Miliband urged to visit Aberdeen amid oil and gas ‘extinction’ accusation

UK energy secretary Ed Miliband has been urged to visit Aberdeen as the Tory candidate in a city by-election claimed government policy could lead to the “extinction” of the oil and gas industry.

Douglas Lumsden, who is standing to replace former SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn in the Aberdeen South constituency, has urged the minister to meet with oil and gas workers as the issue is put to the forefront of the by-election campaign.

It comes after energy firms EnerMech and Xodus Group announced in recent weeks plans to cut jobs in the north-east city, dubbed the oil and gas capital of Europe.

In a letter to Miliband, the Tory candidate – who launched his Westminster campaign just hours after being sworn in as an MSP last month – accused the UK government of pushing the industry into “extinction”.

He said: “Your decision in the King’s Speech not to reverse the ban on licences for new oil and gas field exploration could be the final nail in the coffin for many businesses, and with it Aberdeen’s economy.

“Banning licences doesn’t reduce demand, it only increases our reliance on imports, threatens jobs and pushes up prices even further.

“It’s therefore ludicrous why you would lift your ban on UK imports of diesel and jet fuel made from Russian oil, yet ban extraction from our own waters?

“At a time when our energy security is in a state of national emergency from the conflict in the Middle East, I cannot fathom why you would want to prioritise foreign jobs and imports over UK jobs and production.”

He added: “I believe it has been more than 18 months since you last visited Aberdeen, which is why I extend a formal invitation to you to come to the city to see the devastation that is being caused for yourself.

“You will be able to speak directly with workers, companies and community representatives to see the realities and struggles of life in Aberdeen at the moment.

“The people of this great city deserve to be seen, heard and understood.”

A spokesman for the UK Government said: “Issuing new licences to explore new fields cannot give us energy security and will not take a penny off bills.

“The lesson of yet another fossil fuel crisis is the UK needs to get off the fossil fuel rollercoaster and onto clean homegrown power we control.

“This will protect jobs now and create the next generation of skilled jobs, including over 40,000 new clean energy roles in Scotland by 2030.”