Proposal for expert summit on nuclear power in Scotland
Industry estimates suggest the power-producing life of closure-threatened Torness could continue for decades into the future and the proposals would mean secure jobs.
It comes as new figures show 170 Scottish firms were contracted to work at one English nuclear site.
There is also a proposal to convene an expert summit on nuclear power in Scotland.
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.
In a new collaboration, our team of journalists is creating a series looking at all sides of the contentious argument.
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The separation in policy between two governments is striking. We are looking at safety and the environment, and also examining whether there is a business case for new nuclear in Scotland.
Tension between Holyrood and Westminster appears to be growing, 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 is stranding firm and hailed research showing a potential 80,000 renewables jobs in Scotland within 25 years.
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Scottish Sun
31 minutes ago
- Scottish Sun
Areas in Scotland that will see biggest savings under new energy price cap
Read on to find out if your local area made the list BILL BOOST Areas in Scotland that will see biggest savings under new energy price cap TWO Scottish locations have been named among the top ten areas that will see the biggest savings under the new energy price cap. The new Ofgem price cap is set to come into force next month, and millions of homeowners have been warned to submit their meter readings by June 30 as a result. Advertisement 2 Homeowners are set to see their energy bills decrease from next month Credit: Alamy 2 It comes as a new price cap kicks in on July 1 Credit: PA Costs are set to decrease from July 1 as the price cap, set by the national energy regulator, goes down by seven per cent. Ofgem resets its cap on the amount suppliers can charge every three months. And the latest change - from £1,849 to £1,720 on July 1 - represents a seven per cent decrease on the current level. It will mean that most households will see a decrease in their annual energy bills. Advertisement However, experts at UKEM have found that some areas across the UK will see bigger savings on their energy bills than others. So, in a bid to help, they have compiled a list of ten areas across the UK that will benefit most from the new energy price cap. And they found that two Scottish locations ranked high in the list. At the top of the list is the City of London - the only area in Inner London to make the top ten. Advertisement Residents here are set to save £76.80 on their energy costs as their annual bills drop from £1,597.50 to £1,520.70. Coming in at a close second, locals in Argyll and Bute will see savings of £70.60 on their annual energy bills. The bizarre reason my smart meter won't work & I miss out on cheaper bills With an average consumption of 5,429.20 kWh per household, bills will decrease from £1,467.50 to £1,396.90 when the new price cap comes into effect. The Highland region of Scotland places third, with households set to save £67 annually. Advertisement At the moment, locals here currently pay £1,393.10 a year based on their average consumption of 5,153.80 kWh. And that is set to drop to £1,326.10 under the reduced price cap. Cotswold comes next, with residents projected to save £64.10 on their energy bills. Here, the average household consumption is 4,934.30 kWh, and has a current annual cost of £1,333.70. Advertisement The fact that two Scottish regions feature in the top five isn't coincidental. Scotland's rural areas combine the worst of all worlds: harsh winters and higher electricity distribution costs Nina Copeland This is expected to decrease to £1,269.60 when the new cap is implemented. Elmbridge and South Hams tie for fifth place, with households saving £60.80 annually. In Elmbridge, residents currently pay £1,263.70 annually based on their average consumption of 4,675.20 kWh, which will reduce to £1,202.90 under the new price cap. In South Hams, the average consumption is 4,676.40 kWh per household, which means that current annual costs of £1,264 will fall to £1,203.20 when the new price cap takes effect. Advertisement South Oxfordshire takes sixth place, with households set to save £60.50 a year. With an average household consumption of 4,655.70 kWh, current annual bills stand at £1,258.40, but will drop to £1,197.90 under the new price cap. In Waverley, residents will benefit from £60.20 in annual savings. Based on an average consumption of 4,631.90 kWh per household, bills will fall from £1,252 to £1,191.80. Advertisement Uttlesford comes in eighth, with a projected saving of £59.10 per household. Residents currently pay £1,229.20 annually on average energy use of 4,547.70 kWh, but this will decrease to £1,170.10 under the updated cap. In ninth place is King's Lynn and West Norfolk, where households will save £59 a year. With an average consumption of 4,541.50 kWh, annual bills will reduce from £1,227.60 to £1,168.50 once the new cap takes effect. Cornwall rounds out the top 10, with households set to save £58.80 annually under the new price cap. Full list of areas that will benefit most HERE is the full list of UK areas that will benefit most from the new energy price cap. 1. City of London - savings of £76.80 (annual bill dropping to £1,520.70) 2. Argyll and Bute - savings of £70.60 (annual bill dropping to £1,396.90) 3. Highlands - savings of £67 (annual bill dropping to £1,326.10) 4. Cotswold - savings of £64.10 (annual bill dropping to £1,269.60) =5. Elmbridge - savings of £60.80 (annual bill dropping to £1,202.90) =5. South Hams - savings of £60.80 (annual bill dropping to £1,203.20) 6. South Oxfordshire - savings of £60.50 (annual bill dropping to £1,197.90) 7. Waverley - savings of £60.20 (annual bill dropping to £1,191.80) 8. Uttlesford - savings of £59.10 (annual bill dropping to £1,170.10) 9. King's Lynn and West Norfolk - savings of £59 (annual bill dropping to £1,168.50) 10. Cornwall - savings of £58.80 (annual bill dropping to £1,163.80) With average energy consumption at 4,523.10 kWh per household, current annual bills of £1,222.60 will fall to £1,163.80 starting in July. Advertisement Nina Copeland, director of sales and support at UKEM, commented on the findings, "This data shows the different patterns in energy usage in the UK, and ultimately how structural disadvantages can impact households across Britain. 'The fact that two Scottish regions feature in the top five isn't coincidental. "Scotland's rural areas combine the worst of all worlds: harsh winters, limited gas infrastructure, older housing stock and higher electricity distribution costs. "The City of London anomaly at 5,910 kWh is intriguing, and it could reflect mixed-use buildings or older commercial properties with residential elements. Advertisement 'The southern English areas likely represent a different challenge: larger, older properties where residents can afford high consumption, but buildings remain inefficient. "In these areas, no matter the reason, high energy consumption leads to higher bills. "But many people in these high-use regions may also qualify for support through government energy efficiency schemes like ECO4, which could help lower their usage and costs even further.'
The National
32 minutes ago
- The National
John Swinney rips into Anas Sarwar on support for benefit cuts
Despite how 12 Scottish Labour MPs joined with others to sign an amendment against welfare cut plans, party leader Sarwar has continued to support Keir Starmer, telling the Holyrood Sources podcast on Wednesday "I support the principle of reform". At First Minister's Questions, Swinney told the chamber Sarwar falling into line behind the Prime Minister was a sign he "would not be standing up for Scotland anytime soon". In response to a question on inflation from SNP MSP Marie McNair, Swinney said: "The Scottish Government has taken a number of measures to address the cost of living challenges the public face – whether that's investment in early learning and childcare, or the Scottish Child Payment which boosts household incomes for those in poverty, or the steps that we are taking to lift the two-child limit that should have been lifted as one of the first acts of the UK Labour Government." He went on: "We face a new threat which is the benefit cuts agenda of the UK Labour Government. "At a time when many, many Labour MPs are now saying these cuts are unacceptable, isn't it just telling that Anas Sarwar is supporting the Prime Minister in implementing the benefit cuts. "It demonstrates that Anas Sarwar won't be standing up for Scotland any time soon." More to follow.
The National
37 minutes ago
- The National
Ex-Dundee University principal apologises for his 'incompetence'
Professor Iain Gillespie insisted it was 'not in my thought process' to hand back the cash. THE former principal of the crisis-hit University of Dundee has told MSPs 'the buck stops with me' for its problems – but he refused to return the £150,000 payment he received after quitting last year. He stepped down from his post at the university – which is looking to cut hundreds of posts as it tries to deal with a £35 million deficit – in December. Holyrood's Education Committee is examining how the problems at the university arose, with convener Douglas Ross branding Gillespie a 'coward' and accusing him of having 'created this mess and walked away into the sunset'. READ MORE: Dundee University principal quits over rent row investigation His comments came after Gillespie offered a 'heartfelt apology' to staff and students at Dundee – which is to receive an additional £40 million from the Scottish Government to help its financial situation. Appearing before the committee on Thursday, he said: 'Let me start off with an apology to the staff and students. 'I think staff and students deserve better than they have had with the management and the governance of the University of Dundee over quite some time, but particularly over the period of 2024. 'It's a heartfelt apology for a university that I love, and a city that I hugely respect. 'I accept the buck stops with me. That is why at the end of last year I left.' Gillespie faced MSPs after being heavily criticised in a report last week into the university's financial difficulties by former Glasgow Caledonian University principal Professor Pamela Gillies. Ross said the report showed Gillespie as having 'dangerous over self-confidence and complacency, often in combination or arrogance' and an 'overbearing leadership style'. Gillespie accepted the report was a 'forensic piece of work' that showed the 'challenges' Dundee was dealing with, but he added: 'As far as the way it has presented me and my management style, that is not something I recognise.' But he later told the committee a complaint had been made against him in a previous job at the Natural Environment Research Council. Gillespie said one worker 'did make a complaint against me, that was about overbearing behaviour', adding this person had 'moved on to another job'. He stepped down as principal at the University of Dundee in December, recalling how this happened after others at the institution told him they had 'no confidence' in his leadership. Gillespie said it is 'possible' he had then resigned by text – though he said he may instead have sent an email confirming his decision. READ MORE: Scottish council leader quits Tories after 45 years with hint to join Reform UK Ross told him: 'The only thing I thought about you was you are a coward. 'You couldn't go back to the university and face the staff who were losing their jobs, face the students whose studies were so badly disrupted. 'You just created this mess and walked away into the sunset.' Asked about the payoff he received, Gillespie said it is a 'matter of public record' that his contract set out he should receive six months' basic salary on his resignation. Ross told him he had received 'over £150,000 to walk away from a university you almost destroyed'. He asked the former principal: 'At any point have you considered paying that money back?' Gillespie said the university had a 'contractual obligation' to pay him the money, adding it was 'not in my thought process to repay a contractual obligation to me for my work at the university'. While he said he took 'overall management responsibility for what happened at the University of Dundee', he told Ross he would 'push back' against the claim that he 'almost destroyed it'. Liberal Democrat MSP Willie Rennie also pushed for Gillespie to give back the money. He told the former principal: 'To hold on to that just seems astonishing with the pain other people are feeling. 'I just genuinely want you to think about that, because I think it would send an important message. 'It wouldn't repair the damage but it would send an important message.' READ MORE: Douglas Ross accused of 'bullying witnesses' in key Holyrood committee Joe Fitzpatrick, the SNP MSP for Dundee City West, told Gillespie: 'You did apologise and you told us it was heartfelt, but I am still not sure it cuts it for the staff and students who will be watching.' Gillespie also hit back at claims from former Holyrood minister Wendy Alexander, who was vice-principal international at the university for almost a decade. In a submission to the committee, Baroness Alexander had said she was 'frozen out' and then 'asked to leave' her post after raising concerns about university finances. Gillespie insisted he did 'not want to get into a slagging match about people's characters', he told MSPs: 'Wendy's performance in terms of delivering student numbers wasn't what we needed it to be.'
