Windfall tax: Douglas Ross warns chancellor Jeremy Hunt against extending levy in spring budget

The Scottish Conservative leader says the North Sea oil and gas industry has no confidence in extending the windfall tax

Douglas Ross has warned Chancellor Jeremy Hunt not to extend the oil and gas windfall tax when he sets his spring budget next week.

The Scottish Conservative Party leader said extending the windfall tax would be an “unacceptable blow” to the North Sea oil and gas industry, and said he has met with Mr Hunt to make that point to him.

Mr Ross also denied his party is in a panic after new polling suggests 58 per cent of Scots who voted Conservative at the last general election will not do so again this year.

Scottish Conservative Party leader Douglas Ross makes his keynote speech to party conference in Aberdeen. Image: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images.

The Scottish Conservatives descended on Aberdeen this weekend for their annual party conference, where Prime Minister Rishi Sunak refused to rule out extending the windfall tax.

This comes as UK Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer says he would increase the windfall tax from 75 per cent to 78 per cent and extend it into 2029 if he wins the keys to Number 10 at this year’s general election.

However when asked if there would be an extension in this levy, Mr Ross told journalists: “I don’t support that - when it was introduced, it was introduced with the support of some big businesses within that sector.

“Things have moved on a lot since then.

“What I’ve heard from Offshore Energies UK is this is about confidence going forward, and that would be an unacceptable blow to workers here.

“I have and will continue to make that point strenuously to the chancellor of the UK.”

Mr Hunt will set out the UK Government’s spring budget on Wednesday.

Mr Ross also denied his party was in a panic going into this year’s general election as he continues to lose potential voters.

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A YouGov survey for the Scottish Election Study found 58 per cent of Scots who voted Conservative in the 2019 general election and 2021 Scottish election, will not do so again this year.

This is up from 42 per cent in October.

However Mr Ross said this was not the picture he is seeing when he is out campaigning on the doorsteps.

Mr Ross said: “I don’t recognise that in any way with what I’m picking up on the doorstep.

“During the February recess I was out in the north-east, down in the south of England, in my own constituency and across parts of the Highlands and islands, and people are responding to what we are doing in the Scottish Parliament.”

He added: “I think you will have seen a very positive, upbeat experience here in Aberdeen.

“I’ve been really encouraged by the response from our members and activists - it’s been really uplifting.

“We’re going to take that feeling into the general election campaign.”

A spokeswoman for the SNP said: “This Tory government is finished, and it’s no wonder that even their own voters have had enough of them, after the chaos they’ve inflicted on people’s lives.

"Only a vote for the SNP can remove the Tories from all their seats in Scotland and deliver the strong voice that Scotland needs.”