DEPUTY First Minister John Swinney will today reject any proposals to build new nuclear power stations north of the Border, saying Scotland should not have to “make up for the failure of energy policy” in the UK.
In an address to the SNP conference, he is expected to outline how Scotland will instead focus on delivering renewable energy, rejecting criticism by the Prime Minister over the Scottish Government’s stance on the issue.
Last week, Liz Truss branded Nicola Sturgeon as being part of an “anti-growth coalition”, accusing her of failing to build new nuclear power stations to “solve the energy crisis in Scotland”.
Truss told the Tory party conference: “Have these people ever seen a tax rise they don’t like? Or an industry they don’t want to control? They don’t understand the British people. They don’t understand aspiration. They are prepared to leave our towns and cities facing decline.”
But Swinney will tell delegates: “Scotland is a nation rich in energy resources. We have a plentiful supply of clean, green, affordable renewable energy. The equivalent of almost 100% of our electricity demand is from renewable sources. Not only is Scotland self-sufficient in natural gas, we are a huge exporter.
“Scotland is secure in energy. So, we need no lectures from Liz Truss about security of energy supply. It is the UK that has failed to achieve energy security, with the National Grid warning of possible power cuts this winter.
“And Scotland is not going to put up with a new round of nuclear power stations to make up for the failure of energy policy in the United Kingdom.
“Despite our huge strength in energy, 150,000 more people in Scotland will be forced into extreme fuel poverty as a result of the UK Government’s increase to the energy price cap in September.”
Swinney will add: “We are an energy-rich nation, but 35% of our citizens live in fuel poverty. Why is that? Because, while Scotland has the energy, Westminster has the power.
“And how Westminster chooses to use its reserved power has consistently, and deliberately, disadvantaged Scotland.”
The second day of the conference will continue with debates on topics including initiatives to tackle homelessness and energy policy.
There will also be a focus on campaigning, with discussions on adopting a code of conduct, tackling disinformation, election campaign tools for branches and a communication strategy for independence.
Constitution Secretary Angus Robertson and SNP president Michael Russell will also address delegates this morning on the topic of Scotland’s Future: Independence.
Meanwhile Plaid Cymru’s Westminster leader Liz Saville Roberts will make a speech at the conference, with a call for Wales and Scotland to rejoin the European Union “together as independent nations”.
She is expected to say: “Both the Tories and Labour are now deeply committed to the hard Brexit project. Both are committed to strengthening the horsepower of the economic crisis that’s hurtling towards us.
“For the sake of our economy, we must rejoin the single market and customs union.
“Wales marginally voted to leave in 2016. But no-one voted for this shock doctrine: the crazed destruction of industries, for skyrocketing mortgages, or for lower employment rights and environmental and safety standards.
“That’s why I am not afraid to tell the truth – Wales belongs to the European family of nations. Scotland belongs to the European family of nations.
“We must – and will – ensure a brighter future for our children by rejoining the European Union – together – as independent nations.”
Saville Roberts will also highlight a recent report by Professor John Doyle of Dublin City University which showed that the fiscal deficit that an independent Wales would face would be normal for comparable countries.
“We’re told in Wales that we’re too poor to be independent. Too small to run our own affairs. Well, new research by Professor John Doyle of Dublin City University debunks that argument,” she will say.
“Time and again, we have heard wild estimates about an independent Wales’s likely fiscal gap – that is the difference between public expenditure and what Wales raises in taxes.
“Surprise, surprise: Professor John Doyle shows our fiscal gap would be a fraction of what the Unionists quote at us. In his words: ‘Wales’s fiscal gap is not sufficiently large to close off the possibility of a viable, independent Wales.’ It shows once and for all that ‘fantasy economics’ are peddled by those against independence.
“That’s because independence is normal. Chronic inequality under the Union is not normal.
“It is our duty now to show that it isn’t ‘independence for independence’s sake’. It’s independence for the sake of a more prosperous economy, wealthier citizens, and a more outward-looking nation taking our place among the nations of the world.”
SAVILLE Roberts will also warn it is not possible to “work in isolation” when it comes to seeking a different path from the UK.
She is expected to say: “Scottish independence, Welsh independence, Irish Unity. We are a common movement that exists and strives to build a better future, in stark opposition to the vicious inequality at the heart of the United Kingdom. We must therefore act as one for the common good.
“When Liz Truss says she will ‘face down the separatists who threaten to pull apart our precious Union, our family’. We know it’s not about pulling a family apart. When a family is this dysfunctional, it’s only right and fair for all the members to demand a voice.
“Let’s rebuild this family on an equal footing.”
