John McDonnell said nationalisation of the energy network and new investment could create thousands of jobs. He told Scottish Labour’s conference that a “green industrial revolution” could create 50,000 jobs in Scotland. The MP told delegates in Dundee that Scotland could be “at the heart” of developments in renewable energy. And he said the governments in Edinburgh and London were not doing enough to tackle climate change. UK and Scottish party leaders Jeremy Corbyn and Richard Leonard addressed the conference on Friday and Saturday. Both leaders also addressed green issues in their speeches, with Mr Leonard setting out a vision of “free bus travel for all” and Mr Corbyn saying there was “no bigger threat to our future” than climate change. Mr McDonnell told the conference that there needed to be better economic and environmental planning to “tackle humanity’s greatest challenge – climate change”. He said this would include nationalisation of the energy network, and an expansion of infrastructure and investment in energy generation in the Western Isles in particular.
BBC 10th March 2019 read more »
Times 11th March 2019 read more »
John McDonnell yesterday said Labour would bring thousands of jobs to the islands as part of “green industrial revolution” based on a major expansion of wind power.
Press & Journal 11th March 2019 read more »
A “BIZARRE” decision by Highland Council to call for new nuclear power stations has sparked strong protests from SNP councillors. “Grave concern” has been expressed after the council agreed to lobby the Scottish Government for new nuclear power stations – even though councillors also agreed to promote renewables as a “strategic improvement priority”. The decision last week by the Labour/LibDem/Independent coalition followed a lengthy debate on potential membership of the group Nuclear Free Local Authorities (NFLA). Some councillors argued that joining the organisation would show disrespect to the people of Caithness, many of whom have been employed in the nuclear industry either at Dounreay nuclear power station or on the Royal Navy Vulcan submarine nuclear reactor test site. However, not only did they reject a move to sign up to the group, the council went further, accepting a Tory amendment to call on the Scottish Government “to withdraw the outright rejection of new nuclear plants in Scotland”. Now the council has been accused of playing “petty games with the energy future of the north” while allowing the Tory minority to dictate a policy seeking to encourage “dangerous” development. Councillor Kirsteen Currie, SNP member for North, West and Central Sutherland, said: “Whilst I could appreciate that some members felt that they were opposed to the motion to join NFLA, I simply cannot understand why members then chose to support an amendment from the Conservative and Unionist Party which states that the council will actively lobby the Scottish Government to construct and develop new nuclear power stations.
The National 11th March 2019 read more »