Stephen Flynn has claimed Labour’s oil and gas plans will “destroy the livelihoods” of Aberdeen workers as it was warned thousands of jobs risk being lost.
The SNP Westminster leader slated Sir Keir Starmer’s proposals to extend and increase a windfall tax on fossil fuel firms for at least another five years.
It comes after Labour abandoned plans to invest £28 billion in green energy projects, a blow for the north-east in the shift toward renewables.
Aberdeen South MP Mr Flynn warned Labour’s latest raft of proposals would harm the oil and gas sector without supporting the move to cleaner energy.
“This would be a level of de-industrialisation that Margaret Thatcher could only dream of, and it must be stopped,” he told the Press and Journal.
The controversial windfall tax, a levy on excess profits made by oil and gas companies during the cost-of-living crisis, was introduced by the Tories in 2022.
Senior figures in the Conservative Party were firmly opposed to the measure initially, but relented as households struggled to pay their bills.
Sir Keir now wants to increase the levy from 75% to 78% of all excess profits if he manages to oust Rishi Sunak from Downing Street as expected.
He hopes this will bring in an extra £10.8 billion to the treasury.
But investment bank Stifel has warned the move could instead cost the UK a whopping £20 billion in tax revenues.
Mr Flynn said: “These latest tax proposals from the Labour Party would destroy jobs, devastate Aberdeen, decimate the economy and demolish any hopes of delivering net zero.
“Not content with u-turning on their promise of £28 billion and the investment required to deliver Net Zero, Labour now also want to destroy the livelihoods of the only people who can actually deliver it too.
“The real result of this Labour tax plan will see investment in nuclear projects in England that won’t benefit Scotland’s energy security, won’t protect Scottish jobs and won’t deliver for the Scottish economy.”
The SNP’s own stance on oil and gas has resulted in major splits within the party in recent years.
Former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon led a shift away from strongly supporting the fossil fuels sector, opposing development of the Cambo oil field.
Ex-Westminster leader Ian Blackford urged Rishi Sunak to impose a “proper windfall tax” on oil and gas firms.
But current leader Mr Flynn has repeatedly emphasised the need for the winding down of production to be gradual to help keep workers safe.
On Monday, ex-Aberdeen Labour leader Barney Crockett claimed Sir Keir’s party was “trying to destroy” the oil and gas sector.
Mr Crockett, now an independent councillor, warned his former party had “abandoned the north-east totally” with various U-turns.
Senior voices in Aberdeen’s business sector have also cast gloom over Labour’s proposals.
Ryan Crighton, policy director at the city’s chamber of commerce, said: “We’re talking about redundancies on a scale not seen in this country since the pit closures of the 1980s.
“This betrayal of our industry, our region, our companies and our people cannot be allowed to go ahead.”
Aberdeen Tory MSP Douglas Lumsden said: “Stephen Flynn has a terribly short memory – or he hopes people in the north-east have forgotten SNP policy on oil and gas.
“The SNP at Westminster shouted and howled for a windfall tax that was far harder than the energy profits levy. This policy would give them exactly what they want.”
Conversation