Calls have been made for the next Labour Prime Minister to scrap Great British Energy after it was revealed just two meetings have been held with the Scottish Government since its formation.
Scottish Conservative energy spokesman Liam Kerr MSP described the taxpayer-funded scheme as a “woeful gimmick” which will do nothing to address the thousands of jobs being lost across the oil and gas industry.
In a written response to Mr Kerr, the Scottish Government said ministers have only met GB Energy officials twice since it was established.
The first involved former Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes, who met interim chair of GB Energy, Juergen Maier, and chief executive of GB Energy, Dan McGrail, on May 14 last year.
The Scottish Government revealed a whole 13 months passed before SNP ministers met GB Energy again.
Energy minister Stephen Gethins spoke to Mr McGrail at the Global Offshore Wind conference earlier this month about “GB Energy’s priorities in Scotland, the need to align with existing delivery mechanisms and the importance of support for our supply chain”.
The lack of meetings come after it was revealed just 30 people are employed with the publicly owned company on a permanent basis, despite Labour’s initial pledge of 1,000 direct jobs at its HQ.
Scottish Conservative energy spokesman and North East MSP, Liam Kerr, said: “The fact only two meetings have been held between GB Energy and the SNP shows how little both governments care about our energy industry.
“These lack of discussions underline that GB Energy is nothing more than a woeful gimmick dreamt up by Labour in a bid to deceive voters, which is why it should be scrapped.
“Its lack of influence, spending and presence will bring nothing but a small office with a plaque to Aberdeen.
“People were told GB Energy would create jobs and cut energy bills, but with only 30 permanent staff in place so far, coupled with the SNP government only meeting representatives twice in its entire existence, it is clear there was never a real strategy or substance to this announcement.
“Labour’s ban on new licences, the SNP’s continued hostility towards drilling, their failure to put in place an actual energy strategy, and now a GB Energy scheme that both governments are ignoring, will continue to result in jobs being lost across the oil and gas industry.
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“Both the new Prime Minister and John Swinney must drop their playground politics, back North Sea oil and gas and publish credible energy strategies that safeguard jobs across Scotland.”
In response to Liam Kerr’s written questions on the number of meetings held with GB Energy, SNP energy minister Stephen Gethins said: “The former Deputy First Minister, Kate Forbes, met Juergen Maier, interim chair of GB Energy, and Dan McGrail, CEO of GB Energy, on May 14, 2025. A range of matters were discussed, focusing on how the Scottish Government, public bodies and GB Energy can work together to progress opportunities for Scotland’s businesses and communities.
“I met Dan McGrail at the Global Offshore Wind conference on June 17 and we discussed GB Energy’s priorities in Scotland, the need to align with existing delivery mechanisms and the importance of support for our supply chain.”
