Energy Wealth Fund should be targeted at north-east Scotland, says Swinney

Britain / 29 October 2026 Farage says Reform UK members can support Tommy Robinson after harassment conviction 29 October 2026 Justice System / 29 October 2026 Russel Brand mouths words to wife during character statement 29 October 2026 Workers’ Rights / 29 October 2026 ‘No further delay’ on 50% thresholds as new union powers come into force 29 October 2026 Big Tech / 29 October 2026 Social media age checks effective but not foolproof, Ofcom warns 29 October 2026 Healthcare / 29 October 2026 Thousands of patients unable to access GPs online after collapse of tech firm 29 October 2026 Britain / 29 October 2026 Poundland on the brink of collapse with 12,000 jobs at risk 29 October 2026 FIRST Minister John Swinney has demanded Andy Burnham ring-fence the government’s new Energy Wealth Fund, to help deliver a transition to green jobs in north-east Scotland.

The fund was announced alongside the approval of the Jackdaw gas field on Wednesday and will see £2 billion in startup funding from the Treasury, topped up with tax revenue from the field to fund renewables and low-carbon projects.

Jackdaw is located 150 miles east of Aberdeen, which has been the long-time centre of the British oil and gas industry, but industry decline in recent years has cost thousands of well-paid jobs in the region and beyond, a process Mr Swinney hopes could be halted if the fund was targeted on it.

The First Minister, who had for months scrupulously avoided voicing any public opinion on Jackdaw, prompting frustrations from inside and outside his party on both sides of the debate, welcomed it getting the go-ahead.

Speaking from India, where he is on a trade mission, Mr Swinney said: “I hope today’s announcement on Jackdaw will provide some certainty for the north-east after many years of difficulty thanks to UK government policy.

“It must also kickstart a renewed drive to deliver our long-standing clean energy ambitions.”

Turning to those ambitions, he made a direct plea to Westminster over how the fund should be spent.

“My clear view is that, given the distribution of North Sea oil and gas resources, any such fund should be prioritised for offshore renewable opportunities and be ring-fenced to be focused on the north-east of Scotland.

“My simple point is that there is an energy transition to be undertaken in the north-east of Scotland as well as in other parts of the country – and we’ve got to make sure the resources are able to be supported to manage and to assist that transition.

“As I’ve indicated on a number of occasions before, there has been significant economic disruption and harm caused by the accelerated decline in oil and gas, without the commensurate increase in renewable activity and I want to make sure that we see that significant increase in renewable activity that delivers sustainable energy and contributes to our efforts to tackle climate change in our society.”

The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero was contacted for comment.

Climate Crisis / 25 October 2026 Scotland’s First Minister accused of ‘swithering’ over new gas field drilling 25 October 2026 Climate Crisis / 21 October 2026 Burn ’em baby Burnham as Jackdaw gas field gets greenlit 21 October 2026 The PM delights President Trump by finally giving assent to the controversial plans for gas drilling in the North Sea 

Climate Crisis / 17 August 2026 ‘More drilling means more heatwaves, droughts, wildfires, and suffering’ 17 August 2026 Burnham urged to stand up to the fossil fuel giants and reject plans to drill Britain’s largest untapped oil fields