John Swinney repeatedly declines to say whether he backs the Rosebank oil field
At First Minister's Questions, John Swinney was pressed by Labour, the Scottish Greens and the Conservatives on whether he supports the Rosebank oil field, and repeatedly declined to say. Energy licensing is reserved to Westminster.
Left 0 · Centre-left 3 · Centre 1 · Centre-right 2 · Right 1
ContextSources by leanVideoDeep diveFollow the moneyMore coverage
How each side framed it
Left-leaning outlets
'Swinney declines four times to say he supports Rosebank oil field development' (The Herald).
Centre outlets
Centre-rated outlets headline it: “John Swinney repeatedly challenged on whether he supports Rosebank, 'yes or no'” (The Scotsman).
Right-leaning outlets
'John Swinney is two-faced on Rosebank' (The Times).
Context
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Sources by lean
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Left 1
- The Herald (Scotland)
Swinney declines four times to say he supports Rosebank oil field development
Centre 1
Showing 1 from each side of 7 rated outlets (L 3 / C 1 / R 3). Capped at 1 because that is all we found on the thinnest side. More coverage
Video
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Deep dive
A short prompt for thinking it through. We write a fuller side-by-side deep dive for the day's biggest stories.
The paradox: Labour and the Conservatives push him to back it, the Greens to oppose it, and he gives no answer.
What each side may be protecting: Left: climate targets and a just transition. Right: jobs and energy supply.
A question to hold: Shared question: what is the plan for Rosebank workers whichever way the decision goes?
Try it: open one left and one right article in Sources by lean and note what each takes for granted.
Follow the money
Not yet researched. We haven't yet looked at who gains or loses financially from this story, or who funds the main voices on each side. When we do, we check company filings, the Electoral Commission donations register, lobbying registers, annual reports, InfluenceMap and OpenSecrets, and we apply the same checks to every side. How we follow the money.
Who owns or funds the outlets covering this story (7 outlets)
| Outlet | Lean | Ownership & funding (MBFC) |
|---|---|---|
| The Herald (Scotland) | Centre-left | The Glasgow Herald is published by Herald & Times Group, which is owned by Newsquest Media Group Ltd. Newsquest is the second-largest publisher in the United Kingdom, publishing 205 brands including 165 newspapers. Further, Newsquest is owned by US-based Gannett which publishes USA Today. source |
| The Independent | Centre-left | The Independent is owned by Independent Print Limited, a company owned by the Lebedev family (Alexander Lebedev and his son Evgeny Lebedev). In 2017, Saudi Businessman Sultan Muhammad Abuljadayel bought a 30% stake in the Independent online newspaper. Advertising and subscription generate revenue for the paper..push({}); source |
| The National (Scotland) | Centre-left | The National is operated by Newsquest Media Group Ltd., a UK-based local media publisher. Newsquest is a wholly owned subsidiary of USA TODAY Co., Inc., the media company formerly known as Gannett Company, which also controls AZthe USA TODAY Network of national and local news outlets in the United States and regional titles in the United Kingdom. Revenue is generated from advertising and subscription sales source |
| The Scotsman | Centre | JPIMedia owns the Scotsman. Advertising and subscription fees generate revenue..push({}); source |
| Evening Standard | Centre-right | The newspaper is majority-owned by Russian businessman and former KGB agent Alexander Lebedev and the Daily Mail and General Trust. Revenue is generated through advertising. source |
| The Times | Centre-right | The Times and Sunday Times is owned by News UK (News Corp UK & Ireland Limited), which American News Corp owns. The owner and Executive Chairman of News Corp are Rupert Murdoch. Revenue is derived from advertising and subscription fees. source |
| Daily Mail | Right | The Daily Mail is published by Associated Newspapers Limited, part of Daily Mail and General Trust (DMGT). DMGT is controlled by the Rothermere family and is 100% owned by Rothermere Continuation Limited. Jonathan Harmsworth, 4th Viscount Rothermere, serves as Chairman..push({}); DMGT became privately owned after delisting from the London Stock Exchange in 2022. source |