FOUR SNP MPs have sent a scathing reponse letter to Andrew Bowie’s claims the Scottish Greens co-operation deal would be “devastating” for the energy sector in the North East.
Richard Thomson, MP for Gordon, Stephen Flynn, MP for Aberdeen South, Kirsty Blackman, MP for Aberdeen North, and Dave Doogan, MP for Angus, were all co-signatories on the blistering correspondence.
Bowie had initially sent a letter to the four North East MPs on August 13, and claimed the Scottish Green party were a “real threat to the sector”.
We told earlier this month how the Greens and SNP are "95%" agreed on the cooperation deal, which could see some Green MSPs taking minsterial office.
However, today, the MP’s hit back and said that the actual threat to the oil and gas industry was the UK Government’s “utter inadequacy” in responding to the challenges facing the area.
READ MORE: Will Greens be given slot at FMQs if they join the SNP in government?
The letter, written by Thomson, agrees that the north east “faces many challenges” from the oil and gas downturn and the Covid-19 pandemic.
It reads: “However, the response of your party at both Holyrood and Westminster to those challenges, we are sorry to say, has in many respects only served to make matters worse.”
It continues: “Your party continues in government to impose discriminatory transmission charges on electricity producers, something which is holding back the development of the sector all across Scotland, but particularly in the north.
“We also have a much trumpeted ‘sector deal’ from the UK Government, which in contrast to the approach of the Scottish Government - which lets not forget has no regulatory responsibility for the energy sector - places not a single penny on the table upfront to assist energy transition.”
Thomson (pictured) continued by saying that even when the UK Government “invests directly” they “lag behind”.
The letter said: “The City Region Deal still sees the UK trailing behind the level of financial commitment made by the Scottish Government.
“And of course, following Brexit and your party’s power grab on the Scottish Parliament, we can see exactly the level of commitment that your party has to the North East through the so-called ‘levelling up fund’ where your colleagues in the UK Treasury have deliberately placed Aberdeenshire in the lowest funding priority and both Angus and Aberdeen City in the second lowest.”
On two other key industries in the north east, farming and fishing, Thomson said the Tory party had a record “of betrayal and broken promises”.
The letter also said that Scotland and the North East needs a government and politicians who can be “completely focussed on delivering for Scotland rather than trying to make excuses for the woeful government of Boris Johnson”.
READ MORE: LISTEN: Oliver Mundell's car-crash BBC Good Morning Scotland interview on exams
The letter adds: “Given its miserable track record in office, we have no hesitation whatsoever in saying that the biggest single threat to the present and future prosperity of the North East comes entirely from the utter inadequacy of your own Government in Westminster in responding to the challenges we face.
“The silence and complicity of your own Government in Westminster in responding to the challenges we face.
“The silence and complicity in the face of this by North East Conservative politicians helps to make the case for why Scotland would be better taking all of its own decisions to position itself for recovery through independence.”
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel