Urgent 'reset' of oil and gas policy needed to keep lights on and maintain Britain's national security, MPs have been warned

By MICHAEL BLACKLEY, SCOTTISH DAILY MAIL POLITICAL EDITOR Published: 19:57, 1 July 2026 | Updated: 19:57, 1 July 2026 An urgent ‘reset’ of oil and gas policy is needed to keep the lights on and maintain Britain’s national security, business leaders have warned MPs. Aberdeen and Grampian Chamber of Commerce issued a plea to MPs to back new North Sea licences and warned of the risk of repeating mistakes made with coalmining communities in the past – but said the current economic crisis facing the city is down to ‘policy and not geology’. During a special session of the House of Commons energy security and net zero select committee in Aberdeen, MPs were also told of the mental health toll the crisis is taking on families and warned that it will lead to a spike in violence, drug-taking and child poverty. Labour MP Torcuil Crichton asked if the North Sea supply chain is ‘a question of national security not just jobs’. Russell Borthwick, chief executive of Aberdeen and Grampian Chamber of Commerce, felt ‘that’s a really strong point’ and said: ‘The way that we are actually considering defence right now, I guess we should really be looking at our energy security as a matter of national security and actually having the businesses, the people, the resources and the equipment here to keep the lights on, to keep our hospitals and schools running, to keep our supply chains moving to where they need to be as we transition. ‘I think it’s important that a transition is defined as a change of state over time, there’s no-one that you’ll speak to in this region that does not believe we are heading in the right direction. ‘I think what we’re asking for is a sat-nav reset. There have been some blockages on the original route and what we’re saying is we are looking at other countries in particular that are taking a more pragmatic view at what is happening globally to their own economy, to their own national security. So I think we should look at it in exactly those terms.’ He told MPs that Aberdeen is now ‘lodged firmly at the bottom of the league table’ on economic performance in the UK. New Conservative MP for Aberdeen Douglas Lumsden gives his maiden speech in the House of Commons On the plan to transition towards renewables, he said that staff are now being enticed to move to other countries for work. Mr Borthwick said: ‘Which means, when we get to the point of accelerating our clean energy ambitions and looking to build out Grid and offshore wind projects, and potentially carbon capture and storage and other things, we will be scratching our heads and saying “there is no-one left in the UK to do it”.’ While he said coalmining communities show some of the jeopardy facing Aberdeen, he stressed that ‘it does not have to be the case’ as the current position is down to ‘policy and not geology’. He also said that he will be inviting Andy Burnham to talks about changing the current policy when he becomes Prime Minister. He welcomed a reference to Aberdeen in Monday’s speech but criticised it being mentioned alongside ‘post-industrial’ towns. Mr Crichton, who represents the Western Isles, also asked if a ‘mental health and financial crisis is coming to Aberdeen’ because of job losses. The recent by-election in Aberdeen wad dubbed a referendum on oil and gas Donna Hutchison, chief executive of the Aberdeen Cyrenians charity, said: ‘It’s not coming, it is here. Evidence from Aberdeen shows the transition is already having a material impact on households, not just jobs.’ She said that past industrial transitions impacts can be seen on poverty, ill-health and long-term inequality and said that requests for support are rising and ‘the early warning signals are there’. Ms Hutchison added: ‘The reality is we will see increases in child poverty, gender-based violence and substance-related harm. ‘That is unintended but they are foreseeable, we’ve seen that in post-industrial areas.’ The committee also heard concerns from Richard Hardy, national secretary for Scotland and Ireland at the Prospect trade union, about the Scottish Government’s refusal to support new nuclear energy development. He said that relaxing the current ban could make a ‘massive difference’ by boosting the energy supply chain. Meanwhile, Scotland's newest MP has said the people of Aberdeen ‘have had enough of the wilful destruction of the oil and gas industry’ during his maiden speech in the House of Commons. Tory Douglas Lumsden, who was elected in last month’s Aberdeen South by-election – which he had called a local referendum on oil and gas – said voters had ‘made their voices clear’ on the issue. Mr Lumsden said: ‘It’s an honour to be here and a responsibility that I take seriously. I am grateful and humbled by the trust the people of Aberdeen have placed in me. ‘With almost 50 per cent of the votes, the people of Aberdeen have made their voices heard loud and clear – clear enough to echo around the Palace of Westminster and Holyrood alike: the people of Aberdeen have had enough of the wilful destruction of the oil and gas industry, destruction of their jobs and destruction of their local economy. ‘This win is a clear mandate from the people of Aberdeen to the Labour government here in Westminster, and the SNP government in Holyrood, to act now to save our North Sea oil and gas industry.’ The comments below have not been moderated. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. 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