Labour’s clean energy proposals would throw workers in the north east of Scotland “on the scrapheap”, First Minister Humza Yousaf has said.
Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar asked Mr Yousaf to welcome his party’s plans for a publicly-owned GB Energy firm to be set up north of the border.
But after former Aberdeen City Council leader Barney Crockett quit Labour over party plans to ban new oil and gas explorations, Mr Yousaf said the proposals would “abandon” workers in the oil and gas sector.
At First Minister’s Questions on Thursday, Mr Yousaf said: “I’m often saying to Anas Sarwar that he is far more style over substance, so it was good to hear a little bit of substance from Scottish Labour today.
“The problem was, of course, the substance was panned by those in the industry, panned by climate activists, panned by trade unions, and then of course was panned by members of his own party as well.
“So finally when we get Anas Sarwar talking about some substance, he manages to fluff it.
“What Scottish Labour will do is put the workers of the north east on the scrapheap, and we will not be prepared to do that.”
There is going to be a global leader in the clean energy revolution. Keir Starmer and I believe that global leader will be Scotland and the UK— Anas Sarwar
Mr Crockett said as he resigned that former Tory prime minister Margaret Thatcher “never delivered a more brutal put-down of an industry than that delivered by Keir Starmer”.
However, in response, Mr Sarwar said the First Minister was “blinded by his opposition” to Labour in government that he refused to welcome the plans.
He said: “This is a serious plan and a serious issue but sadly we don’t have a serious First Minister, because Humza Yousaf can’t bring himself to even welcome these plans, this is billions of pounds of investment for Scotland, more jobs for Scotland, lower bills for Scotland and greater energy security.
“But he would rather side with the Tories and in his own words ‘make life difficult for Labour’.
“It’s really important to say that these plans will ensure we don’t make the same mistakes that Margaret Thatcher made and actually the sleepwalking that is happening by this Government is what will repeat those mistakes.”
“There is going to be a global leader in the clean energy revolution.
“Keir Starmer and I believe that global leader will be Scotland and the UK.
