Scottish Labour Government would end block on new nuclear power projects
Twenty-thousand Scots work in jobs that are dependent on the UK’s nuclear power industry.
There could be thousands more, if John Swinney and the SNP dropped their outdated, ideological opposition to new nuclear power stations.
It’s not just jobs – on energy security the SNP is in the wrong place too. Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the following cost-of-living crisis, our dependence on volatile fossil fuel markets has shown how vulnerable we are. Renewables is part of the answer, but nuclear must play a part too.
The Labour government is acting with urgency to secure our energy now and to build a long-term clean power system that can sustain households and businesses for decades to come.
With power demand set to double by 2050, we need all forms of low carbon power at our disposal, and new nuclear is an essential part of that.
That’s why today the UK government is kickstarting a new era of nuclear power, investing in Sizewell C and backing first-of-a-kind small modular reactors.
SMRs offer a huge industrial and jobs opportunity, with the potential to fuel heavy industry and data centres across the UK.
Our investment announced today will see the biggest nuclear building programme in a generation. It will deliver the clean energy future that our country needs, as well as investment, growth and jobs in every corner of the country.
I am determined that this historic investment in nuclear energy brings the good, high-skilled jobs that successive generations can rely on.
We have a proud history of nuclear power generation in Scotland, from Hunterston in Ayrshire to Torness in East Lothian. But these projects are being wound down, having served our country for decades.
The opportunity is clear. Currently over 150 Scottish firms are involved in the building of Hinkley Point C in Somerset, with the sector as a whole contributing £1.5bn to the Scottish economy.
That’s the value that new projects in England are providing. Just think what could be done with a Scottish Government that unashamedly backs nuclear power.
A Scottish Labour Government, led by Anas Sarwar, will reverse the decades-long block on new nuclear projects in Scotland.
The decisions by the SNP have held Scotland back, delaying our clean energy future and costing communities the jobs and investment they need.
With this historic investment today, and a new Labour government in Bute House in 2026, we can end this historic intransigence, build a clean power system that will deliver energy security, good jobs and growth, and tackle the climate crisis.
That’s what Labour’s clean energy mission is all about.
- Michael Shanks is the UK energy security minister and Labour MP for Rutherglen.
Comments
Want to join the conversation? Please or to comment on this article.