LABOUR’s Anas Sarwar gestured at Humza Yousaf and shouted “bring it on” amid a furious Holyrood rammy over North Sea windfall tax plans.
The two party leaders were involved in a fiery clash over each other’s energy strategy at First Minister’s Questions, with the SNP leader claiming Sir Keir Starmer’s plans would leave 100,000 jobs “on the scrapheap”.
2
2
Labour intends to bring in an “enhanced” windfall tax which would see energy giants pay more tax on their profits by stopping tax breaks based on UK infrastructure investment.
Industry figures this week said the plans would “wipe out” jobs in the North East, while hundreds of North East businesses wrote to the UK Labour leader demanding he ditch the policy.
In Holyrood, Anas Sarwar highlighted Shell’s £22billion and BP’s £11billion in profits, and accused the SNP of piling the pressure on taxpayers rather than energy giants.
He said: “Humza Yousaf used to say he supported Labour’s windfall tax.
“Now, he’s siding with the energy giants making record profits while he is putting up tax for working people across this country who are struggling.
“Why does the SNP believe that if you earn £28,500 you somehow have the broadest shoulders and you should pay more tax, but if you are an energy giant making billions in profit, you should pay less tax.?”
Mr Yousaf said Labour’s plans were the “worst of both worlds” and would lead to investment in Scotland’s oil and gas industry being “completely wiped out”.
He also attacked Sir Keir Starmer for his decision to “dump” the £28billion a year green spending plans after months defending the proposals.
Most read in The Scottish Sun
The First Minister said: “Scotland’s energy should be in Scotland’s hands because successive Westminster governments have raided the North East, have raided Aberdeen, have raided our oil and gas revenues.
“Not a single penny has been invested back into the people of Aberdeen or the North East and for that Anas Sarwar should stand up and apologise.”
The Scottish Labour leader – whose party looks set to win around 25 seats at the next general election in Scotland and sits neck and neck with the SNP in the polls – said he “can’t wait” for the vote.
He said: “I can’t wait to present the choice to the Scottish people come to the next general election because firmly the SNP on the side of energy giants making billions, and Labour trying to bring down people’s bills and on the side of working people.
“Isn’t it the case that the Scottish people have a choice. The SNP increasing tax on working people while siding with the oil and gas giants, or Labour creating jobs, bringing down bills, and firmly on the side of working people?”
And while Mr Yousaf attacked him for his “utterly outrageous” position on keeping the two-child benefit cap while lifting the cap on banker’s bonuses, Mr Sarwar gestured ‘bring it on’ to the SNP leader.
Mr Yousaf, who accused Mr Sarwar of being a “branch manager” who “didn’t get the memo” over the green energy spending being ditched, added: “When I was in Aberdeen earlier this week, I can’t wait to go head-to-head with Anas Sarwar in Aberdeen on the general election.
“In fact he can debate the oil and gas industry in Aberdeen any and every single day of the week.”
He claimed £400billion in oil and gas revenues from the North Sea had been “raided” as a “cash cow”.
The First Minister added: “With Anas Sarwar’s plans you end up with 100,000 workers on the scrapheap and no investment in our Net Zero ambitions. Isn’t it about time that Scotland’s energy was in Scotland’s hands.”
Scottish Tory MSP Douglas Lumsden, who represents the North East in parliament, hit out at Mr Yousaf after his boast about making the journey to the region.
He said: “The First Minister makes one trip up to Aberdeen and then masquerades as the saviour of the oil and gas industry. He must think the people of the North East are buttoned up the back.
“He’s against Cambo, he’s against Rosebank, and his government still has a presumption against any new oil and gas licences.
“So will the First Minister tell the chamber today why he is in favour of importing more oil and gas, stopping new investment, which, as the First Minister knows, means throwing away thousands of livelihoods on the scrapheap?”
Read more on the Scottish Sun
Mr Yousaf responded: “What’s clear to me, what’s clear to the people of Scotland, what’s clear to the people of the North East, is that Westminster is not working for Scotland.
“For decades, the Conservatives have been telling the people of Scotland that Scotland’s oil is running out, now all of a sudden they’re pretending that it’s going to last forever.”