A LABOUR energy minister has refused to say if his Scottish counterparts were consulted before the UK Government published a report on building new nuclear power stations north of the Border.
Last week, the nuclear wing of GB Energy – set up by Labour after the 2024 General Election – published a scoping study into building nuclear power plants in Scotland despite the SNP-led Scottish Government’s opposition to new nuclear.
The report proposed developing new stations at existing nuclear sites at Dounreay and Hunterston (both of which are being decommissioned) and Torness (which is due to shut down in March 2030). It also proposed entirely new sites in Fife, Stirling, Angus, and Aberdeenshire.
In the Commons on Tuesday, SNP MP Graham Leadbitter asked whether the UK Government had held discussions with the Scottish Government or any local authorities prior to announcing the list of potential nuclear energy sites.
Michael Shanks, a UK energy minister and Scottish Labour MP, avoided the question, saying only that the Westminster Government was “open to discussions with the Scottish Government on opportunities for new nuclear in Scotland”.
Leadbitter then said: “Two years ago, Labour promised to cut bills for every household by £300.
“Not only are households now paying hundreds of pounds more instead of less, Labour's nuclear tax on household energy bills will cost Scots a further £300 million over the next decade.
“The minister knows that the Scottish energy consumers pay amongst the highest electricity prices in the UK.
“The minister knows that there are serious alternatives like geothermal that are quicker to implement and could actually reduce bills, and the minister knows that the government's own figures for a nuclear waste disposal facility are up to £53 billion.
“With serious and far more cost effective alternatives available, will the minister listen to the Scottish people, stop the obsession of costly nuclear power that Scotland neither needs nor wants, and transfer energy powers to Scotland?”
Shanks again avoided the question, saying that “in every single opinion poll, a majority of Scots show they are in support of nuclear energy”.
He went on: “What the honourable gentleman knows is that every single day nuclear baseload is powering Scotland and the last nuclear power station, Torness, is about to close down with no replacement in place.
“And the honourable gentleman also knows that hundreds of people, skilled workers, power those nuclear power stations, and indeed thousands of Scots are working in nuclear power stations in England because of his party's opposition to nuclear.
“This isn't a choice between nuclear and renewables, it's about both energy security and good jobs for everyone in Scotland.”
Andrew Bowie, the Tories’ shadow Scottish secretary and a shadow energy minister, joined Shanks in hitting out at the “Luddite SNP's ideological opposition to new jobs and investment”.
Shanks then said: “We will do everything we can to move forward with possible sites for new nuclear in Scotland.
“But the reality is we can't progress those sites as far as we would like to because of the opposition through the planning regulations by the Scottish government.
“I will continue to do what I can to convince them to change their mind on that.”
GB Energy’s report on “Technical Advice on Potential Future Nuclear Power Plant Siting in Scotland” was published last Tuesday following orders from Energy Secretary Ed Miliband.
Labour have been pushing for the Scottish Government to end its opposition to new nuclear plants north of the Border, making it a key plank of their 2026 Holyrood election campaign.
However, Anas Sarwar’s party returned their worst result since devolution in 1999, and the SNP were returned to government.
The Tories had also been pushing for a change in Scottish nuclear policy before losing the last General Election. Former Scottish secretary Alister Jack said in 2024 that the UK Government was planning for a nuclear site north of the Border.
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