IN SCOTLAND, we are blessed with natural energy assets both below the sea (North Sea oil and gas) and above ground (on-shore and off-shore wind).
But over the last twenty-five years, successive governments in both Westminster and Holyrood have badly mis-managed the UK’s energy system such that today our cost of energy is seven times that of China and four times that of the US, despite the UK being responsible for just 0.8% of global carbon emissions. No wonder Scotland is de-industrialising.
Bizarrely, we now import 70% of our gas from Norway from the same basin where we are de-commissioning our own fields; even the Norwegian energy minister thinks this is daft.
Meanwhile, not a single blade turning on a Scottish wind turbine is made in Scotland. There is no “just” transition in Aberdeen or Grangemouth while well paid jobs are haemorrhaging overseas.
All this is because politicians prioritised the ideology of net zero over the economic necessity of the Scottish people to have affordable energy for our families and businesses.
When a Reform UK government is elected to Westminster at the next UK general election, it will immediately use its reserved powers to ensure that North Sea oil and gas once again gives us both energy security and job security for that highly skilled workforce right here in Scotland.
In the meantime, there is much that can be done by Reform in Holyrood to undo some of the damage.
It will prepare to rehabilitate North Sea gas as our primary energy system.
It will also use the planning system to fast-track permissions for hydro, micro-hydro, geothermal, open-cast coal mining, and electrical network infrastructure – especially on brownfield or industrial sites – while retaining protections for Scotland’s invaluable natural beauty and taking into account local communities.
Reform will also use the planning system to fast-track the building and expansion of industry on existing industrial sites, so that factories and high-paying manufacturing jobs can return to Scotland.
It will create a Scottish Energy Workforce Plan linked to colleges and apprenticeships, ensuring young Scots can train for high-value careers in the energy sector.
In addition, it will require every related policy decision to include an Energy Price Impact Statement, ensuring transparency for the public about the effect on their energy bills.
Reform UK will deliver an energy system that is secure, affordable and reliable.
Comments: 4
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You should state that Reform UK policy is to scrap Net Zero. Even the Tories under Badenoch have promised to repeal the Climate Change Act.
Net Zero needs to be swept away entirely. Reform Scotland should campaign to scrap the SNP’s delusional climate change plan. See my post on this issue in your sister outlet Think Scotland: https://thinkscotland.org/2026/03/the-snp-governments-delusional-climate-change-plan-for-2026-2040/.
There are many Reformers in Scotland with energy knowledge and experience.
Are there opportunities for open-cast mining? Coal gas methane extraction near Grangemouth is ready to go and is cheap to extract. This is associated with coal seams which cannot be extracted until the explosive gas is removed. Ineos wanted to test fracking but approval was refused. Test fracking was in the General Election manifesto.
It was disappointing not to see fracking on Reform’s Scotland manifesto – it should definitely be looked into.
The commitment to, “End the SNP’s ideological ban on new nuclear facilities in Scotland” (REFORM Manifesto for Scotland 2026 page 15 second bullet point under ENERGY) needs to be reiterated here.