Scottish Conservative shadow energy secretary and North East MSP Douglas Lumsden has launched a fierce broadside against Labour, accusing the party of endangering vital North Sea operations through its tax regime and stance on future oil and gas development.
He warned that communities in Aberdeen and the wider region are already feeling the strain, with shrinking opportunities for workers and mounting anxiety over the long‑term prospects of the sector.
Scottish Conservative shadow energy secretary and North East MSP Douglas Lumsden said: “So soon after Labour announced they would continue to tax the oil and gas industry to death, Michael Shanks clearly hasn’t read the room.
“He has a nerve to step foot in Aberdeen after the damage his party have caused to the sector, the city’s economy, and livelihoods across the North East.
“Rather than trying to fool people into thinking the Chancellor’s Budget was positive for the industry, he should address the concerns of oil and gas workers whose jobs are being lost on a weekly basis.
“Labour’s pitiful North Sea Future Plan should have ditched their ban on new licences and finally given the industry some light at the end of the tunnel.
“Instead, this announcement is nothing more than a con and isn’t worth the paper it’s written on.
“At the very least, during his visit, Michael Shanks should apologise to workers for taking a wrecking ball to the industry.”
