The deepening row over a Chinese factory - leader comment

Leaving aside the politics, with the Ming Yang development having the potential to create up to 1,500 jobs in the area, on the face of it it seems more than sensible to ensure the decision was robust and enjoyed proper scrutiny.

If ministers reach the same conclusion on the grounds of national security then fair enough, but to dismiss the call out of hand seems premature. Or does it?

Mr Shanks said following The Scotsman’s exclusive story yesterday that he had personally arranged for Mr Swinney to have a “security briefing at the highest level” on the issue.

For whatever reason, if such a briefing if it took place it does not seem to have convinced Mr Swinney that it was a barrier to the development going ahead.

And so where are we left?

National security concerns have to be front and centre of every decision in government, but has the government investigated fully how these can be mitigated?

The renewables industry is Scotland’s future and we must not be left behind in the race to take full advantage. That does not make security concerns, especially at a time of global turmoil, less relevant, but it should mean that all involved – including the Scottish Government – is fully aware of why the decision was taken.

Simply, the UK government needs to show its working on how it reached the conclusion that allowing Ming Yang was too great a risk, and why this project was apparently judged differently to, for example, the Chinese super embassy in London. Otherwise, it will remain open to attacks from the SNP, including the one from Mr Swinney who branded it “an anti-Scottish move”.

The political row will continue regardless but the community which stands to benefit – and the wider industry – deserves a full explanation.