Shadow Scottish secretary Andrew Bowie has called for an urgent policy review on North Sea oil and gas, following comments by former US President Donald Trump describing the region as “a treasure chest for the United Kingdom”.
Trump’s remarks—made during a visit to Scotland earlier this week—criticised the UK’s windfall tax on fossil fuel profits and claimed high taxes on oil and gas firms “make no sense”. He argued that the UK government is effectively telling drillers and energy companies that “we don’t want you”.
The Conservative MP for West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine has now written to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer requesting a meeting in Downing Street to reconsider current energy policies and engage with industry leaders, supply chain firms, and local workers to agree on a “coherent and sustainable path forward”.
In his letter, Bowie cited Trump’s calls to “incentivise” domestic oil production and warned that Labour’s decision to retain the energy profits levy (EPL)—first introduced by the previous Conservative government in 2022—has contributed to industry uncertainty.
“As President Trump has said, the UK’s ‘very high’ tax on oil and gas companies is a deterrent to investment,” Bowie wrote. “The extension of the EPL, coupled with uncertainty around future licensing and investment signals, has created a climate of instability that threatens jobs, innovation, and the region’s economic resilience.”
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