SNP says Greg Clark should put “put his money where his mouth is” and commit to oil and gas support

Oil rig - credit: Steven Straiton

The SNP has challenged Greg Clark to “put his money where his mouth is” after he claimed the North Sea oil and gas sector was a “huge priority” for the UK Government.

Visiting Aberdeen for the first time since taking on the role of Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, Clark pledged to support the sector through its on-going challenges.

Speaking during his visit, Clark said: “Bringing it together, energy with the industrial strategy for the country, puts it right at the centre of the government’s programme.

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“The fact I am here today within my first month as energy and business secretary just underlines the importance I attach to oil and gas and to Aberdeen and the area in particular.”

Clark's comments come following a period that has seen thousands of redundancies in the North Sea oil and gas sector, resulting in the first North Sea strike action in over a generation.

Stewart Stevenson, SNP MSP for Banffshire and Buchan Coast, said: “It is vitally important to jobs and the economy across the North-East that Mr Clark doesn’t simply talk about making North Sea oil and gas a ‘huge priority,’ but actually delivers on this.

“The UK government have failed miserably to support the North-East in these challenging times – action is long overdue from a government that happily reaps the benefits from the industry when times are good, but quickly deserts it when times are tough.”

Having previously committed extra funding to the Aberdeen City Region Deal, the Scottish Government challenged Clark to match SNP commitment the sector, diverging from his predecessor’s policies that the party believes “failed miserably.”