Duncan Massey
Reform UK · Scotland
“An interesting debate—shall we put it in that way? Reform has set out the issues and we are here to talk about those issues. I have often wondered why the Parliament and, in particular, the Scottish Government have had such poor energy policies; why they have failed to grasp energy reality and not acknowledged that we have the highest ene…”
“Duncan Massey: I am not aware of the record or of whether yesterday’s was the highest temperature recorded in France. The temperature in Britain yesterday was the highest it has been since 1976. At one point, I was worried that it was going to be the highest temperature recorded since 1966, which might have been a bad omen.”
“We heard the answer to some of that yesterday. It is due to an ideological adherence to the net zero agenda, the prioritisation of net zero above growth, jobs, the cost of living and, indeed, people’s wellbeing.”
“However, if the plants are so good in South Korea, I would like an explanation of why South Korea has changed tack and dropped its nuclear strategy, because the new president says that they take too long to deliver.”
“The member makes some good points about Hinkley Point C, but that probably highlights issues with the planning and regulatory regime in the UK, as is the case with a number of high-profile projects that have extended budgets and not met deadlines.”
“We need our oil and gas industry for price stability and for security of supply. We will need oil and gas for decades. Increasing our North Sea oil and gas production will reduce imports and emissions, because imports have higher emissions associated with them. We can do that; the North Sea has a strong and vital future.”
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“However, somehow, a few months later, the Labour Government placed an order for three SMRs to be built at Wylfa. It beggars belief that the process was that far advanced in three months. [Interruption.] I will take—”
“However, if the plants are so good in South Korea, I would like an explanation of why South Korea has changed tack and dropped its nuclear strategy, because the new president says that they take too long to deliver. I thought that we would hear from Liam Kerr that small modular reactors will save the day, despite the fact that the only operational SMRs are in Russia and China; despite the fact that SMRs are not small and produce more waste pro rata than large-scale nuclear; and despite the fact that NuScale’s SMR project in Utah collapsed once costs spiralled to nearly £7 billion for a single station. Rolls-Royce has promoted SMRs for about 10 years and, in June 2025, Ed Miliband confirmed that a final investment decision for the first unit was several years away.”
“The member makes some good points about Hinkley Point C, but that probably highlights issues with the planning and regulatory regime in the UK, as is the case with a number of high-profile projects that have extended budgets and not met deadlines. However, does he acknowledge that there are great examples of nuclear projects around the world that have succeeded, notably in South Korea, which has delivered eight nuclear power plants at a cost of around £8 billion? That is because South Korea’s approach was to build eight at the same time. That might be a great way forward to reduce costs for nuclear. Alan Brown: I thought that the member would return to the South Korea example. Clearly, it had lower labour costs, material costs and so on, and a different regime.”
“It called for an end to the energy profits levy, so why not call for changes to the law around planning regulation for oil and gas? It is not that hard. The industry’s confidence is damaged because we have a devolved Administration that sits on the sidelines, sniping and jeering when we need the Scottish Government to be an unambiguous champion and supporter of our North Sea and oil and gas industry. What we have is the exact opposite, and we can see that in the petrochemical industry. The Government does not care about Grangemouth or Mossmorran. It certainly does not care enough to change its policies.”
“We need our oil and gas industry for price stability and for security of supply. We will need oil and gas for decades. Increasing our North Sea oil and gas production will reduce imports and emissions, because imports have higher emissions associated with them. We can do that; the North Sea has a strong and vital future. If we choose to do that, we need to urgently remove the energy profits levy; provide unambiguous support for Jackdaw, Rosebank and all new projects, licences and drilling; and restore maximum economic recovery as our guiding principle. Much of oil and gas policy is not within the competence—literally—of the Scottish Government, but the Government is good at challenging the UK Government when it suits.”
“Duncan Massey: I am not aware of the record or of whether yesterday’s was the highest temperature recorded in France. The temperature in Britain yesterday was the highest it has been since 1976. At one point, I was worried that it was going to be the highest temperature recorded since 1966, which might have been a bad omen. However, I acknowledge climate change; I acknowledged it very clearly yesterday. France provides one of the best examples in Europe of an energy system that actually works. That is because its energy mainly comes from nuclear. France took that decision a long time ago, because it has a serious energy policy. Let us be clear: our policies are not working and they are not proportionate. That needs to change. We need a far more pragmatic energy policy. First, we need to revitalise our oil and gas industry.”
“We heard the answer to some of that yesterday. It is due to an ideological adherence to the net zero agenda, the prioritisation of net zero above growth, jobs, the cost of living and, indeed, people’s wellbeing. The Government ignores any trade-offs and takes a Pravda-like approach by telling everyone that its plans are working and a fingers-in-the-ear approach by ignoring the realities such as higher bills, deindustrialisation and an utter failure to reduce our globally insignificant emissions since 2020. Alex Cole-Hamilton: I will make one simple observation. Duncan Massey was talking about the realities of the net zero agenda and questioning why we have it, but does he recognise that France recorded its highest temperature on record yesterday and that that is a material consequence of the climate emergency?”
“An interesting debate—shall we put it in that way? Reform has set out the issues and we are here to talk about those issues. I have often wondered why the Parliament and, in particular, the Scottish Government have had such poor energy policies; why they have failed to grasp energy reality and not acknowledged that we have the highest energy costs in the world and that that fact is driving de-industrialisation and closing down some of our most important industrial sites, such as the Grangemouth refinery and Mossmorran; why we have a fragile grid, such that, if Torness or Peterhead power plants closed, we would have significant risks of blackouts; why the Scottish Government has a presumption against new oil and gas; why it refuses to fully back new, ready-to-go projects such as Jackdaw and Rosebank; and why it does not back new drilling and licences.”
“As I said, I welcome this legislation, but I fear that, until we change our energy policies and get serious about developing domestic capability in manufacturing and producing things, such as steel, that are critical to our infrastructure and to just about every manufacturing step, we will have a sector that—whether it is nationalised or not— will struggle. I will keep my comments brief. I support the motion, but I think that some key challenges for the steel industry remain. 18:00”
“There has been a failure of industrial policy, which does not seem to care about maintaining national capability or about domestic ability to produce key industrial items. As we discussed just 15 minutes ago in the climate change debate, net zero policies have driven the highest industrial energy costs in the world. They are double those of the US and four times more than those in China, and that is driving deindustrialisation. The steel industry, which is of course very energy intensive, is on the front line of enduring the pain, and that is why we have had to enact such legislation.”
“I welcome the comments from the minister and Daniel Johnson. I acknowledge Rachael Hamilton’s concerns and also what Daniel Johnson said. It is a pity about the timing, which meant that the bill could not be considered by the Economy, Tourism and Energy Committee. A statement about the reasoning for that was made at its meeting today. We need to support the legislation that is before us. The manufacture of steel remains an economically and strategically important industry, especially as we enter this new geopolitical era. We need to reindustrialise, and we may need to revitalise our military. Make no mistake: we need to recognise how we have got here—to the point where we need to save our steelworks across the country through nationalisation.”
“Let me begin with a simple but important distinction. Global warming is real and a problem, but it is not an emergency. That distinction matters, because it shapes how we respond. Make no mistake: our current policies are failing. They are disproportionate and unilateral, are causing the closure of industries and are driving huge energy bills while having zero effect on global emissions. In Scotland, most obviously, such policies have driven the closures of the Grangemouth refinery and the Mossmorran plant, and they are causing huge damage to our North Sea oil and gas industry. The distinction also matters because emotive terms such as “emergency” and “crisis” are simply not supported by the science.”
“To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact on service users of delays of up to 28 weeks in the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman allocating complaints to a reviewer. (S7O-00099)”
“I draw members’ attention to my entry in the register of members’ interests: I am a member of Aberdeen City Council. I am pleased that the Scottish Government is supporting the Our Union Street campaign in Aberdeen. Our Union Street is a tremendous community-led organisation that has become essential in helping to regenerate and reinvigorate the city, especially given the backdrop of the downturn in the oil industry and the many negative impacts on footfall from SNP policies such as the LEZ and bus gates. My understanding is that the SNP manifesto specifically promised £600,000 extra funding. However, the statement seemed to water that down somewhat by suggesting that the funding is only up to £600,000.”
“It is a matter of ensuring that we bring the private and public sectors together and that we ensure stability of return for pension funds that are seeking such stability over multiple years at an interest rate that is good for their portfolio. Hyperscale AI Data Centres (Planning Authority Guidance) 6.”
“In the interests of transparency, I declare that I am a member of Aberdeen City Council’s pensions committee. When it comes to pension funds investing in local housing, how do we see the investment returns on such investments? How do those pension funds deal with their fiduciary duties and ensure that, first and foremost, they meet the needs of the pension holders? Hannah Mary Goodlad: As I mentioned, there needs to be a mix of private and public investment, with the Government and pension funds working together. Last night, I was at a dinner at which members of the Scottish National Investment Bank mentioned that the investment in six affordable houses in the Shetland Islands, which is my constituency, had provided the most stable return that the bank has in its portfolio.”
“It makes Scotland less competitive and less attractive, particularly when we try to recruit skilled professionals from the rest of the UK. Nowhere is that clearer than in our national health service, where doctors and consultants are increasingly reluctant to take on additional shifts or even to relocate here. The reality is simple. The most expensive purchase that any person makes in their life is not their home, their car or their holiday—it is their Government. Unlike any other purchase, they have no choice but to pay for it. Indeed, last week, we heard, thanks to the—”
“After allowing for students, carers, retirees and those who cannot work, we are still left with about half a million people who are effectively locked out of opportunity and prosperity. Craig Hoy: Will the member take an intervention? Duncan Massey: I will move on with my arguments first, thank you. That is a national failure and one that must be addressed by growth and coupled with reform of the benefits system. Another of the core reasons for the underperformance is that Scotland has become the highest-taxed part of the UK. Whether it is income tax, property taxes or other costs such as minimum unit pricing for alcohol, the cumulative burden is clear. Our taxes are too high and the system is too complex. It is riddled with cliff edges that discourage people from taking on extra work or progressing in their careers.”
“It is essential if we are serious about delivering long-term prosperity for everyone, serious about driving jobs and opportunity for everyone, and serious about improving our public services for everyone, yet the reality is that Scotland today faces stagnant growth, causing stagnant wages and resulting in far too few opportunities for people—especially young people. Too many people feel that the economy is simply not working for them and that they do not have a future. Partly as a result, we now have unsustainable numbers of people who are out of work and relying on benefits. Scotland, with a working-age population of around 3.6 million, has only 2.6 million people in work.”
“I extend my congratulations to Stephen Flynn on his new role as cabinet secretary. I very much welcome the debate on growing Scotland’s economy, because I believe that a genuine focus on growth has been desperately missing from this Parliament, and certainly from Scottish National Party Administrations, for a long time. I hope that Mr Flynn brings a fresh approach. I was encouraged by some of his words, so I am thankful for that. This Parliament should be united on one fundamental truth, and that is that higher economic growth is essential.”
“The figures in the report show that the largest reduction—nearly 80 per cent— came from use of fuel for combustion. That is basically industry closing down. Has the cabinet secretary reviewed how much of the reduction has been caused by deindustrialisation and how many jobs have been lost? Can she elaborate on that?”
“I thank the cabinet secretary for her interesting statement. I will make a couple of points to start with. I note that the emissions levels in the report—the 2024 levels—represent around 0.07 per cent of global emissions, so there is a total- rounding error. I also point out that, in the past five years, Scotland’s emissions have barely declined at all. However, its share of global emissions will keep declining as emissions around the world keep increasing, notably in the large economies of China and India. My question comes from the fact that I massively disagree that this activity is an economic opportunity; rather, it is a massive economic cost for Scotland, which is driving expensive energy and deindustrialisation. We have seen that with the closure of Grangemouth refinery and the Mossmorran plant.”
“I give the undertaking to the Parliament that, when I do, I will raise not just the issues that have been brought to the chamber this afternoon but the many other representations that I have received on the matter. I am happy to keep Duncan Massey up to date in that regard. First Minister’s Question Time Back-bench Members 14:38”
“I note from the ongoing CBAM discussions that fertiliser is going to be caught up in some of the border adjustments. That is likely to massively increase the cost of fertiliser, which is a key input for our farmers. Has the minister reviewed that particular input, and what measures will the Scottish Government use to help to resolve the issue of those costs for farmers? Tom Arthur: Duncan Massey raises an important point. The Scottish Government convened a round-table meeting with businesses and affected sectors earlier this year. My predecessor wrote to the UK Government prior to dissolution. He did not receive a reply so, this morning, I wrote to the minister of state, and I hope to meet him in the coming weeks.”
“Industries including chemicals, pharmaceuticals and ceramics have all been hammered. Across the board, manufacturing is at a huge disadvantage due to high costs. That is more obvious in Scotland, with the closures of the Grangemouth refinery, the Mossmorran plant and the Alexander Dennis bus factory in Falkirk. Those problems are not caused by temporary gas price spikes; they are caused by net zero policies, particularly the overuse of expensive and intermittent renewables in the system— [Interruption.]”
“We have a fragile and overstretched grid that is struggling to deal with intermittent renewables, unable to cope with growth opportunities such as those from artificial intelligence and, increasingly, at risk of failure. We have a growing reliance on imported energy, particularly via French interconnectors and liquefied natural gas tankers, and we are destroying our own oil and gas industry, despite needing oil and gas for decades. However, the main area of failure is the cost of our new energy system. We are facing an energy price crisis. Extremely high prices are hurting consumers and, perhaps most obviously, we have the highest industrial energy prices in the world, which are driving deindustrialisation. The damage from that is clear to see. Our primary steel industry across Scotland and the UK has nearly been lost.”
“I welcome everyone to their new roles, including the ministers and shadow ministers. I am delighted to rise to give my first speech. I believe that this Parliament and this Government need massive change, so I am encouraged by some of the talk of change that we have heard so far, especially the contributions from the Presiding Officer and his deputies. However, I remain concerned that real change will remain elusive and that this Parliament and, especially, this continuity Government remain out of touch, wholly self- satisfied and in a Marie Antoinette-like bubble. Nowhere is that more apparent than on energy policy. Energy reality simply does not seem to get past the outer walls here. Scotland, the UK and, indeed, much of Europe face the simple reality that our energy system is not working.”
“I, Duncan Massey, do swear that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to His Majesty King Charles, his heirs and successors, according to law. So help me God. Màiri”