Bowie challenges Tories to ‘step up' against Miliband's ‘eco-zealotry'
Tories need to 'step up' as Labour at Westminster and the SNP government at Holyrood are making the UK 'more vulnerable', acting shadow energy minister Andrew Bowie has said.
The Scottish Conservative MP criticised both Labour and the SNP over their opposition to new oil and gas developments in the North Sea.
Accusing the UK Government of 'overseeing the wilful deindustrialisation of this nation', Mr Bowie hit out at the 'frankly dangerous eco-zealotry of Ed Miliband', the Energy Secretary.
Speaking at the Scottish Conservative conference at Murrayfield in Edinburgh Mr Bowie told his party: 'We must step up. Britain needs us more than ever.'
The Tory insisted: 'The future of Scotland and Britain is at stake, our country's security depends on a strong Conservative Party to stand up for what is right.'
He recalled how former US president Ronald Reagan had 'once said the first duty of government is to protect' – but added that 'on every front the SNP and Labour are failing to do that'.
Attacking both Labour and the SNP, Mr Bowie, who is also his party's shadow Scottish secretary, said: 'They haven't protected everyone's economic security, by raising taxes, or ripping away their winter fuel payment, even if they are now apparently going to hand it back to them.
'They haven't protected our energy security by insisting on no new oil and gas developments.'
The Conservative MP continued: 'We can all see what is happening in the world, there is more risk out there, we as a country are more vulnerable.
'That is why the decisions of this Labour Government are so gravely concerning. Their economic incompetence, coupled with their frightening ineptitude when it comes to our energy security is making the United Kingdom more vulnerable.'
He attacked the Labour Government over its 'madcap drive to clean power by 2030', as he said ministers were 'actively accelerating the decline of our North Sea'.
This, he said, was 'forcing us to become increasingly exposed to over-reliance on imports from overseas, imports that are shipped in diesel-chugging tankers across the Atlantic from America or from Norwegian wells'.
The Tory said the opposition to new oil and gas developments meant 'investment is drying up, work is being put on pause, companies are literally shutting up shop and jobs are being lost'.
But he added: 'This hostility for our oil and gas workers is not simply the preserve of the zealots in the Labour Party.
'The SNP have their fingerprints all over the job losses, the well closures.'
It's Scottish Conservative Conference! 🇬🇧🏴
Hello Murrayfield! @ScotTories @Conservatives pic.twitter.com/FjxMucHUxu
— Andrew Bowie (@AndrewBowie_MP) June 13, 2025
Mr Bowie added: 'We need Conservative leadership because we know where the SNP and Labour will take us.'
He also used his speech to attack the 'snake oil salesmen' in Reform UK, insisting that Nigel Farage's party do not 'care one jot for Scotland, or for our United Kingdom'.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
37 minutes ago
- The Independent
Glasgow given go-ahead to introduce a tourist tax
Tourists in Glasgow will start paying extra for their accommodation after the city gave the green light to introduce a tourist tax by 2027. In a bid to generate £16m a year for the Scottish city, visitors heading to Glasgow will be charged five per cent of their accommodation bill extra, which will work out to £4.83 per night on average. Under national legislation, the council has to undergo an 18-month implementation phase, so the levy will not be rolled out until January 2027 at the earliest. The decision was made in a city administration committee on Thursday, with 1.5 per cent of each levy being retained by accommodation providers, while the rest will be invested in Glasgow's infrastructure projects and events. The funding will also be used for public services, such as street sweeping, maintenance of city landmarks and improvements to parks, which will benefit both residents and visitors. A council spokesperson said there was support from all parties on the committee, including the SNP, Labour, Greens and Conservatives. The move to introduce the levy came following a public consultation that started in January between local trade bodies and accommodation businesses. Deputy Council Leader Richard Bell told The Independent: 'Many Glaswegians will be familiar with visitor levies, which are relatively common abroad. 'The levy means that some of the people who enjoy what Glasgow has to offer, but do not pay local taxes, will be asked to make a small contribution to the city. 'In turn, that money will be invested in making Glasgow a better place for citizens and visitors alike – which will benefit our tourist trade.' Green Cllr Blair Anderson, whose motion started the process, said: 'The tourist tax is going to be a game-changer for Glasgow, delivering more money to tidy up our city and make it even more attractive for visitors and residents alike. 'A small contribution from tourists will mean we can invest millions more in street sweeping, bin collections, and getting Glasgow looking good again. 'I'm glad that Greens in Holyrood got this law passed, and I'm grateful to all councillors who have worked with me over recent months to get this tax in place as soon as possible.' The levy will apply to all hotels, hostels, guest houses, bed & breakfasts and self-catering accommodation. Glasgow currently averages around 2.9 million overnight stays each year, which generates an expenditure of £250m. The Visitor Levy Act became law in September 2024. This allows councils in Scotland to tax overnight accommodation if they wish to do so. This devolved power has been met with mixed responses, with Edinburgh becoming the first to vote in January to add a five per cent surcharge on visitors' overnight stays by 2026. Meanwhile, South Ayrshire council is set to abandon its plans for a visitor levy in light of residents' and businesses' concerns that the area does not warrant one for the number of visitors it receives.
South Wales Argus
42 minutes ago
- South Wales Argus
Historic vote brings assisted dying closer to becoming law in England and Wales
More than 300 MPs backed a Bill that would allow terminally ill adults with a life expectancy of less than six months to end their lives. Yes campaigners wept, jumped and hugged each other outside parliament as the vote result was announced, while some MPs appeared visibly emotional as they left the chamber. Others lined up to shake hands with Kim Leadbeater, the Bill's sponsor through the Commons, with some, including Home Office minister Jess Phillips, stopping to hug the Spen Valley MP. Despite warnings from opponents around the safety of a Bill they argued has been rushed through, the proposed legislation has taken another step in the parliamentary process. MPs voted 314 to 291, majority 23, to approve Ms Leadbeater's Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill at third reading. Kim Leadbeater has been the MP behind the assisted dying bill (Jonathan Brady/PA) This means the Bill has completed its first stages in the Commons and will move to the House of Lords for further debate and scrutiny. Both Houses must agree the final text of the Bill before it can be signed into law. Due to the four-year implementation period, it could be 2029 – potentially coinciding with the end of this Government's Parliament – before assisted dying is offered. Encouraging or assisting suicide is currently against the law in England and Wales, with a maximum jail sentence of 14 years. Supporters of assisted dying have described the current law as not being fit for purpose, with desperate terminally ill people feeling the need to end their lives in secret or go abroad to Dignitas alone, for fear loved ones will be prosecuted for helping them. Public support for a change in the law remains high, according to a poll (James Manning/PA) Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer remained supportive of the Bill, voting yes on Friday as he had done last year. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch, who had urged MPs to vote against the legislation, describing it as 'a bad Bill' despite being 'previously supportive of assisted suicide', voted no. Friday was the first time the Bill was debated and voted on in its entirety since last year's historic yes vote, when MPs supported the principle of assisted dying for England and Wales by a majority of 55 at second reading. Labour MP Ms Leadbeater has argued her Bill will 'correct the profound injustices of the status quo and to offer a compassionate and safe choice to terminally ill people who want to make it'. During an hours-long date on Friday, MPs on both sides of the issue recalled personal stories of loved ones who had died. Conservative former minister Sir James Cleverly, who led the opposition to the Bill in the Commons, spoke of a close friend who died 'painfully' from cancer. He said he comes at the divisive issue 'not from a position of faith nor from a position of ignorance', and was driven in his opposition by 'concerns about the practicalities' of the Bill. MPs had a free vote on the Bill, meaning they decided according to their conscience rather than along party lines. Campaigners in Parliament Square, central London, ahead of the vote (PA) The proposed legislation would allow terminally ill adults in England and Wales, with fewer than six months to live, to apply for an assisted death, subject to approval by two doctors and a panel featuring a social worker, senior legal figure and psychiatrist. Public support for a change in the law remains high, according to a YouGov poll published on the eve of the vote. The survey of 2,003 adults in Great Britain, suggested 73% of those asked last month were supportive of the Bill, while the proportion of people who feel assisted dying should be legal in principle stood at 75%.
Leader Live
42 minutes ago
- Leader Live
Historic vote brings assisted dying closer to becoming law in England and Wales
A majority of MPs backed a Bill that would allow terminally ill adults with a life expectancy of less than six months to end their lives. Despite warnings from opponents around the safety of a Bill they argued has been rushed through, the proposed legislation took another step in the parliamentary process. MPs voted 314 to 291, majority 23, to approve Kim Leadbeater's Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill at third reading. This means the Bill has completed its first stages in the Commons and will move to the House of Lords for further debate and scrutiny. Both Houses must agree the final text of the Bill before it can be signed into law. Due to the four-year implementation period, it could be 2029 – potentially coinciding with the end of this Government's Parliament – before assisted dying is offered. Encouraging or assisting suicide is currently against the law in England and Wales, with a maximum jail sentence of 14 years. Supporters of assisted dying have described the current law as not being fit for purpose, with desperate terminally ill people feeling the need to end their lives in secret or go abroad to Dignitas alone, for fear loved ones will be prosecuted for helping them. Friday was the first time the Bill was debated and voted on in its entirety since last year's historic yes vote, when MPs supported the principle of assisted dying for England and Wales by a majority of 55 at second reading. Labour MP Ms Leadbeater has argued her Bill will 'correct the profound injustices of the status quo and to offer a compassionate and safe choice to terminally ill people who want to make it'. During an hours-long date on Friday, MPs on both sides of the issue recalled personal stories of loved ones who had died. Conservative former minister Sir James Cleverly, who led the opposition to the Bill in the Commons, spoke of a close friend who died 'painfully' from cancer. He said he comes at the divisive issue 'not from a position of faith nor from a position of ignorance', and was driven in his opposition by 'concerns about the practicalities' of the Bill. MPs had a free vote on the Bill, meaning they decided according to their conscience rather than along party lines. The proposed legislation would allow terminally ill adults in England and Wales, with fewer than six months to live, to apply for an assisted death, subject to approval by two doctors and a panel featuring a social worker, senior legal figure and psychiatrist. Public support for a change in the law remains high, according to a YouGov poll published on the eve of the vote. The survey of 2,003 adults in Great Britain, suggested 73% of those asked last month were supportive of the Bill, while the proportion of people who feel assisted dying should be legal in principle stood at 75%.
