But voters there and across Scotland won’t be fooled. Until Swinney and Ed Miliband listen to them and ditch their anti-oil-and-gas stance, they know it is only the Scottish Conservatives who can be trusted to stand up for oil and gas workers and who will fully support plans to get Britain drilling again.’ The SNP Government previously had a ‘presumption against’ new oil and gas drilling under Nicola Sturgeon but has since moved away from this position. Its current position is that new projects should be assessed ‘on a case-by-case basis for their climate compatibility’. Both Mr Middleton and Ms Blackman are among 2,000 people to have signed an Aberdeen and Grampian Chamber of Commerce open letter demanding that Rosebank and Jackdaw get the go ahead. In a video posted on social media site X, Mr Middleton said: ‘I believe in three key things – supporting Scottish jobs, strengthening our country’s energy security and building the renewables industry that we are going to need in the future. ‘Right now, Westminster is throwing North Sea workers on the scrapheap and Jackdaw and Rosebank would not only create thousands of Scottish jobs, it would be a massive boost to businesses and local economies the length and breadth of Scotland. ‘I also think the globe is in the most dangerous period of time that we’ve faced since the end of the Second World War, and while we still need oil and gas we should be decreasing our reliance on countries in the Middle East and from friends of Vladimir Putin. ‘Instead, I think we should be increasing use of our own domestic resources right here in the North Sea. Frankly, I think that’s one of our duties to our northern European allies.’ Jack Middleton has signed an open letter demanding that Rosebank and Jackdaw get the go ahead He said that using domestic resources would reduce the UK’s carbon footprint because it would mean less carbon-intensive shipping of LNG halfway around the world. Mr Middleton added: ‘Jackdaw and Rosebank as well would create billions of pounds of tax revenue for the UK Government. ‘It’s Scotland’s energy and I think that money should be ringfenced, sent back to Scotland from Westminster and be directly invested in our renewables industry to scale up growth, to increase the number of jobs, because frankly that is how we support the industry of tomorrow – by supporting what we have today.’ Asked later if he was supporting only Jackdaw and Rosebank or whether he was in favour of further new licences in the North Sea, Mr Middleton said the comments are specifically about the two fields as they are set to move to final consultation phase. Aberdeen Deeside and North Kincardine MSP Stephen Flynn, who is also the Economy Secretary and seen as a likely successor to Mr Swinney, has been pushing hard for the SNP to express firm support for the North Sea industry. In the aftermath of Tory Douglas Lumsden’s emphatic victory in Mr Flynn’s former seat of Aberdeen South, the former SNP Westminster leader said it had been a ‘tough night in Aberdeen that some will need to reflect on quite heavily’. Asked if it supports Jackdaw and Rosebank, a Scottish Government spokesman said: ‘While decisions on consenting for offshore oil and gas projects are reserved to the UK Government, ministers share Mr Middleton’s view that energy security and investment in Scotland’s energy sector is crucial and that the UK Government must replace the Energy Profits Levy with a fair system that protects jobs. ‘They also agree that individual North Sea oil and gas projects, by law, must be assessed on a case-by-case basis for their climate compatibility.’ The SNP referred enquiries about the party’s position to the Scottish Government. SNP MP for Aberdeen North Kirsty Blackman has also signed the letter Russell Borthwick, chief executive of Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber of Commerce, said: ‘Two thousand people putting their names to this campaign sends a clear message to the UK Government: Jackdaw and Rosebank matter. ‘These projects represent real jobs, real businesses and real families across the north-east of Scotland and the wider UK supply chain. ‘Jackdaw and Rosebank are exactly the sort of major, at-scale projects the UK needs if we are serious about energy security, economic growth and a just transition that protects workers rather than leaving them behind. ‘At a time when the UK still relies on oil and gas for the majority of its energy needs, it makes no sense to increase dependence on imported fuels from overseas while turning away investment, jobs and tax revenue here at home.  'We need a pragmatic approach that backs domestic production, supports our world-class supply chain and gives businesses the confidence to invest in the future.’