Scottish legal aid solicitors could strike over rota changes
The Legal Aid Board currently runs a 24-hour hotline to offer advice to those who have been taken into custody and source legal representation.
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It was previously run by two solicitors at a time, responding to calls from officers requesting lawyers for suspects being held at police stations.
They would then contact private law firms or, if one cannot be found, travel to represent the arrestee themselves.
With only one person now staffing the line, it's feared the ability to respond to calls and offer representation will be hampered.
John McCartney, GMB Scotland organiser for the board, said: 'Our members are qualified solicitors working around the clock to ensure anyone arrested gets the legal representation they are entitled to.
'Their work is an essential protection for the legal rights of every Scot and the foundation of our criminal justice system.
'Their work is stressful, challenging and underpins our justice system.
"It is unreasonable to expect a single solicitor to sustain national coverage over a 12-hour shift.
"These are dangerous changes introduced for no good reason and must be reviewed then reversed.
"There is no operational justification for these changes and there is no evidence of cost savings.
'Managers took this decision despite concerns and imposed it with no consideration of the impact it will have on staff and, more widely, fair access to justice in Scotland's legal system.
'The clear determination of staff to reverse this decision is no surprise and demands urgent action.'
A spokesperson for the Scottish Legal Aid Board said: 'We have not been formally notified by the GMB Union that they intend to ballot their members employed on the Solicitor Contact Line in relation to potential strike action.
'We will be contacting the GMB officials to seek clarification.'
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The Herald Scotland
5 days ago
- The Herald Scotland
'Becoming a sex worker saved my life - don't take that away from us'
Listening to Emma is a group of other sex workers, all part of the organisation Scotland For Decrim. They want sex work decriminalised and are campaigning against proposed Holyrood legislation to introduce what's called the 'Nordic model', which makes it an offence to pay for sex. Sex workers like Emma and the others believe this would put their lives at risk. Criminalising 'clients' would drive them underground, making life more dangerous. They'd become poorer and find it far harder to quit sex work. If the Nordic model had been in place when Emma was in her 20s, she would have been unable to flee the dangers of her family home. 'I wasn't able to access help for women experiencing abuse at home. The women's sector – especially charities for women suffering violence – is on its knees. I had to rely on sex work to get the money to get out,' she says. As Emma explains how dangerous the situation was, her voice breaks and her eyes fill with tears. 'If sex work hadn't been an option. I wouldn't have been able to leave and I'm not sure I'd be alive today.' A wave of emotion overcomes her. Amelia, Nina, Lynsey and Cid immediately offer her support, saying how much they love her, how courageous she is, and how important it is that she's shared this story. Demonstrators during a vigil outside the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh organised by sex worker-led charity Scot-Pep to mark International Day to End Violence Against Women (Image: Jane Barlow) Cid says: 'Thank you, Emma, for showing people that sex workers are human beings.' The Herald on Sunday has been invited to meet with the sex workers who run Scotland For Decrim in order to get an understanding of their lives. Laura Baillie, the organisation's political officer, is also here. She's a university academic, who studies decriminalisation. The truth about sex work is far more complicated and nuanced, the group says, than the public imagines. They feel demonised, and forced on to the margins of society. If society really cared about vulnerable women, they say, politicians would tackle poverty, the cost of childcare, low wages, high rents and the pervasive culture of misogyny. Each of them is 'feminist to the core'. The group finds it 'intolerable' that 'middle-class feminists' – and many men – think they have the right to decide what's best for them. 'Nobody asks sex workers what they want,' says Laura, 'yet it's only sex workers who know what they need.' Scotland For Decrim has members across the country, as well as supporters who are academics, charity workers and trade unionists. It was launched to counter efforts to introduce the Nordic model, and to campaign for decriminalisation. Dangers THE Nordic model presents real dangers, they believe. Women who work on the street will be under increased risk. As the Nordic model criminalises men who buy sex, 'customers' fearful of arrest will seek to meet women in dark, secluded areas, increasing danger. Women will have less time to assess if men are dangerous. 'Many will have to rush to get into a man's car,' Laura explains. Men who don't want to harm women will stay away, they say, while men who plan to hurt women won't be deterred and will find it easier to commit violence. Women working in places like saunas will have to either move on to the street or into other underground locations – again heightening danger. Under the Nordic model, sex workers increasingly go to men's homes rather than places where they feel safe like hotels or their own premises, where they have safeguards like door cameras. Women who work in their own homes will also be at heightened risk under the Nordic model. It may surprise the public, the group explains, but most escorts run security checks on clients who come to their homes. They ask for deposits before meetings, which allows them to see names on bank transfers, and often ask for ID. That deters men who might want to hurt them, and ensures that if they are attacked then the man can be traced. These are limited protections, but they are protections nonetheless, the group says. Women working in their own homes would become targets for police surveillance under the Nordic model, as officers would seek to arrest their customers. The group notes with grim irony that when the Alba MSP Ash Regan, who is behind the Nordic model bill, was asked about the risks of driving sex work 'underground', she appeared to take the term literally. She was quoted as saying: 'There is no basis for any of those assertions. If you even think for one second, you cannot possibly drive prostitution underground. If you had a lot of women in underground cellars with a locked door, how would the punters get to them?' Emma says that when she read Regan's comments, she thought: 'Are you f*****g kidding me?' Laura adds: 'It shows her complete lack of understanding. She shouldn't be speaking about something she has so little understanding of, let alone trying to pass legislation that affects people's lives.' Decriminalisation is the safest model, sex workers believe. 'It means no sex work that's consensual is criminalised,' says Amelia, who is 29 and works as a worked in hospitality, until bullying and sexual harassment by bosses shattered her mental health. Brothels DECRIMINALISATION brings greater protection, the groups says. Under the current system, soliciting is illegal. It's also illegal for two women to work together, which is often done for protection. If two or more women work together they can be charged with brothel-keeping. The Nordic model vastly undermines the 'methods of safety' used by sex workers, particularly those on the street. Sex workers are safer when they can take time assessing men. Under the Nordic model, men will want to complete 'negotiations' almost immediately for fear of arrest. Nina says: 'If they've just minutes before clients drive off, then it's more likely they'll get into the car straight away because they need the money. Whereas if there's a safe zone [under decriminalisation], sex workers can take time chatting to clients and figuring out if it feels safe. Their colleagues can also check licence plates and note that down.' Nina is educated to Masters level, but could only find low-wage jobs. Escorting allowed her to buy her own home, she says. Cid says decriminalisation would begin to remove 'stigma' from sex workers. She became a sex worker because 'poverty prevailed'. Today she's also a harm-reduction worker. Sex workers are seen as 'deviant and immoral' rather than women who simply need money, Cid adds. 'We're dehumanised. Sex workers have lives, we have families. Someone you love might be a sex worker.' The title of the proposed bill offends the group. It's called the Prostitution (Offences and Support) (Scotland) Bill. Sex workers reject the term 'prostitute'. It stops them from being seen as 'workers' like the rest of society, and keeps them marginalised and demonised. Documentation accompanying the Bill claims sex workers are not 'whole human beings'. The group says this is profoundly dehumanising and anti-feminist. 'How does this help women who are sex workers?' Laura asks. 'How does this help women who want to leave sex work? It's astonishing.' Among the group, Lynsey Walton is the only member who has been a sex worker and is happy for her identity to be used. She's 'retired', and now runs the organisation National Ugly Mugs. It began as a support group warning sex workers about dangerous clients – the 'ugly mugs'. Today, it offers a range of services from therapy and exiting sex work to housing and financial has thousands of members. Lyndsey worked in corporate HR while she was a sex worker. Her sole aim is to 'end violence against sex workers'. The Nordic model isn't the way to achieve that, she says. 'Only decriminalisation means increased safety. It means folks can screen clients more carefully, they can work together for safety. 'It boggles my mind that the advice we give our daughters when they go out at night – stick together – is the very thing sex workers can't do.' Violence THERE has been increased violence against sex workers in countries where the Nordic model operates. Introduced in Northern Ireland, researchers for the Justice Department found that 'assaults against sex workers have increased by 225%'. Around 10% of sex work is on the street, the group says. Cid said: 'The Nordic model is promoted as progressive but it exacerbates harm.' The media ignores these facts, 'which just highlights our erasure'. The 'narrative' about sex work is 'driven by elites', Cid says, mostly powerful politicians who can shape the story the media tells. 'It's another mechanism of control,' Cid adds. If sex workers aren't being portrayed as 'deviant' then they're seen as too weak and stupid to know what's best for them, the group says. 'We're never consulted about our own lives,' says Amelia. Sex workers who call for decriminalisation and oppose the Nordic Model – which is nearly all sex workers, the group explains – are accused of 'falling for the myth of the good client'. The group finds that deeply patronising and insulting. 'Why don't these people sit down and speak to us about clients?' Amelia asks. 'Why don't we actually discuss what sex work is like, so laws can be passed which are valuable to us? 'People are deciding what's best for me, without asking me. They aren't my parent. I'm not going on the naughty step. My view is there should be nothing about us, without us. But, unfortunately, that's not the route being taken. 'That's why they're getting this so wrong. We're being infantilised. People are telling us what we need when nobody has asked us what we want.' Laura adds: 'The simple fact is that the Nordic model deters clients who are safe, while the most dangerous, violent and abusive clients remain unaffected.' Similar to the proposed Scottish Bill, the Irish Republic introduced the Nordic model claiming no more women would be arrested. However, says Laura, women are still being arrested. Migrant women were jailed for brothel-keeping because they worked together for safety. Two years after the introduction of the Nordic model in Ireland, only one man had been convicted for buying sex. 'It's a common misconception to think that the Nordic model means women won't be arrested. It's not true,' Laura explains. Under the Nordic model, a sex worker's partner faces arrest for living off the earnings of prostitution. Landlords would face brothel-keeping charges. The group says this risks women being made homeless and having to work on the street rather than in their own premises. 'Landlord don't want labelled as pimps,' says Laura. 'There's such a lack of factual information as well as so much misinformation out there around the Nordic model.' The legalisation model, used in Germany, isn't supported by sex workers either. It gives government too much control over sex workers' lives in ways that other workers don't experience. Read more Pimps FOR instance, sex workers must carry what's called a 'whore's passport', which is 'obviously stigmatising'. They must pay the state to work – effectively making the government a 'pimp', the group says. Under the legalisation model many women remain reluctant to tell the state they are sex workers. Migrant women are unable to get official documents and so must work underground, putting themselves at risk. Women who don't register cannot report violence as they would face prosecution for illegal sex work. Lynsey says registration costs for a 'whore's passport' means that the most desperate women are forced into illegality. Some women turn to sex work to feed their children. In such dire circumstances, there's neither time nor money to apply for official documentation. 'People think legalisation is a good thing, but it's not,' she adds. The sex workers say legalisation puts women under the spotlight of police as they must continually prove their status. Sex workers universally fear police. There have been cases of officers mistreating sex workers and even subjecting them to sexual abuse, the group explains. 'Police are the last people we'd trust – just look at Wayne Couzens and the murder of Sarah Everard,' Emma adds. The group says that even as 'privileged sex workers' – privileged in the sense that they work indoors independently – they fear the Nordic model. Amelia adds: 'If we're scared, what about brothel workers and street workers?' Nina fears police 'starting to watch my flat' if the Nordic model is introduced 'to see who goes in and out'. That would provide officers the intelligence needed to 'arrest my clients. That will lead to my clients getting more edgy and more anxious'. There is a risk that women who work indoors are driven outdoors under the Nordic model, Laura explains. Men may fear coming to flats where they might be under surveillance, meaning indoor work dries up and women must risk the street to earn money. Men will stop giving ID or deposits, says Nina, which she requires from new clients. It's difficult enough to run these security checks, she explains, as men fear blackmail or discovery by partners. 'Now, if someone doesn't want to pay deposits, I'm like 'okay, go find somebody else'. But under the Nordic model, clients would be even more hesitant – especially the clients I consider good and decent. The dangerous ones won't care if they break the law.' Amelia says that clients who 'want to arrive do the booking and go – who won't bother you, stalk you, harass you – they'll stop seeing sex workers. But the clients who were going to hurt you in the first place, they won't care if it's criminal to see sex workers as they were committed to harming you anyway'. Under the Nordic model, a Swedish sex worker, the group claims, was arrested because she lived with her partner and was accused of brothel-keeping. She was arrested in front of guests, with her children at home, and outed. 'It's not true that under the Nordic model only men are arrested,' Nina says. Ash Regan wants to change the law (Image: Staff) Police IF Sex workers are assaulted in their own home under the Nordic model and then go to the police, they face their property being placed under surveillance by officers who want to arrest clients. 'So how can you go to police?' Amelia asks. Couple this with the fact that men would refuse to provide ID or deposits which identify them and the threat to women increases. 'If you criminalise my client and he won't give me details about himself and he then comes into my home and assaults me, what do I tell police?' Amelia says. 'I don't have his name, his phone number, I don't know anything about him. How is this law going to keep us safe when we've no protection if we're assaulted at work? 'The current model is atrocious, but at least under it I feel more comfortable getting details from clients. I'd love to take the people who propose the Nordic model through the booking process so they can see the reality of our lives.' The group says the Nordic model will damage sex workers financially. Men will pay less due to the risk of arrest, and there will be fewer clients. That will, in turn, make women rely more on sex work and have to take more clients. Nina says: 'Let me assure you that I'm fine. I want to be here. Nobody else is profiting off this. I'm truly independent.' Some of her clients are already getting jumpy and 'really worried about the changes in the law that might happen'. She recently arranged to meet one client in London to spend the night at a hotel. 'He was really nervous that he was doing something wrong and could get in trouble with police.' The group explained that some sex workers, particularly those with disabilities, hire assistants to help run their business. Assistants would be criminalised under the Nordic model. 'It puts people in a worse position. If decriminalisation existed we could work the way we want,' said Cid. Women who want to 'exit' sex work will be forced to continue working longer under the Nordic model, the group says, as the new law will make earning enough money to quit much harder. Amelia says: 'I want to say to those pushing this law: if you want less sex workers, then start with universal basic income, affordable childcare, higher minimum wage, rent caps, affordable housing, decent benefits, and better mental health services. Why don't you go to the root causes of why people consider this job? 'It's failures by government that women who don't want to do sex work end up in sex work. It's an embarrassment to this country. I want to make clear that the first people who don't want others to consider this job are us – the people with lived experience.' The group is outraged that organisations like theirs were referred to as 'pro-prostitution' in documentation related to the proposed new legislation. Amelia says: 'I've never promoted this job. I constantly talk about the realities.' Laura adds: 'We're not pro-prostitution, we're pro-decriminalisation.' They are also angered by Ash Regan referring to opponents as 'the pimp lobby'. Read more by Neil Mackay HIV LAURA adds that there will be additional pressure on women not to use condoms under the Nordic model. Dangerous men often try to coerce women – especially street workers – into unprotected sex. Due to reductions in the number of clients under the Nordic model, women could find themselves with no option but to go hungry or put themselves at risk of HIV. Police also use condoms as criminal evidence. 'Across the board,' says Laura, 'the Nordic model reduces safety and increases health problems.' As Scotland For Decrim's political officer, Laura intends giving evidence before Parliament on the Nordic model. 'Nobody is going to shut us out or shut us up,' she explains. 'MSPs have an amazing amount of power but little accountability. I want to make sure they're accountable for their actions.' The group believes that despite claims to the contrary, the Nordic model won't remove existing cautions for prostitution from police records. These cautions prevent women quitting sex work as employers won't hire them if they check their past. Prostitution cautions effectively remain on record for life. One woman was refused employment who hadn't even been cautioned. She discovered she'd been listed as an escort after reporting a crime. 'That was her only interaction with police,' Lynsey said. 'You're branded for life.' Siobhian Brown, Scottish Government Minister for Victims and Community Safety, wrote to the criminal justice committee this week saying she had 'significant and deep concerns about the quashing of previous convictions as set out in the Bill. The quashing of convictions is exceptional… That is not a step that can be taken lightly and would require significant stakeholder engagement'. Quashing wrongful convictions related to the Post Office scandal cost £804,000 for 200 people in Scotland, the letter noted. 'Since 1982, 10,459 women have been convicted under the soliciting offence,' it reads. The group explains that driving sex work underground will prevent women seeking healthcare and other services in case they're flagged to police for monitoring. Amelia is aware that much of what the group has shared will shock the public 'because they've never heard the truth before. That's on purpose. We're silenced'. When they write to MSPs, they get 'copy-and-pasted responses. Nobody wants to bother with us. So nobody has a clue about what's happening to sex workers'. Cid adds: 'Everything people say will benefit us about the Nordic model will actually do the opposite. This is gaslighting in plain sight.' Even the term – Nordic model – gives a false impression, she says, due to its connotations with liberalism. 'People need to understand that what's being pushed is detrimental and damaging. It further perpetrates the marginalisation of already vulnerable people. I cannot understand why decriminalisation isn't on the agenda.' Laura says many women's organisations support decriminalisation but are scared to speak out 'for fear of losing funding'. Amnesty International, along with other prominent international NGOs, backs decriminalisation. Rape AMNESTY says the Nordic model 'compromises sex workers' safety and leaves them vulnerable to abuse; they can still be pursued by police whose aim is often to eradicate sex work… Sex workers have to take more risks to protect buyers from detection… Sex work is still highly stigmatised under the Nordic model and contributes to the discrimination and marginalisation of sex workers'. The group notes that the Nordic model proposals in Scotland refers to sex work as 'rape'. If that's the case, they ask, why is the maximum penalty for buying sex only £10,000 in fines and/or six-to-12 months in prison. 'Is rape only worth £10,000?' Laura asks. 'The penalties don't hold up to scrutiny if it's really believed that this is rape.' As a group, they make clear that they aren't victims of rape as they have all freely chosen sex work. The group feels that those pushing the Nordic model have no idea about the lives of women on the margins of society. 'They may think what they're doing is right, but they're only seeing this from their perspective: women who will never have to make the decision to do sex work or feed their family,' says Laura. The group says there's nothing 'feminist' about the Nordic model. 'It's anti-feminist,' says Laura. 'It increases oppression on women.' She describes it as 'middle-class feminism', and 'not any form of feminism which I recognise'. Cid calls it a 'patriarchal witch-hunt' which makes the most marginalised women 'scapegoats. Under the guise of feminism, it further punishes those already disadvantaged'. Lyndsey adds: 'This type of feminism isn't evidence-based, it's about how they feel. It's a morality debate. It's just another form of control.' Nina says the Nordic model couldn't be considered feminist. 'It's not a case of finding out what's best for sex workers,' she says. 'They've made up their minds. It's condescending towards us. They're acting like our parents and not listening. It's offensive. They don't know what's best for me. If feels like there's 'cleansing' going on. It's a weird, puritanical movement that's just moralistic about sex.' The group sees the push for the Nordic model as part of the 'post-Trump' rightwards 'anti-woman' trend in politics. They note how, in the 2010s, the conversation about sex work was directed toward decriminalisation. They all fear being caught up in the culture war which they predict will break out over the Nordic model. 'Why are we even talking about morality when we should be talking about people choosing sex work because of the cost of living crisis?' Amelia asks. Nina replies: 'It's a distraction technique. It's easier to talk about sex workers than solving the housing crisis. If you're passionate about preventing people getting into sex work, fight for anti-poverty measures.' The group says any claim that the Nordic model will tackle trafficking is fallacious. Trafficking is already illegal. Claiming the Nordic model will end trafficking is 'disinformation', they say. None of the arguments stand up, they claim. 'To say it's feminist is completely false,' Amelia adds. As the group brings the conversation to an end, they share stories about their experiences which make the realities of sex work clear. It can be frightening and dangerous, but it's their choice. They've no desire to see others become sex workers but nor do they want to be deprived of the ability to earn a living safely as they chose. It's Emma who closes the conversation, telling how she had to turn to sex work to finance the escape from her abusive family.'If the Nordic model had been on the statute books, I literally might not have got out of that house alive,' she explains.
The Herald Scotland
26-06-2025
- The Herald Scotland
Minister admits ‘work needed' to improve neurodivergent support
During a ministerial statement in the chamber on Thursday, Mr Arthur said: 'I recognise significant work is needed in this area. "I do not underestimate how much work is needed to ensure that neurodivergent young people are able to access the support they need when they need it. 'This work will not happen overnight. It will require collaboration and a range of partners working together.' 'I recognise that a formal diagnosis can be important to an individual's identity and understanding of themselves or their child, however, support should be provided on a basis of need not diagnosis.' Mr Arthur also said the government would provide £500,000 of additional funding this year to deliver improvements to the support and services available to children and families. Earlier this week, the report, Experiences of Autism Assessment and Diagnosis in Scotland, surveyed 624 people and it paints a stark picture of delays, refusals, and a lack of support in the current system. Scotland's autism organisations have since warned of a 'highly inconsistent' and 'failing' system with the report pointing to individuals waiting as long as seven years to receive an autism diagnosis. Some 65% of the 624 respondents to the survey were autistic adults with 35% comprising of family members and carers of autistic people. Of those surveyed, nearly two-thirds (62%) reported a lack of information about the process, including a lack of guidance and support. Scottish Labour MSP also hit out at the government for what they named as its "Orwellian" response to the report. READ MORE: Individuals in Scotland waiting seven years for autism diagnosis Labour MSP slams Scottish Government over autism support Autism crisis in Scotland: Can Scot Gov learn from a golden retriever? In his response, newly-appointed Wellbeing Minister Tom Arthur said accusations that the Scottish Government has 'removed' children from CAMHS waiting lists are false. However, Mr Johnson hit back, saying people have been removed from waiting lists for referral. "They have been removed," he told The Herald, "CAMHS may not be the right service, but they haven't specified what is the right service. "Right now it is impossible, either as a matter of policy or a matter of fact, to get an assessment for autism or ADHD as a child or adult. "Health boards have either stopped taking referrals or have such long waits they might as well have. 'It is Orwellian [from the Government]. To say it is false, just on a strict measurement, it is a fact." Today, Mr Arthur re-iterated his comments that they were "incorrect assertions" that young people are being moved off waiting lists to meet CAMHS waiting times targets. However, Scottish Labour MSP Paul Sweeney said he was "dismayed" at this statement from the minister as he said "it's a matter of fact not assertion". "Children get removed off the CAMHS list to different pathways with often indefinite waiting times. "It's struck me as a bit of Orwellian Double Think." 'Some children are still waiting too long to receive the support they need.' Data on neurodevelopmental diagnostic waiting times is currently not publicly available. In the chamber, the minister admitted 'further work is needed' to improve the quality of data in this area. Conservative MSP Brian Whittle accused the Scottish Government of 'cherry-picking and manipulating' data to 'fit their narrative'. Later, the party's public health spokesperson added: 'This SNP government are not being honest with the public and families over why there has been such a massive increase in demand for diagnosis in such a short period of time. 'In typical SNP fashion they have failed to be transparent over the data. 'It is a disgrace that fewer than a third of children were seen for a neurodevelopmental assessment within the recommended timescales in March 2024. 'The SNP government must do more to support children with neurodevelopmental disorders by providing more resources to support activities in communities up and down the country.' The new taskforce on improving neurodivergent support for young people will be chaired jointly by Fiona Davis, chief executive of NHS Highland and Dr. Lynne Binnie, Edinburgh Council's head of Education for Inclusion.
The Herald Scotland
26-06-2025
- The Herald Scotland
Plans for new nuclear reactors in Scotland brought forward
The plans and the plant owner's stance are revealed in the first part of our new series which is launched today with our sister title the East Lothian Courier. The GMB Scotland union has brought forward the sector estimates as it called on the Scottish Government to lift its moratorium on new nuclear. It has called for an 'urgent review the potential of new nuclear plants to cut emissions, secure energy supplies, and boost economic growth'. The union, one of the biggest across the energy sector, is urging ministers to lift the ban on new nuclear power in Scotland and convene an expert summit to discuss its potential to 'underpin the drive to Net Zero and create thousands of skilled, well-paid jobs and apprenticeships'. GMB Scotland said that industry-based research shows potential for two new large-scale reactors at Torness and direct station wages would equate to £90-100 million with £30-35m additional spending on contractors. However, the tension between Holyrood and Westminster is clear, with the UK Government pointing towards funding but adding that 'the Scottish Government continues to block any movement on this safe, green energy that would turbocharge the Scottish economy'. The Scottish Government stood firm and signalled research showing a potential 80,000 renewables jobs in Scotland within 25 years. EDF, the French state-owned energy giant and operator of Torness, told The Herald the site is suitable for new nuclear, but that it respects the Scottish Government stance and instead is concentrating on England. Torness is currently a significant site. Based on EDF's 2024 financial results, it generated more than a fifth of the UK's total nuclear output and more of its nuclear earnings in this country. It comes as the UK Government announced £14.2 billion for the creation of the Sizewell C plant south of the Border. The UK Government and EDF jointly own more than 80 per cent of the Suffolk site that will provide 10,000 jobs, including 1,500 apprenticeships. Ed Miliband, UK energy secretary, promised a 'new golden age' of nuclear power with the announcement. The news brought the new nuclear debate again to the fore as Torness moves towards its decommissioning. EDF said: 'If you consider the [Torness] site, in isolation from government policy, it would be suitable for new nuclear. There is available land, good road, rail and grid connections and it has a community which is used to hosting nuclear. 'However, we respect that the Scottish Government doesn't support new nuclear just now, so EDF is focussing its nuclear development ambitions on England and expanding its renewables business in Scotland.' The company manages eight UK nuclear power station sites and owns five of the eight designated new nuclear sites. Paul Forrest, Torness station director. (Image: Gordon Terris) The news is revealed as we examine the impact of the planned closure site near Dunbar which has around 500 staff and around 200 full-time contractors, the surrounding community and the region's economy as it moves towards shut-down. Paul Forrest, Torness station director, said it is 'a valuable asset to the UK' that has contributed more than £16bn to the economy since generation started in 1988. He said: 'Torness Power Station continues to play a significant role in EDF's UK operations. It is one of five generating stations and, based on 2024's financial results, generated 21.5% of the UK's total nuclear output and contributed 22.6%to the Ebitda (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation) of UK's Nuclear Operations business. 'In March 2025, Torness achieved a cumulative generation total of 300 terawatt-hours since its commissioning, that is enough to power every Scottish home for 36 years and solidified its status as Scotland's most productive low-carbon asset. 'Torness is a high performing site which has met its output targets for four out of the last five years and is on plan for this year.' READ MORE: Nuclear power wins vote of confidence as life of last Scottish plant extended He said that 'beyond that, it is a vital part of the East Lothian community', adding: 'Through construction and generation, thousands of local people have developed highly skilled, well-paid careers at the station. 'Generations of families have worked there, building their lives around the site, and the security that has brought has been a boon for the local economy.' Additionally, the company said, three further planned refuelling outages will bring in an extra 800 workers 'who come to the site spending money in hotels, restaurants, take-aways and with taxi firms while they stay here' each time. The 2030 decommissioning will happen in stages with the removal of spent fuel from the reactors taking about four years and will be carried out by EDF, which, at its other decommissioning facility at Hunterston B in Ayrshire, now at the defueled stage, employs around 250 moving forward to 'nuclear restoration services'. At this point it will take around 15 years to remove all the buildings from site, with the exception of the reactor building. It will be left in situ, in a state called 'safestore', for around 70 years, until the final clearance of square-mile site. The firm said it does not have 'visibility of figures that would allow us to make an assessment of whether renewables projects in the area will create those long-term employment opportunities on a like-for-like basis'. However, Mr Forrest said: 'There will be a range of retraining opportunities as the station moves beyond generation and we will use the experience from other defueling sites to support staff. 'For example, at Hunterston B people have been trained to take on project management roles, which the station needs more of now. People have also been supported to gain additional qualifications in HGV driving or electrical skills which are needed on site during defueling but can also be used to build a career outside of the nuclear industry. 'Now Hunterston B is getting ready to transfer to nuclear restoration services there are further opportunities for retraining to take on jobs the station will need during decommissioning like health physicists and waste technicians. We expect to see the same kinds of opportunities at Torness when it reaches this stage.' The new Sizewell C site in Suffolk. (Image: EDF) The latest Economic Impact of the Civil Nuclear Industry report, compiled by Oxford Economics and commissioned by the Nuclear Industry Association, shows the sector generated an extra £350m for the Scottish economy in gross value added (GVA) in 2024, up from £1.1bn in 2021, a 32 per cent rise, and much it from south of the Border. It reported: 'Scottish workers are playing a vital role in building the new nuclear power station at Hinkley Point C in Somerset and 170 Scottish firms have contracts to work on the new power station with over £280m spent with Scottish firms to date.' Tom Greatrex, chief executive of the NIA, said: 'Scotland is benefiting from the jobs and growth coming with new nuclear plants being built in England, but with no new nuclear of its own, Scotland will lose out on billions in investment and thousands of well-paid, skilled jobs. 'Scots have always been a significant part of the nuclear industry – with renowned engineers and physicists coming through the Scottish education system, but despite the integral role nuclear plays in keeping electricity in Scotland green, without future plants young Scots will lose out on those opportunities at home.' READ MORE: It said: 'We are promoting and exploring the potential of Scotland's renewable energy resource and its ability to meet our local and national heat, transport and electricity needs, while also contributing to meeting our ambitious emission reduction targets. 'By 2030 we aim to generate the equivalent of 50% of Scotland's overall energy consumption from renewable sources, and by 2050 we aim to have decarbonised our energy system almost completely.' It said it is backing the development of the hydrogen sector and carbon capture and storage, promoting the development of on and offshore wind, marine energy, geothermal energy, hydropower and hydrogen. A UK Government spokesperson said: 'Investing in nuclear power represents energy security and a gateway to thousands of skilled jobs. 'It would bring millions of pounds in wages and economic growth to communities all over Scotland. The Scottish Government continues to block any movement on this safe, green energy that would turbocharge the Scottish economy. As long as they maintain that position jobs and investment that could be coming to Scotland will head elsewhere." Gillian Martin, Scottish energy secretary, told The Herald: 'The Scottish Government is focussed on supporting growth and creating jobs by capitalising on Scotland's immense renewable energy capacity rather than expensive new nuclear energy which takes decades to build, creates toxic waste which is difficult and costly to dispose of. 'However, we recognise the significant value that Torness and its workforce has contributed to Scotland's economy and local community. 'Decommissioning Scotland's nuclear sites will take decades and will require the retention of a highly skilled workforce. Meanwhile, the significant growth in renewables, storage hydrogen, carbon capture and decommissioning are key opportunities for our future energy workforce in Scotland – with independent scenarios from Ernst and Young, showing that with the right support, Scotland's low carbon and renewable energy sector could support nearly 80,000 jobs by 2050.'
