COP26: Sturgeon responds to 'worst organised event' comments
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The First Minister has asked the Government to reassess the licenses issued for the project but has come under fire for only showing interest now. Some say that this is a move to simply shift the blame onto Mr Johnson while she can quietly escape the heat. Speaking exclusively to Express.co.uk, a young activist from the Bahamas, O’niel Leadon, claimed that Ms Sturgeon’s words need to be taken with a pinch of salt.
He said: “I understand that there is a certain level of finesse that you need during your tenure on the political landscape.
“But I think it is really important for someone like her, who is trying to secure the kind of political power that she is, to remain adamant on a stance and show that she can be trusted.
“I think right now, especially for my friends in the UK, they don’t get the sense that they can trust her.
“By not outrightly condemning the Cambo oil field, it is not giving anyone the idea that it is an issue that affects them deeply.
The Cambo oil field is situated about 75 miles to the west of Shetland and contains more than 800 million barrels of oil.
An exploration licence was granted by the Government in 2001 and drilling could start next year if approval is given by the Oil and Gas Authority.
Ms Sturgeon was approached by a group of campaigners in August to ask why she was letting “big corporations profit from dirty energy” in regards to the oil field.
It comes after Ms Sturgeon had historically backed Scotland’s oil and gas industry.
Only now, after entering a deal with the Scottish Greens that could pave the way to independence, has Ms Sturgeon decided to come out and oppose the project.
Speaking to Sky News, she said: “We should not be pressing ahead with giving the green light to new oil exploitations. I’ve said that with Cambo.
“I don’t have the powers to decide one way or another, these are in the UK context.
“I’ve set out a process in which he could assess the project properly against stringent climate change requirements that we now face.
“One of the positive things in which I can see in the text is the reference to ending fossil fuels is still in there.”
She went on to acknowledge the oil field has “had a licence for 20 years” but claimed lobbying against it was “out of my control”.
She added: “I’m saying to Boris Johnson, whose decision it is, subject it to a climate assessment.
“We need to move away from fossil fuels. But it’s not enough for just me to make a statement.”
It is not the only instance where the First Minister’s green questions have come under question.
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While hosting the COP in Glasgow, Ms Sturgeon has been hit with a furious frenzy on social media.
Earlier this month, Twitter user Facundo Savala posted on Twitter a video
by YouTube channel Mercurius that appeared to show clips of Ms Sturgeon advocating fossil fuels.
In one clip, the First Minister said: “Oil is a bonus for Scotland, it’s a fantastic bonus.”
And the First Minister has also been accused of using COP26 to further her independence agenda.
Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton hit out at the First Minister for only agreeing on a power-sharing deal with the Scottish Greens to pursue Scottish independence, and claims she has completely disregarded the environment.
He said: “No wonder Nicola Sturgeon is under pressure over her propaganda push.
“The focus of COP26 should be on saving the planet, so it’s disappointing to see the First Minister exploiting Scotland’s place on the global stage to push her divisive agenda.”
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