First Minister Humza Yousaf and Labour leader Anas Sarwar clashed over energy policy.
By Bill Heaney
Anas Sarwar was excoriating in his criticism of the First Minister after Humza Yousaf flatly refused to endorse Labour’s “ambitious and far-reaching plan” for renewal energy.
Commenting following First Minister’s Questions in the Holyrood parliament, Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar said: “On Monday, Labour launched our mission to make Scotland and the UK a clean energy superpower. It is an ambitious and far-reaching plan with four objectives.
“It will deliver lower energy bills, deliver more jobs, greater energy security and make the UK – and Scotland – a global climate leader.
“And it’s backed up by GB energy – a new publicly owned energy company – that will be headquartered here in Scotland.
“This is billions of investment for Scotland, more jobs for Scotland, lower bills for Scotland and greater energy security.
“But Humza Yousaf can’t even welcome it – he would rather side with the Tories and, in his words, “make life difficult” for Labour.
“Let’s look at what he’s opposing.
“Investment to make Scotland a leader in carbon capture and storage, onshore wind, offshore wind and hydrogen.
“50,000 clean power jobs in Scotland. 17,000 jobs upgrading homes to make them energy efficient. 1.4 million homes upgraded. A thousand local power projects.
“And GB energy – a publicly owned energy company for the UK – headquartered here in Scotland.
“This is an SNP Government that has had sixteen years to deliver for Scotland and they have failed.
“In 2017, the SNP promised people a public energy company; then they scrapped it.
“Alex Salmond, pictured left, told us that Scotland would be the ‘Saudi Arabia of renewables’.
“They promised 130,000 green jobs – and failed to deliver.
“Nicola Sturgeon could have taken a public stake in Scot Wind, but she chose to sell it off on the cheap.
“After sixteen years in Government, people across our country are looking for action.
“Labour has a plan for more jobs, lower bills, greater energy security and climate leadership.
“There is going to be a global leader in the clean energy revolution.
“Keir Starmer and I believe that global leader will be Scotland and the UK.
“Why don’t Humza Yousaf and the Tories?”