Alex Cole-Hamilton has accused the SNP of “allowing the north-east to drift” and not doing the work to ensure a just transition for oil and gas workers.
The Scottish Liberal Democrat leader took aim at the party during a campaign visit to Aberdeenshire where he met activists in the region before May’s local elections.
His party is hoping for something of a “revival” when voters go to the polls on May 5, after admitting they have been “squeezed” in recent elections.
Lib Dems hope to pick up votes in the north-east where in the past they have had electoral success, and also favour their prospects in the Highlands.
Central belt bias?
In that aim, they want to position the SNP as a party with a “central belt bias” and one which fails to understand more rural and remote areas.
But they are also targeting areas in the north-east where they think the Conservative vote is weaker as a result of the furore over Downing Street’s “partygate”.
Speaking on the campaign trail, the Scottish Liberal Democrat leader said the SNP has not lain the groundwork when it comes to ensuring a just transition for workers.
He added there are “several systemic barriers” in the way, including “red tape” in moving oil and gas workers into the renewables sector, and accused the SNP of “not being invested in removing those unnecessary hurdles”.
The MSP said this is due to woeful incompetence in the SNP in terms of their general industrial strategy, pointing to the “calamitous takeover of the Ferguson Marine shipyard” as one such example.
But an SNP spokeswoman said: “Alex Cole-Hamilton is talking utter nonsense.
“The SNP is delivering for the north-east through the Aberdeen City Region Deal, where we are investing far more than the UK Government – and the same goes for our £500 million towards the region’s Just Transition that will see oil and gas production gradually reduce whilst enabling companies to transition across to renewables, something the Tories have failed to match.
“We are also doing everything possible to stop the Tories from further selling out our agriculture sector in its desperate efforts to secure post-Brexit trade deals – an issue the Lib Dems have zero credibility on given that they now fail to oppose Brexit.”
Future of oil and gas
On oil and gas, the Liberal Democrats say they are not talking about “turning off the sector” but admit “tough decisions are required on the future of the industry”.
Their Scottish leader added: “You can’t put an artificial date on things because you get things you can’t control like Ukraine.
“But I would like to see over the next five to 10 years, a meaningful shift to renewables which sees no worker left behind in the north-east.
“And that we do that in a fair way that recognises that urgency with meeting our climate targets and moving away from oil and gas over time.”
The Liberal Democrats will launch their council manifesto next week, which will focus on the cost of living crisis and support to help struggling households across Scotland.
This will include policies to insulate every home across the country to drive down fuel demands and reduce households’ carbon footprint.
The plans will also look at addressing lengthy NHS waiting lists and getting schools back to normality.
Taking the fight to the Tories
And the party fancy their chances against the Conservatives who they claim are “furious” with Prime Minister Boris Johnson over the Downing Street parties.
Mr Cole-Hamilton said: “Douglas Ross I know privately is expecting the Tories to go backwards.
“One of the reasons I’m up in the north-east is to speak to those Tories and other people who feel betrayed and say you don’t need to vote for the Conservatives, there is an alternative who are not the SNP who are in your corner.
“Douglas Ross needs to pick a side. Either he’s with his prime minister or he’s with the people. He can’t be with both.
“Right now he has clearly chosen he is with the prime minister and turned his back on the people who feel so betrayed.”
A spokesman for the Scottish Conservatives said: “The Lib Dems are such a small party that they have no hope of standing up to the SNP.
“They went backwards at least year’s election and they’re no longer even considered a party in the Scottish Parliament anymore.
“In by-elections over the last year, the Scottish Conservatives have received nearly five times the amount of votes as the Lib Dems in Scotland.
“Only the Scottish Conservatives have the strength right across Scotland to beat the SNP on May the 5th and get all of the focus onto your local priorities.”