BP PLCBP's North Sea exit is driven by the windfall tax, and Swinney's call to scrap it is a political response, not a change in the tax itself.

Scottish First Minister John Swinney called on Monday for the UK government to scrap the Energy Profit Levy, the windfall tax blamed for BP's plan to exit the North Sea after 60 years. Swinney held an emergency meeting with senior energy bosses and the Aberdeen and Grampian Chamber of Commerce to discuss the fallout from BP's decision to sell its remaining assets in the region, which threatens 1,100 jobs. He described the tax regime as destructive and urged the new Prime Minister to end the EPL and adopt a sensible tax framework to protect workers in Scotland and the North East. BP, which operates five hubs and produces just under 100,000 barrels of oil and gas a day, announced the sale on Friday, marking a reversal from its chief executive's earlier view that the region had untapped potential. The EPL subjects North Sea operators to a headline tax rate of 78% on profits and was originally introduced by the Conservatives before being increased and extended under Labour.
BP PLCBP's North Sea exit is driven by the windfall tax, and Swinney's call to scrap it is a political response, not a change in the tax itself.