logo
ScotGov warned nuclear stance is costing jobs and economic growth

ScotGov warned nuclear stance is costing jobs and economic growth

And he says it could create thousands of new, highly-skilled jobs in Scotland while also delivering clean, secure and more affordable energy for working people.
It comes as the MP visits Torness Nuclear Power Station in East Lothian and he wants Scotland to follow countries such as Denmark, Italy and Belgium in changing their views on nuclear energy.
Mr Murray said: 'In other parts of the UK, the UK Government is driving forward nuclear power, as are countries across Europe and indeed the world. But in Scotland the Scottish Government clings to its ideological objection to new nuclear sites.
Read More
'That means that Scotland is being left behind, missing out on thousands of skilled jobs and economic growth, as well as clean affordable energy. I urge the Scottish Government to put Scotland's interests first.'
Tom Greatrex, Chief Executive of the Nuclear Industry Association said: "Nuclear in Scotland will bring jobs and growth as well as a constant supply of secure, reliable and clean electricity that complements other low carbon sources.
'As countries around the world are increasingly embracing nuclear as an integral part of achieving energy security, decarbonisation and minimising the exposure to the volatility of fossil fuel prices. The Scottish Government's refusal to countenance replacing Torness when it retires in a few years is indicative of a fundamental lack of seriousness of policy."
Sam Richards, CEO of pro-growth campaign group Britain Remade, said: 'Scotland is being left behind. While countries like Sweden and Finland embrace clean, reliable nuclear energy - the Scottish Government clings to its outdated ban on new nuclear. If nuclear industry jobs and investment are banned from coming to Scotland, they will go to these places instead.
'Torness has powered homes and supported jobs for decades, but a lack of certainty over its future puts this in jeopardy. Renewables are vital, but wind and solar can't do it all. Scotland needs nuclear to provide jobs and investment, deliver secure domestic energy, and cut emissions. Most Scots and even most SNP voters back it. It's time for ministers in Edinburgh to stop saying no and start saying yes to new nuclear.'
Torness is due to stop generating by March 2030, having been up and running since 1988.
The power station currently employs around 550 full-time EDF employees plus more than 180 full-time contract partners.
Staff are to be given an opportunity to retrain ahead of its closure in 2030 with the power station among the largest employers in the south-east of Scotland.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Warning children are receiving ‘life lessons' from influencers and AI
Warning children are receiving ‘life lessons' from influencers and AI

STV News

time16 minutes ago

  • STV News

Warning children are receiving ‘life lessons' from influencers and AI

Children are increasingly receiving life lessons from influencers or 'AI-generated summaries', the chief inspector of Ofsted will say. Sir Martyn Oliver will argue that classroom learning with human interaction 'has never been more important' as children are spending their lives online. In a major speech at the Festival of Education, the Ofsted chief will say schools are places of 'refuge', connection, friendship and humanity for children. Sir Martyn will tell the event at Wellington College, Berkshire: 'Right now, many children live much of their lives online. 'Socially, they are never 'off' and always in touch with their friends. 'And they increasingly receive life lessons from influencers or AI-generated summaries. 'I would argue that the place of learning, real learning, classroom learning – with human interaction – has never been more important.' The Ofsted boss will add: 'In a way there's something cloistered about living one's life in a curated online environment. 'You may be able to find 'the best that has been thought or said' if you go looking for it. 'But who's guiding you through it? Where's the human connection? And of course, where's the protection?' His comments come amid calls from the Conservatives for the Government to bring in a statutory ban on smartphones in schools. Schools in England were given non-statutory Government guidance in February last year intended to stop the use of phones during the school day. Sir Martyn will say: 'Schools have never just been places of learning. 'They were, and are places of safety, even refuge. Places of community and connection. Places of friendship and humanity. 'They are citadels of childhood: communities within communities looking after their own and helping children develop into well-rounded adults – capable of looking after others in turn.' On Thursday, Sir Martyn will hit back at cynics who 'decry the norms of education' and who say Ofsted enforces an 'out-of-date, joyless system'. In his speech, he will say: 'For Ofsted, teaching a full, rich range of subjects isn't just a nice to have, it's fundamental to a great education. 'Music and art and sport aren't add-ons to the core curriculum, they are some of the most important subjects to study, in terms of developing a child's awareness of the world around them. 'And in a more macro sense, feeding into the cultural evolution of our country and pushing civilisation on.' Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country

Starmer faces Labour turmoil and global volatility as he marks year in Number 10
Starmer faces Labour turmoil and global volatility as he marks year in Number 10

South Wales Guardian

time27 minutes ago

  • South Wales Guardian

Starmer faces Labour turmoil and global volatility as he marks year in Number 10

The Prime Minister led his party back into power with more than 400 MPs on July 4 last year – clinching a majority just short of Sir Tony Blair's landslide in 1997. But with a daunting in-tray of problems including a stuttering economy, creaking public services and global volatility, his political honeymoon period was short-lived. His personal popularity is now the lowest of any British premier after their first 12 months in office, political scientist and polling guru Professor Sir John Curtice said. 'There were pretty clear potential weaknesses before they even started, and most of those weaknesses have basically just been exposed over the course of the last 12 months,' he told the PA news agency. Sir John said part of the problem lay in what he described as a failure of narrative in setting out the Government's vision for change to the public. 'They're portraying themselves as a repair gang rather than the builders of a new Jerusalem. Pessimism doesn't necessarily go down very well,' he told PA. 'The thing with Starmer is, he's a brilliant prosecution lawyer… But prosecution lawyers present cases that have been (put together) by someone else. The problem is that as a political leader you've got to prosecute your own case. 'Maybe he needs new personnel? Either he's got to learn to do it himself or get someone in to do it for him.' That verdict was echoed by some dissenting voices within Labour ranks, where there is lingering discontent among rebels over the Government's Welfare Bill despite Number 10 offering major concessions on the legislation. The Government saw off the threat of a major Commons defeat over the legislation on Tuesday after shelving plans to restrict eligibility for the personal independence payment (Pip), the main disability benefit in England. 'I think he really needs to think about why he wants to be a Labour Prime Minister and what is it he actually cares about,' one long-serving Labour MP said. They said Tuesday had marked 'the lowest point' in Sir Keir's premiership so far and raised questions about his authority, warning that backbenchers may now feel emboldened to demand further U-turns elsewhere. Sir John said that the Government's challenges in passing legislation were unsurprising with the broad but fragile coalition of support on which Labour built its election victory, securing 412 seats on just 35% of the vote. That means many MPs defending narrow majorities and raises the prospect of 'a large body of people who are nervous about their political futures,' he said. The Government's original welfare proposals had been part of a package that ministers expected to save up to £5 billion a year, leaving Chancellor Rachel Reeves needing to look for the money elsewhere. The fallout threatens to cause lasting damage to morale in Labour ranks, with some rebels calling for a reset in relations between the parliamentary party and the leadership before fractures widen. Images of the Chancellor crying in the Commons on Wednesday have also led to questions about her future, although a Treasury spokesman cited a 'personal matter' as the cause of her distress and Number 10 said she would remain in post. Asked whether it was time for a course correction, Downing Street has said the Prime Minister will 'plough on' with the 'very busy agenda' of Government. But the MP quoted above said: 'The idea that they can keep carrying on as they've been carrying on is suicidal. 'They have no real sense of how the party thinks and feels.' Others had a more optimistic view of the year ahead, with a Starmer loyalist who supported the Bill suggesting the upset could be salvaged with a 'measured but solid response' from the Government. 'The worst they can do is nothing,' the backbencher added. The Prime Minister used a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday to defend his record in office, telling ministers the welfare Bill was 'to help those who can work into employment and ensure dignity and security for those who can't work.' He said they could all 'rightly look back with a real sense of pride and achievement' on the last 12 months, pointing to a reduction in NHS waiting lists and a series of economic agreements struck with the US, EU and India. Abroad, the Prime Minister faces a tricky diplomatic balancing act as he seeks to strengthen ties with both Europe and Washington amid global instability from the Ukraine war and Middle East crisis. At home, Labour is staring down a threat from Nigel Farage's Reform UK party, which turned opinion poll momentum into widespread gains at the ballot box during the local elections in May. Sir John said that parties such as Reform and the Greens offer more choice to voters wanting to express their discontent with Labour while the Tories continue to flounder in the polls. 'The character of the challenge is different from what it has been historically,' he said. Tim Bale, professor of politics at Queen Mary University, said people had been expecting bold change on areas such as workers' rights and growth, and the Government's achievements so far were 'pretty small beer' by comparison. Critics say the first year has instead been marked by a series of U-turns, including a partial reversal of cuts to the winter fuel payment and the move to launch a national inquiry into grooming gangs after months of resisting opposition pressure to do so. The Government disputes that framing, pointing out for example that ministers had never explicitly ruled out a statutory probe into child sexual exploitation but waited for a review to be carried out before making a decision. Prof Bale said he believed the first year had gone 'worse than most people imagined' and warned 'it's difficult for a leader who starts badly to persuade people that he or she is what they need.' But he said the problems were not necessarily fatal, adding that setbacks early on in a premiership have an upside in allowing for more time to 'turn it round'. 'If you look back to Margaret Thatcher, she was able to do that, so it's not a foregone conclusion that all is lost, even for Keir Starmer himself,' he said. Arguing that the Government could recover in the polls if its plans for the economy and public services pay off, he added: 'I think you can see the light at the end of the tunnel, but it's a very long tunnel.' Sir Keir has pledged to lead a 'decade of national renewal' through a phased approach to Government, the first year of which he said would involve 'cleaning up the mess' his administration had inherited. In a speech last week seeking to set the tone for the future, he said: 'We've wiped the state clean, we've stabilised the economy, and now we can go on to the next phase of government, building on that foundation.' A Government spokesperson said: 'We were elected with a commitment to deliver change and security for working people – and we are getting on with the job. 'We are delivering our Plan for Change – wages are rising faster than prices, interest rates have been cut four times, immigration has come down with 30,000 people with no right to be here removed and over four million NHS appointments have been delivered. 'Progress has been made, but we know people are impatient for change – and we are too – so we will continue to govern in the national interest for British people and deliver a decade of national renewal.'

Choice is more decline or new direction with Labour
Choice is more decline or new direction with Labour

Scotsman

time28 minutes ago

  • Scotsman

Choice is more decline or new direction with Labour

Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves, bottles whisky during a visit to the Glenkinchie Whisky Distillery to mark the UK-India trade deal (Picture: Andrew Milligan/) Tomorrow marks a year since the general election, when people across Scotland voted decisively for change. Since then, we have got to work delivering our Plan for Change to invest in Scotland's renewal, raise living standards and put more money in people's pockets. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Consider some of the achievements of the Labour Government so far. We've increased the minimum wage, delivering a pay rise for 200,000 Scots, and protected pensioners' living standards by guaranteeing the Triple Lock, something the Conservatives are now wavering over. We've ended austerity and provided a record budget settlement for the Scottish Government, with an additional £9.1 billion over the next three years thanks to Labour, meaning more money for Scottish public services. The SNP voted against it at Westminster but were happy enough to spend the money in the Scottish Budget. The public will rightly ask where they have spent their money? We've introduced the Employment Rights Bill, the most ambitious set of workers' rights proposals in a generation, which will ban fire and rehire, strengthen parental leave and end exploitative zero-hours contracts. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad We've safeguarded the UK's last blast furnaces at Scunthorpe, allocated £200 million for Grangemouth's future and brokered a deal to secure the Methil and Arnish fabrication yards. Contrast this with the SNP's years of inaction on Grangemouth, and their silence on the mothballing of the Dalzell and Clydebridge steelworks. We've invested for the long-term, with the recent Spending Review confirming £750m for Edinburgh University for the UK supercomputer, billions for GB Energy and a big commitment to nuclear south of the border. Meanwhile, in Scotland, the SNP clings to its ideological objection to nuclear. In England, where health is delivered by the UK Government, we are already seeing marked improvements in the NHS. We promised two million additional NHS appointments in the first year and have delivered four million. This could not be more different to the desperate situation in Scotland; last week the chair of BMA Scotland warned that the Scottish NHS is 'dying before our eyes'. On the international stage, we've agreed historic new trade deals with India and the United States, which will see Indian tariffs on Scotch whisky immediately halved, and then further reduced to just 40 per cent, and US tariffs on steel and aluminium slashed to zero. Additionally, we've reset the relationship with the EU with a new partnership which stands to be of enormous benefit to Scotland's young people and businesses. This comes alongside my Scotland Office Brand Scotland mission, which seeks to promote Scottish exports and attract foreign investment. In the face of unprecedented geopolitical instability, we've remained firm in our support for Ukraine and increased defence spending, which, in addition to keeping Scotland safe, will support our thriving defence industries from the Clyde to Rosyth and create jobs across the country. Changing a country is not like flicking a switch. We've had to make tough choices, and I know that people are as impatient as I am for change to come faster and go further. But be in no doubt, the work of change has begun. A year from now, that work continues in the Scottish elections, when Scots will have the opportunity to choose between more decline with the SNP or a new direction with Scottish Labour. Ian Murray is MP for Edinburgh South and Secretary of State for Scotland

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store