KEIR Starmer has been slated for taking more than three years to visit the north east and discover Scotland's rich energy potential.
The UK Labour leader has been visiting Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire to set out his vision to drive investment and jobs into the region as part of a £2.5 billion plan.
Starmer - who visited clean power facility St Fergus Gas Terminal - said that there will be "lower bills, good jobs, and energy security for Scotland" if he becomes Prime Minister.
But SNP Wesminster leader Stephen Flynn - who represents Aberdeen South - said Starmer had failed to explain why he should be trusted with Scotland's energy wealth as he stressed Holyrood should have powers over the sector.
He said: "It’s taken more than three years but Sir Keir Starmer has finally travelled north in order to assess Aberdeen’s riches - our energy, our workforce and our potential. “The big question he has repeatedly failed to answer is why we should continue to trust Westminster with Scotland’s energy wealth when we all know they’ve squandered it in comparison to the likes of our Norwegian neighbours. "Make no mistake, the Scottish people should have their fair share and benefit from these revenues both in terms of cheaper bills, but also jobs and investment. "The fact is Scotland's energy should be in Scotland's hands. We know Scotland has the energy, we just need the power."
Earlier this year Starmer - who also visited a whisky distillery this week - announced that Labour would create a publicly-owned energy company, called GB Energy, and that it would be headquartered in Scotland.
Speaking after meeting energy leaders in Aberdeen, Starmer said that Scotland and the north-east have "the expertise that is needed to make the UK the first clean energy superpower".
He said: “Labour will deliver lower bills, good jobs, and energy security for Scotland and the whole UK, as Britain leads the world in the fight against climate change. The route to making Britain a clean energy superpower, slashing energy bills and creating tens of thousands of quality jobs runs through Scotland.
"It’s clear that so much of the expertise that is needed to make the UK the first clean energy superpower is here in Scotland - and particularly the north-east.
"Our energy plans will be made in Scotland - cutting energy bills for Scottish families and delivering the jobs and investment in Scottish communities that for far too long have been let down by the SNP and Conservatives.
"Only Labour can bring down energy bills once and for all, by investing in homegrown clean power guaranteeing the next generation of clean power jobs in Scotland.”
