Scotland’s First Minister was “irresponsible” to ask Andy Burnham to reconsider controversial plans for a Chinese firm to build a wind turbine factory in the Highlands, a UK Government minister has said.
Energy security minister Michael Shanks described the call from John Swinney in support of the proposed Ming Yang facility at Ardersier, near Inverness, as “surprising”.
With the development having the potential to create up to 1,500 jobs in the area, Mr Swinney is reported to have pressed the Prime Minister to reconsider the proposal, after the UK Government previously blocked it.
The Scotsman reported the SNP leader raised the issue in his first meeting with Mr Burnham, and has also written to the Prime Minister on the issue – with Ming Yang also said to have been in contact with the UK Government following the change in leadership.
It comes after Mr Swinney accused the UK Government of “an anti-Scottish move” when it stepped in to stop the facility being built amid concerns over national security.
Speaking in April, he claimed “Scotland’s renewable industry is being undermined by the actions of a Labour Government that’s just turned its back on £1.5 billion worth of investment” at Ardersier.
The SNP leader added that the UK Government was “welcoming Chinese investment into Hinkley power station south of the border”, adding: “If that’s not an anti-Scottish move by a Labour Government, I don’t know what is.”
Mr Shanks said in the wake of those comments he had personally arranged for Mr Swinney to have a “security briefing at the highest level” on the issue.
Speaking on BBC Radio Scotland’s Breakfast programme on Wednesday, the UK minister said it was therefore “surprising” that “having had that security briefing” the First Minister is continuing to pursue the matter.
“I do think it is surprising he is now making what feels like a political intervention,” he said.
“I think it is for him to answer why he is balancing what seems to be a political intervention against the country’s national security.
“I think it is irresponsible for the First Minister to do that.
“There is no inherent reason why the UK Government would not want to see jobs created in the north of Scotland either, so I hope people would take it on face value when I say there are national security implications. That is a legitimate reason for us to say no to a particular investment.”
Conservative shadow Scottish Secretary Andrew Bowie meanwhile urged the Prime Minister to reject Mr Swinney’s plea on Ming Yang.
The Tory MP said: “Andy Burnham must resist these calls to overturn his predecessor’s ban on this project.
“While we all want to support growth in the energy sector across the United Kingdom, I still have real concerns over what this company’s involvement would mean for our national security.
“If Labour’s new Prime Minister really wants to meet our energy needs, he should avoid relying on hostile regimes, and instead finally back new drilling in the North Sea.”
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