ScotGov warned nuclear stance is costing jobs and economic growth
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While countries like Sweden and Finland embrace clean, reliable nuclear energy - the Scottish Government clings to its outdated ban on new nuclear.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.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
19 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Labour's war on Middle England: Rural areas could foot the bill to pay for Rayner's reforms of council tax
Middle England will be hit by the highest possible increases in council taxes to pay for 's reforms to the system, town hall leaders have warned. Households in the countryside will reportedly be charged at unfairly high levels to pay for residents of cities under the Communities Secretary's 'fair funding' plans. Last night, Tory leader Kemi Badenoch branded it a 'spiteful' move that will push more cash into traditional Labour areas. Analysis by the County Councils Network (CNN) found rural and county local authorities will lose close to half a billion pounds in Government cash over the next three years thanks to Ms Rayner's attempt to level up the system. This will force them to cut vital services and hike bills for hard-pressed residents by the maximum 5 per cent allowed. The CCN demanded an urgent injection of cash from Whitehall to fill the gap, warning town halls on the brink would otherwise be unable to provide crucial care for the elderly and vulnerable children. It comes after almost all town halls raised bills by the maximum amount earlier this year to deal with soaring demand and costs, taking the average bill to £2,280. Chairman of the group, councillor Tim Oliver, said: 'Some 16 county and rural councils will see reductions in grant funding, while the Government's proposals place a disproportionate burden on taxpayers in county areas to fund local services and redistribute funding to urban areas. 'It's vital the Government makes more money available to mitigate the impact of these reforms.' Ms Badenoch said: 'Yet again the Labour Government is showing utter contempt for people living in rural Britain. 'The family farms tax has been devastating, and scrapping the rural services grant has put rural councils under enormous pressure. 'This latest change will steal more money out of the hands of county councils and send it straight into Labour-run urban areas.' Under Ms Rayner's Fair Funding Review 2.0, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) will make major changes to how English councils are funded. Her updated formula will allocate cash based on local areas' needs and their ability to raise council tax compared to others around the country. The Institute for Fiscal Studies think-tank has already warned it will create big winners and losers, with those in the home counties likely to suffer budget cuts unless council taxes rise. In its response to the MHCLG consultation, published last night, the CCN said it would mean 16 authorities – including some in the Midlands and North – losing £470million of funding over the next three years. In total, county and unitary councils' grant funding will rise by just £374million. Unless 33 of the 38 town halls impose the maximum 5 per cent council tax rises, they will see a real-terms cut in funding, according to the CCN. Metropolitan authorities will get £1.2billion, and a proposal to redistribute £1.6billion in council tax income will benefit urban areas at the expense of the countryside. An MHCLG spokesman said: 'We do not recognise this analysis. We are taking decisive action to reform the funding system.'
Reuters
19 minutes ago
- Reuters
Japan June machinery orders rise 3.0% month-on-month
TOKYO, Aug 20 (Reuters) - Japan's core machinery orders rose 3% in June from the previous month, government data showed on Wednesday. That compared with a 1.0% drop estimated by economists in a Reuters poll. On a year-on-year basis, core orders, a highly volatile data series regarded as a leading indicator of capital spending in the coming six to nine months, grew 7.6%, versus a forecast for a 5.0% rise, the data showed. For the full table, go to the website of the Cabinet Office: opens new tab
Reuters
19 minutes ago
- Reuters
Japan's exports fall more than expected in July on US tariff pressures
TOKYO, Aug 20 (Reuters) - Japan's exports dropped for a third straight month in July, government data showed on Wednesday, as U.S. tariffs continued to weigh on manufacturers, raising concerns about the outlook for the country's export-reliant economy. The outcome follows unexpectedly strong growth in gross domestic product (GDP) in the April-June quarter, separate data showed last week, fuelled by surprisingly resilient exports and capital expenditure. Total exports from the world's fourth-largest economy dropped 2.6% year-on-year in July in value terms, more than a median market forecast for a 2.1% decrease and following a 0.5% drop in June. Exports to the United States in July fell 10.1% from a year earlier, while those to China were down 3.5%, the data showed. Imports in July dropped 7.5% from a year earlier, compared with market forecasts for a 10.4% fall. As a result, Japan ran a deficit of 117.5 billion yen ($795.4 million) in July, compared with a forecast of a 196.2 billion yen surplus. The United States imposed 25% tariffs on automobiles and auto parts in April and threatened 25% levies on most of Japan's other goods. It later struck a trade deal on July 23 that lowered tariffs to 15% in exchange for a U.S.-bound $550 billion Japanese investment package. The agreed tariff rate on automobiles, Japan's largest export sector, is still far higher than the original 2.5%, exerting pressure on major automakers and parts suppliers. Japanese automakers have mostly absorbed additional tariff costs by cutting prices to protect shipment volumes. But economists expect them to eventually pass on costs to U.S. consumers, which could hamper their sales in the U.S. market. ($1 = 147.7200 yen)
