The UK Budget announcement includes a potential extension of the windfall tax on oil and gas firms, leading to backlash from Scottish Tory MPs. Energy Minister Andrew Bowie is reportedly at risk of resigning over the issue, with Scottish Conservatives expressing strong opposition. The SNP criticizes the Conservatives for using Scotland's resources for tax cuts, labeling Scotland as the high tax capital of the UK. The disagreement within the Conservative Party over the windfall tax extension has caused internal tensions and public disputes.
Jeremy Hunt threw a bit of a grenade to his Scottish colleagues this morning. Asked by @amolrajan who losers from Budget were, he identifies “so called Non-Doms” and “Scottish oil and gas industry” https://t.co/CRNkLgc9p9
Scotland's papers 📰 Tory budget row over oil tax https://t.co/fIQWElxQu5
Scotland's papers: Tory budget row over oil windfall tax https://t.co/LHXQQz5vjG
Scottish Tory rebellion over North Sea windfall levy https://t.co/XBpjDHwJD8
Inside Sunak’s public row with Scottish Tory boss over oil windfall tax Douglas Ross told PM he was against extended levy ‘in no uncertain terms’, as he vows to vote against Budget move https://t.co/Ihg9SdHcJL
The fact that the Energy Minister is tweeting against his own Chancellor’s energy taxation policy shows that this is a collapsing Conservative Government. @AndrewBowie_MP I assume you are resigning given your disagreement with a key part of the Budget? https://t.co/63TpqtYf22
Red-faced Tory leader Douglas Ross hung out to dry as windfall tax extension announced https://t.co/UMW2Ck4bvD https://t.co/G2JeaP01P8
“The Conservative Party wants to use Scotland's natural resources to pay for tax cuts in England" SNP's Stephen Flynn puts to the PM. Pointing to the SNP's recent budget, Sunak responds "Scotland is now the high tax capital of the UK." #PMQs https://t.co/ZTbv6x8cal 📺 Sky 501 https://t.co/QRzsWCKKsS
'Scotland's wealth, resources and jobs, all a game to Westminster' The SNP's @StephenFlynnSNP says he was shocked to see reports that the leader of the Scottish Conservatives urged the chancellor not to extend the windfall tax on oil and gas companies https://t.co/h9V81El0dm
Nuclear and renewables minister Andrew Bowie said to be "on resignation watch" over this as Scots Tories hit the roof over windfall tax extension. Not a great curtain-raiser for Hunt as he prepares to deliver his Budget. https://t.co/NH8X0ncOtu
Furious Scottish Tories warn they won't be "sacrificial lambs" on windfall tax https://t.co/sTMDvW1tHJ
Any extension in the Budget today to the windfall tax on the profits of oil and gas firms would require primary legislation. Scottish Tory MPs would be under huge pressure to vote against it.