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Correcting Tory misrepresentation of comments made by First Minister
Alex Salmond MSP regarding the future for workers at Torness Nuclear
Power Station
in the Berwickshire News, January 2008
Sir,
In your report "John Lamont goes Nuclear", you report
that Mr Lamont "clashed with the First Minister", Alex
Salmond. This overstates both the power of Mr Lamont's argument and
the thrust of his questions to the First Minister.
I am an economist myself, as is the First Minister, so I have a
professional interest in the subject. Hence I was curious to see,
given Mr Lamont's criticism, what the First Minister actually said
in reply to Mr Lamont from the official minutes of First Minister's
Questions at the Parliament (17th January). Firstly it is obvious
that Mr Lamont did not in fact ask the First Minister as to future
alternative employment for those employed at Torness. Mr Lamont
asked one question that focused on how many jobs would be lost, at a
Scotland level, in the event that no new nuclear stations were
built. He asked a supplementary question asking how job cuts at
nuclear plants sat with the objective of making Scotland wealthier
and how Scotland's energy needs would be met.
In reply the First Minister stated "Scotland's two nuclear
power stations will remain operational until the end of their safe
economic life". The First Minister pointed out that Mr Lamont
had the wrong figures for employees at Torness (Mr Lamont says 705,
while British Energy's own figure is 470); that decommissioning
would sustain many jobs; he highlighted the choice between funding
investment in nuclear energy or renewable energy; expressed
understanding of the importance of jobs in communities; and
highlighted that already 2,600 people were employed in renewable
energy in Scotland - jobs that didn't exist a matter of years ago.
The First Minister also highlighted a £600million investment in
'clean coal' generation at Longannet; and indicated that "this
country has a vast array of cheap, competitive and green energy
resources that will generate thousands of jobs throughout Scotland
in the energy sector."
Mr Lamont, as a lawyer, should re-examine the wording of his two
questions and the First Minister's replies. Perhaps he can then
explain to your readers the fairness and objectivity of his
conclusion that "the First Minister offered no interest in
finding any sort of solution to the issue."
Berwickshire has a right to expect better from Mr Lamont.
Yours faithfully
Paul Wheelhouse SNP Prospective Parliamentary Candidate
Berwickshire, Roxburgh & Selkirk |
