Why the SNP is now singing the praises of Labour's GB Energy strategy


The SNP has changed its tune on Labour’s plans to place a publicly-owned Aberdeen-based company at the heart of its energy strategy.
During the election campaign, the SNP was quick to raise fears over the plans, including the fair criticism that we don’t know exactly how it will operate.
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Hide AdBut even at the SNP conference last month, the party’s Westminster leader, Stephen Flynn, claimed the idea was simply another case of “Westminster casting its gaze north to Scotland’s resources, with pound signs in their eyes”.


As Ed Miliband, Labour’s UK energy secretary, descends on Aberdeen for the first time since it was formally announced as the home of GB Energy, SNP ministers are publicly craving some of the potential benefits.
SNP acting net zero secretary, Gillian Martin, has now made it crystal clear that Scotland’s two governments are on the same page - at least on this part of energy policy.
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Mr Miliband’s trip to Aberdeen is focused on showing what GB Energy can deliver for Scotland, and there is a real acknowledgement that things will run a lot smoother if Westminster works with Holyrood instead of imposing things, as was perceived to be happening under his Tory predecessors.
Ms Martin has praised the “collaborative agreement” between the two governments that will allow GB Energy to “work with our public bodies to maximise investment into Scotland”.
The Labour administration at Westminster is making a real attempt to work better in partnership with Holyrood - it is in the interests of both governments for this to continue.
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Hide AdBut we are still yet to find out what the Scottish Government thinks should happen with the North Sea oil and gas sector - with a long-awaited and drastically-delayed energy strategy still not published by Ms Martin.


Labour has signalled its intent to end new licences and announced yesterday that Liz Ditchburn will be the new chief of the North Sea Transition Authority. But that appointment also feels like an olive branch to the SNP - given Ms Ditchburn previously worked as the Scottish Government’s director general for economy.
But whether or not the Scottish Government does water down its position to back an “acceleration” of the transition away from fossil fuels could reignite tensions with Labour.
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