SNP has bottled it on nuclear, says Sir Keir Starmer, as Wales chosen for new site
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said John Swinney’s government had ‘failed’
The SNP has “bottled it” on nuclear energy, Sir Keir Starmer has said, as he announced the UK’s first small modular reactor in Wales.
The Prime Minister criticised John Swinney’s “knackered” government for blocking new projects in Scotland and spurning the opportunities they bring.
Anas Sarwar, the Scottish Labour leader, accused the First Minister of “student politics”. He has promised to end the ban on nuclear if he becomes first minister after the 2026 Holyrood election.
The first-of-its-kind project in Wales will be built by publicly owned Great British Energy-Nuclear (GBE-N) at Wylfa on Anglesey, backed by a £2.5 billion investment from the UK government.
The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) said the announcement would support up to 3,000 jobs in the local economy at the height of construction.
The Scottish Government opposes new nuclear sites north of the Border and can block them using devolved planning powers. It argues nuclear power is expensive and will take years to become operational, while also raising environmental concerns.
Scotland has only one nuclear power station, the Torness plant, after the Hunterston B site in North Ayrshire closed in 2022.
The Prime Minister said both the SNP and the previous UK Tory government had “bottled it on nuclear”.
He said: “They talked big, delivered little and left the country exposed. It’s our communities that have paid the price for that, watching as jobs vanish and ambition withers.
“John Swinney’s knackered SNP government has failed. They’ve banned nuclear in Scotland and the opportunities it brings. Instead, they consume themselves with yesterday’s arguments on independence.
“Britain is entering a golden age of nuclear power – to deliver good, well-paid jobs of the future and putting pride back in our towns. Two Labour governments are working together in Wales to deliver on that promise. And with Anas Sarwar, Scotland has the chance for a new direction.
"It's time to reclaim our heritage, outpace the world, and prove that when it comes to nuclear, Britain doesn't just remember its past - we're ready to own the future."
Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar said the SNP's "student politics opposition" was holding Scotland back.
He said: “Scotland is full of potential for new nuclear projects, with thousands of jobs and billions of pounds of investment there to be won.
“But while other parts of the UK are forging ahead with the jobs and investment that new nuclear brings, Scotland is being prevented from benefitting due to SNP incompetence.
“As first minister, I will end the SNP’s student politics block on new nuclear power and deliver the jobs and the clean energy Scotland needs and deserves.”
Small modular reactors (SMR) are mini nuclear power stations, which are smaller and designed to be installed on site as prefabricated modules. There are hopes the technology will be quicker to build than more traditional plants such as Hinkley Point C.
SNP MSP Paul McLennan said: "Keir Starmer is fighting desperately to cling on to power, and Anas Sarwar is leading his party to third place. If they think the answer to their unpopularity is to force expensive, unnecessary nuclear power stations on Scotland, they are in for a surprise.
“Expensive new nuclear power stations will push bills up even higher, take years to build and leave us dealing with dangerous waste for years to come.
“Scotland doesn’t want or need new nuclear – we have an abundance of clean energy resources.”
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