Most Scots back nuclear power to help meet energy need

Published on Wednesday 18 November 2009 21:31

A SURVEY has revealed that more than half of Scots support the use of nuclear power stations to provide Scotland's energy.

The YouGov poll showed that 61 per cent of those surveyed here thought nuclear power should be part of the energy mix.

The Scottish sample of the poll was 431 out of 1,000 people surveyed across the UK.

The findings come as a blow to SNP ministers who have said they will block any new or replacement nuclear power stations in Scotland. This is despite the UK government agreeing that ten new ones need to be built across Britain.

Vincent de Rivaz, chief executive of EDF Energy, which commissioned the study, said: "This latest poll demonstrates the significant increase in Scotland in support for low carbon, secure and affordable nuclear energy over the past four years and is a further indication of the wide consensus about the need for nuclear.

"Addressing climate change in ways which are most affordable for all energy consumers will be a key focus of the forthcoming Copenhagen Summit."

Opponents said that it showed the SNP is out of touch with public opinion.

Glasgow North West Labour MP John Robertson, chairman of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Nuclear Energy, said: "Nuclear energy has to be part of the mix and it is good to see that a majority of Scots understand this.

A spokesman for finance secretary John Swinney said: "This government was elected on a policy of no new nuclear power stations, and Scotland's Parliament has since endorsed this position."