SNP ministers failed to see the oil crisis coming because they believed their own “wishful thinking” a bout prices, Labour’s new deputy leader in Scotland claimed yesterday.
Kezia Dugdale, who was elected as Labour’s Scottish deputy leader earlier this month, accused Nicola Sturgeon of being unprepared for the collapse in oil prices and the crisis engulfing the industry. She claimed SNP ministers wanted to believe oil prices would stay high because it would help an independent Scottish economy.
She was speaking for Labour at First Minister’s Questions because Jim Murphy, the new Scottish Labour leader, is not an MSP so cannot take part in debates at Holyrood. As the party’s deputy leader, Ms Dugdale will take over the leader’s role at First Minister’s Questions until