Bold claim: Scotland’s energy future is at the heart of the SNP’s campaign, and renewables will drive the party’s message in the upcoming Holyrood election. SNP leader John Swinney argues that independence could eventually cut household energy bills by about a third, framing the issue as a long-term remedy for Scottish households.
At what was billed as the first campaign event ahead of the May Scottish Parliament vote, Swinney proclaimed, “It’s Scotland’s energy,” echoing the famous 1970s slogan “It’s Scotland’s oil” that helped propel the SNP onto the national stage. The campaign contrasts how the UK and Norway have handled oil wealth: Westminster is accused of transferring control of oil to private firms and funneling profits south, while Norway is cited as keeping oil in public hands, creating a national energy company, and investing profits for the long term.
In his remarks, Swinney suggested Scotland has been blessed twice—first with oil and gas wealth, then with abundant, affordable renewable energy—and implied the country now has a second chance to capitalize on that wind and water capacity. He also warned Prime Minister Keir Starmer that failing to adjust the energy profits levy would cast him in a negative light in Scotland’s national story, likening him to a second Thatcher if he persists.
The SNP contends the levy—introduced under the previous Conservative government and carried forward by Labour—drains the vitality from one of Scotland’s key industries, a claim Swinney described as detrimental to the economy. Climate advocates challenged this framing, calling Swinney’s stance on oil company profits deeply troubling. Rosie Hampton, oil and gas campaigns manager for Friends of the Earth Scotland, argued that the Norwegian model relies on state ownership, and criticized the SNP for selling ScotWind leases cheaply and for policies perceived as catering to lobbyists and big business over collective interests.
Details on how independence would be secured if the SNP wins a majority in May remain sparse, particularly with the UK Labour Party opposing a referendum. When asked whether voters care more about immediate priorities or long-term constitutional change, Swinney highlighted progress on NHS waiting times, education, and investment in affordable housing, before asserting that future prosperity hinges on independence and that this is the plan he will present to voters in May.
Reacting to the launch, Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar accused Swinney of shifting focus away from the SNP’s record and the pressing challenges Scotland faces. As the five-month clock to election day ticks down, Labour also hosted its own launch, promoting a report by Mike McKirdy, a retired surgeon and former president of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow, which calls for an independent review of NHS Scotland. Sarwar argued that the report underscores the SNP’s failure to recover from the pandemic and stresses the need for bold, tangible NHS reforms to address the waiting list crisis.
