Rachel Reeves budget offered little for the beleaguered North Sea industry.
It’s now over 50 years since the discovery of oil and whilst Aberdeen was the epicentre, the Highlands saw Nigg, Adersier and Kishorn along with other areas develop, bringing many north for work.
An “Its Scotland’s Oil” campaign was launched and the play “The Cheviot, the Stag and the Black Black Oil” toured the country, raising hope and expectations for social and economic benefit for Scotland.
But especially for those most disadvantaged as portrayed in the campaign posters and the play.
It should have been transformatory.
Across the North Sea, Norway, a country historically poorer and less industrialised than Scotland, was the recipient of a similar bounty and showed what could be done.
Today Norway has a trillion dollar “Sovereign Wealth Fund” providing not just for current but future generations.
Meanwhile Scotland has seen its resource squandered.
Much of the industry in the north has closed and many workers have returned south or gone abroad in search of work.
Nor is there a legacy for future generations, indeed quite the opposite, as closures affected youngsters who would have received a training and skill.
Meanwhile Norway’s building up its oil sector industry and expertise with the proposed Rosebank field to be operated by Equinor, the Norwegian state oil company.
At the same time Norway’s investing in other Scottish sectors including renewables and fish farming, as well in other industries in their own land and across the globe.
Meanwhile Scotland’s seeing industry after industry contract and entire sectors shut down.
Scots were told that the oil would be finished by the millennium, yet still it flowed and during the Independence referendum were again told it was all but gone.
But it’s there even if the sector is on its knees and much at the present moment will remain embedded under the seabed if Miliband has his way.
Sadly, and shamefully, he was aided and abetted in that by the SNP/Green Government with their presumption against further exploration.
Hopefully, that idiocy has ended and the Scottish Government will speak up for Scotland’s oil.
Of course, global warming needs addressed but oil will be required for decades to come.
There can be no transition without it.
Fuelling machinery on land and sea’s essential along with plastics which are essential for renewable technology.
It’s economic madness not to benefit from your own resource and pay for someone else’s, as its environmental nonsense to worsen pollution with a massive hike in supertanker usage.
Similarly, in an increasingly dangerous world having easy access to your own resource is essential.
So Oil’s still there and Scotland and the Highlands should benefit from it, not just the existing fossil fuel sector but in renewables where skills can be transferred into over years to come.
There’ll be no Just Transition for Scotland and few job opportunities for Scots if skilled workers leave and youngsters are denied a training.
It’s why “It’s still Scotland’s oil” but it’s also “use it or lose it” as our industrial base will be further decimated if we don’t.
It’ll be more than just Grangemouth or Mossmorran no more, as it was McDermott’s and Kishorn no more.
It’s why it’s time to use Scotland’s oil bounty but this time ensuring that Highlanders and Scotland benefit from it.
