Ardersier No More

The Proclaimers will be adding a few more verses to 'Letter to America' their 1987 eulogy to Scotland's industries and working communities.  

This last year or so has seen a few more towns and sites to add to the list, Grangemouth, Mossmorran and now Ardersier. The de-industrialisation emasculation of Scotland continues apace.

The pace and scale is starting to resemble the Thatcher era. At least Thatcher didin't discriminate, she shut down industry right across the UK, but this now looks like deliberate political policy to impoverish Scottish industry and business to make Scotland appear more dependent on the UK and dampen independence ambitions. While our industry closes the UK Labour government steps in to save industry in Labour run England and Wales.

The closure of Grangemouth leaves Scotland as the only major oil producing country in the world without its own refinery. 430 jobs lost and 4,600 more in the supply chain at risk. Mossmorran is closing because it can't operate profitably. This is partly due to the carbon tax, a whopping £20m a year and soaring energy costs. The plant in energy intensive. The plant is also suffering from a shortage of ethane from the North Sea. All of these problems are a direct result of UK government policies. 180 direct jobs lost and 250 contractors. For the redundant there are 60 jobs on offer mind you - in England. These plants are vital to our petrochemical industries and energy security. The knock on effect on our economy will be significant.

The UK government abandons Scottish industry while saving industry down south. Energy prices are kept artificially high in Scotland in order to protect the competitiveness of business in the English Midlands. UK government policy.

Now we have the announcement that the proposed development at Ardersier by Chinese company Mingyang to build wind turbines has been blocked by the UK government on 'security' grounds. Naturally the UK government can't identify what these risks are. It took 18mths to work out that a turbine was a national security risk. Does anybody believe the result would have been the same if the site was in England? After all the UK government is perfectly happy that the Chinese are building a super embassy in the heart of London. No security risk there apparantly.

1,500 jobs lost. The plant would also have exported turbines so that is another loss to our balance of trade. To add to Ardersiers joy the UK is shutting down the Fort George barracks. Rather ironically it houses the Black Watch, a regiment raised in 1725 to police the Highlands and keep the locals down. Seems a stroke of a pen is all that is needed now to suppress the Scots.

 And what has been the response from our Scotish government? Kate Forbes, retiring from parliament, called it sabotage and said the Labour cabinet is already hammering Scotland’s oil and gas sector, killing investment and costing jobs, and now it “has pulled the rug out from under Scotland’s renewables industry.” John Swinney described it as, 'deeply disappointing'. You bet John. 

All this sabotage has passed with barely a whimper from our government. They are of course wasting a few million pounds more on 'supporting the workforce'. Money which should never have been needed. Swinney and co should be raging long and loud about the iniquity of UK government policy and using these events to demonstrate how it could all be avoided if Scotland was an independent nation. But they don't. They just don't seem to have the heart or the courage. 

Faint heart never won fair lady and won't win independence either.