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Scotsman
an hour ago
- Business
- Scotsman
Anas Sarwar 'cannot win Holyrood election without Labour ending oil licence ban' warns union boss
One of the UK's leading trade union chiefs has warned Keir Starmer's ban on new oil and gas developments is halting Anas Sarwar's chances of becoming first minister. Sign up to our Politics newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Scottish Labour will not win next year's Holyrood election if the party does not reverse its opposition to new oil and gas, one of the UK's top union chiefs has warned. Gary Smith, the general secretary of the GMB union, has told Anas Sarwar he will not become the next first minister without his party at Westminster having a change of heart on its pledge to ban new North Sea oil and gas licences. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad An oil platform standing amongst other rigs. PIC: Andrew Milligan/PA Wire The UK government has pointed to scientific evidence that new oil and gas licences are not consistent with global efforts to tackle the climate crisis and that continuing to drill for oil and gas will do nothing to cut energy bills. But the vow has left Labour open to criticism over jobs and claims that Britain will have to import fuels from overseas. Speaking to the New Statesman, Mr Smith starkly warned that 'on the current policies, I don't believe that Labour can win in Scotland'. READ MORE: Rosebank and other North Sea oil and gas fields could be given green light under new guidelines Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad He added: 'People don't get that energy is an emotional issue in Scotland. We went hundreds of miles out in this inhospitable sea and built this incredible, groundbreaking energy infrastructure. Labour 'will need to rethink' oil field ban 'If you're on the west coast of Scotland, most people of a certain age have a drop of oil from Sullom Voe because there are so many families who were involved in building that project when they landed the oil in Shetland. 'This was an emotional story about Scotland. It's important to its sense of self and the economy, and I don't think people have really got that.' The GMB's Gary Smith (Picture: Andrew Milligan/PA) Mr Smith has insisted that 'they will have to rethink' the position on oil and gas 'because the consequences in terms of energy prices, in terms of national security, in terms of the economy and jobs, are so profound'. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad He added: 'What we should be doing is taking a public stake in what is left of the oil and gas sector and using the profits for that sector, or part of them, to invest in a new green future. 'We should be talking about North Sea Two, how we're going to collaborate with Norway – not just decarbonising the North Sea, but what comes next. Oil and gas is not the enemy: it's actually the gateway to whatever comes next, and we've got to stop seeing it as a threat.' Mr Smith attacked the UK's industrial strategy and net zero policies, claiming that 'for too long, we were exporting jobs and importing virtue, so we closed down British industry'. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'Squandered opportunities' He added: 'That was great for emissions, not great for communities. Our notional emissions have fallen but all we've done is export jobs and industry to China, where they burn coal to produce the goods we then import on diesel-burning barges and ships – and that includes the vast bulk of all renewables industry.' Pressed by The Scotsman over his position on oil and gas, Mr Sarwar said there 'have been too many squandered opportunities', adding that 'all the big promises on green jobs have failed to materialise'. Keir Starmer and Anas Sarwar (Photo by Jeff) | Getty Images The Scottish Labour leader added: 'We've got to get the balance right, which is recognising oil and gas has got a significant role to play for decades to come, making sure we have a policy around oil fields that's right.' Mr Sarwar said that the UK government needs to have 'a fiscal regime that attracts investment but also maximises potential tax receipts for the Treasury'. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The union concerns come as the UK government announces a £900,000 transition training fund that will help around 200 Aberdeen oil and gas workers to move into the clean energy sector. The programme is open to current and former oil and gas workers who live in or are employed in Aberdeen or Aberdeenshire, and are interested in moving into roles within clean energy. Successful applicants will receive careers advice and funding towards training courses - supporting local people into opportunities in sectors such as offshore wind, hydrogen and carbon capture and storage, which could include roles in welding, electrical engineering and construction. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Fund to help green jobs transition It is hoped that up to 100,000 direct and indirect jobs could be supported by the offshore wind sector across the UK by 2030. UK Energy Minister Michael Shanks, said: 'Aberdeen has been the energy capital of Britain for decades and while oil and gas will be with us for decades to come, we are determined to make sure that workers are supported to access the thousands of jobs in industries such as offshore wind and carbon capture. Energy Minister Michael Shanks with Cerulean Winds' alliance partners on a tour of the Port of Ardersier near Inverness hearing about the Aspen floating windfarm which will create over 1,000 jobs. | Contributed 'This funding will help deliver a fair and prosperous transition in the North Sea, unlocking the full potential of renewable energy and reaping the economic benefits from the skills and experiences of Aberdeen's workforce.' The fund will be delivered by Skills Development Scotland and has been supported by an additional £40,000 from the Scottish Government. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad SNP Climate Action and Energy Minister, Gillian Martin, said: 'The North East has long been a titan in the oil and gas industry and the valuable expertise within our workforce must be at the heart of the transition to new fuels and sustainable energy. SNP Energy Secretary Gillian Martin | PA 'I am determined to ensure a positive impact and powerful legacy of Scotland's clean energy revolution which benefits communities across the North East of the country.' But Scottish Conservative energy and net zero spokesperson, Douglas Lumsden, claimed the SNP and Labour 'boasting about this scheme' was "frankly embarrassing'. He added: 'This 'support' for 200 workers amounts to a drop in the ocean when compared to the projected 400 jobs a fortnight being lost thanks to their decimation of the oil and gas sector. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad
Daily Mirror
12 hours ago
- Business
- Daily Mirror
Unions warn Labour must convince Brits of green jobs boost to counter Reform
Polling conducted by YouGov for the Prospect and GMB unions reveals just a fifth (20%) of Brits believe the clean energy transition will have a positive impact on jobs locally Labour must show how shifting to green energy will boost jobs to face down the threat from Reform, two major unions have warned. Polling conducted by YouGov for Prospect and GMB reveals just a fifth (20%) of Brits believe the energy transition will have a positive impact on jobs locally. Under a third (31%) think the energy transition will have a positive impact on jobs anywhere in the UK. GMB General Secretary Gary Smith warned Brits need to see the benefits of transition to clean energy to counter climate sceptics on the right as Nigel Farage wages war on Net Zero. It comes after Reform UK Deputy Leader Richard Tice vowed to scrap contracts with energy firms and reverse the expansion of renewable energy. Dame Andrea Jenkyns, Reform's Mayor of Greater Lincolnshire, has said she doesn't think climate change exists. Labour recently warned that 950,000 jobs in clean energy could be threatened by Reform. According to Confederation of British Industry data, the net zero economy supports 951,000 full-time jobs, in areas like offshore wind, electric vehicles, heat pumps and hydrogen. This includes 100,700 in Scotland, 70,500 in Yorkshire and the Humber and 96,800 in the North West. Mr Smith told the Mirror: 'At the moment, the transition feels like something being done to workers – that can't continue. People need to see real jobs created where they live, and their local economy boosted, or we're going to see more and more tempted by the siren calls of those who deny the reality of climate change.' The survey of more than 2,000 adults shows more than half (55%) agree a transition focused on jobs and the economy should be prioritised over one focused on speed. Only 17% prefer a focus on speed. Prospect and GMB – who between them represent tens of thousands of energy workers - have launched a campaign group, Climate Jobs UK, which aims to put energy workers and jobs at the centre of the UK's debate on decarbonisation. Around 5.5million people - 8% of the population - either work in the energy sector or know someone who does. Prospect General Secretary Mike Clancy said: 'We are going to need tens of thousands of workers to deliver this huge shift in the way we produce and use energy. Building on the clean energy industrial strategy, the opportunity is to deliver good, clean energy jobs for the people and places that most need them 'But this research shows that people aren't yet seeing those jobs materialise, and if this continues then it will undermine support for the transition and drive people towards parties who oppose it and would put the future of the industry at risk. 'The government have raised the ambition on energy policy, which is welcome, now they need to be bigger and bolder when it comes to energy jobs and put energy workers at the heart of this agenda.'
Daily Record
21 hours ago
- Business
- Daily Record
Labour 'can't win in Scotland' because of North Sea oil and gas ban, warns union chief
Gary Smith, whose union is a major donor to Labour, said "people don't get that energy is an emotional issue in Scotland". Labour will lose next year's Holyrood election because of the UK Government's opposition to new oil and gas developments in the North Sea, a trade union chief has predicted. Gary Smith, general secretary of the GMB, said Keir Starmer's party had failed to understand the energy sector was an "emotional issue in Scotland". The UK Government is expected to grant permission for the giant new Rosebank and Jackdaw oil and gas fields in the North Sea to go ahead as they already have licenses approved. But Ed Miliband, the UK Energy Secretary, has repeatedly said no future licenses will be granted by Labour - meaning the North Sea sector will continue to shed jobs over time. Smith, whose union is a major financial donor to Labour, said the party's opposition to oil and gas was a gift to Nigel Farage. "On the current policies, I don't believe that Labour can win in Scotland," the union chief, who lives in Paisley, told the New Statesman. "People don't get that energy is an emotional issue in Scotland. We went hundreds of miles out in this inhospitable sea and built this incredible, groundbreaking energy infrastructure. "If you're on the west coast of Scotland, most people of a certain age have a drop of oil from Sullom Voe because there are so many families who were involved in building that project when they landed the oil in Shetland. This was an emotional story about Scotland. It's important to its sense of self and the economy, and I don't think people have really got that." Asked if he thought Labour would ultimately be forced to rethink its policy, Smith added: "They will have to rethink it because the consequences in terms of energy prices, in terms of national security, in terms of the economy and jobs, are so profound. "What we should be doing is taking a public stake in what is left of the oil and gas sector and using the profits for that sector, or part of them, to invest in a new green future. "We should be talking about North Sea Two, how we're going to collaborate with Norway – not just decarbonising the North Sea, but what comes next. Oil and gas is not the enemy: it's actually the gateway to whatever comes next, and we've got to stop seeing it as a threat.' But Smith said his union was not reconsidering its donations to Labour as a result. It comes after Unite members voted to review its financial relationship with the party. The union chief said: "It's up to Unite what they do. We're not interested in what other unions do. "For us, a relationship with government should be contentious, there should be disagreement and debate. But I'd much rather have a Labour government in power than the alternative. And let's be clear about the Tories – they're done – the alternative is going to be Reform." The Record asked Scottish Labour for comment.
Fox News
5 days ago
- Health
- Fox News
Nicotine pouches pose alarming danger in US households, experts warn
Nicotine pouches present a heightened danger to children, according to a recent study from the Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital (NCH) in Columbus, Ohio. The pouches contain a dissolving powder made of nicotine and flavorings that gets absorbed through the gums and lining of the mouth, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The research, published by the American Academy of Pediatrics, found that there were 134,663 reported cases of ingestion of pouches, vapes and other nicotine products among children between 2010 and 2023. Researchers analyzed calls to the National Poison Data System related to accidental nicotine ingestions among children younger than 6 years old. Ingestion of the pouches soared by 763% from 2020 to 2023, as they were up to twice as likely to result in serious medical outcomes than other nicotine products, such as gum/lozenges, liquids, powder/granules and tablets/capsules/caplets. Gary Smith, M.D., director of the Center for Injury Research and Policy at NCH, told Fox News Digital that nicotine pouches were not tracked in national poison center data until 2020. "However, between 2020 and 2023 (the most recent year of data from the study), the rate of unintentional ingestion of nicotine pouches by young children increased at a fast rate — even as ingestion rates for other formulations of nicotine declined," he said. The study found a 59% increase in nicotine ingestions between 2010 and 2015, which was primarily driven by liquid and solid nicotine products. From 2015 to 2023, liquid nicotine ingestion dropped by 45%, leading to a 34% reduction in overall nicotine ingestion incidents. The study had several limitations, Smith shared, one being that the National Poison Data System is a "passive surveillance system and therefore underestimates the true number of nicotine ingestions among U.S. children younger than 6 years old." "Because data are self-reported, they cannot be completely verified by poison centers," he added. Smith also pointed out that the study did not analyze nicotine dosage, and that there is the possibility of "miscategorization of data and missing data." Smith noted that the overall decline in nicotine ingestion could be linked to the passage of federal and state legislation. In 2015, Congress passed the Child Nicotine Poisoning Prevention Act, which made it a law for liquid nicotine packaging to be child-resistant. "This suggests that legislation can make a difference," Smith said. There are opportunities for further improvement in terms of passing preventative laws, the researcher noted. "Many nicotine products are flavored and sold in colorful packaging that may be attractive to a young child," he cautioned. "Banning flavors in all nicotine products would help reduce unintentional ingestions by young children as well as discourage use among teens." Given that nicotine pouches present a "serious and growing toxic ingestion hazard" among young children, Smith calls for ongoing surveillance and prevention efforts. "Many nicotine products are flavored and sold in colorful packaging that may be attractive to a young child." The effects of nicotine toxicity include nausea, vomiting, high blood pressure, fast heart rate, seizures, trouble breathing, coma and death, he told Fox News Digital. For more Health articles, visit Parents who suspect that a child has ingested a nicotine pouch should call the national Poison Help number at 1-800-222-1222, Smith advised. "The safest choice is to keep all nicotine products out of the home," he said. Otherwise, they should be stored safely and out of reach.
Yahoo
17-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
New hypnotherapy training centre to open in Swindon
A new hypnotherapy training centre is set to open in the region. Inspiraology will open a branch in Swindon, allowing students from Wiltshire, Gloucestershire, and Oxfordshire to access training in clinical hypnotherapy at the Neuro Wellbeing Centre. The training, which begins in July, will be led by psychotherapist and hypnotherapist Gary Smith, founder of Best Mind Therapy. Be the first to know with the Swindon Advertiser! 📱 💡 Our flash sale brings the latest local happenings directly to you. Save over 50% on an annual subscription now. 🔗 #SpecialOffer — Swindon Advertiser (@swindonadver) July 4, 2025 The course offers a Diploma in Clinical Hypnotherapy and lasts ten months. Students will gain practical hypnotherapy skills, a deep understanding of mind-body therapies, certification to practise as a professional hypnotherapist, and ongoing mentorship and support throughout the training. Mr Smith said: "We're delighted to bring Inspiraology's proven training programme to Swindon. Read more: Close friend shares grief after late-night river tragedy takes footballer's life "This course isn't just about gaining a qualification — it's about transforming lives, starting with your own. "Whether you're looking to make a fresh start, support others more deeply, or expand your practice, this is a powerful and rewarding step forward." Spaces are limited for the July intake. Early registration is recommended.
