Anas Sarwar has been urged to “grow a backbone” and join the chorus of calls for Rachel Reeves to ditch the windfall tax in her spring statement on Tuesday.
Russell Findlay has written to the Scottish Labour leader urging him to tell the chancellor that retaining the Energy Profits Levy could sound the death knell for the North Sea oil and gas industry.
The Scottish Conservative leader said Sarwar had a duty to speak out because – when he called on Keir Starmer to quit as prime minister – the Scottish Labour leader claimed his first loyalty lay with the Scottish people.
With 1,000 oil and gas jobs being lost every month, the energy sector is pleading with the chancellor to scrap the EPL – a move which could unlock £41 billion of investment in the North East.
Findlay said that the EPL, which was increased to a 78% tax rate on North Sea oil and gas activity, is harming investment, threatening jobs and putting decades of expertise at risk.
The leader of Holyrood’s largest opposition party warned that it would be catastrophic if Ms Reeves ignored the industry again – just as she did in last year’s budget.
Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay MSP said: “Labour and the SNP are responsible for the annihilation of Scotland’s oil and gas industry, with 1,000 joins being lost every month.
“Both these left-wing parties oppose the critical development of Rosebank, Cambo and Jackdaw because they’re in the grip of an unrealistic net zero obsession.
“Anas Sarwar must use whatever modest influence he has left within the Labour Party to urge Rachel Reeves to ditch the Energy Profits Levy.
“When Sarwar called on Keir Starmer to quit, he claimed his first loyalty was to Scotland. If that’s true, he must grow a backbone and stand up for Scotland’s oil and gas workers.”