Why Rishi Sunak’s green policy is great news for Scotland - Alister Jack

Scotland’s renewable energy industry has the potential to grow much bigger.

Why is that?

First, Rishi Sunak has shown how this Conservative Government has got your back.

Pushing back the ban on new petrol and diesel vehicles from 2030 to 2035 is the right thing to do.

It allow more time to improve the charging infrastructure, which is so important for Scotland’s built-up cities and remote rural areas alike.

The same goes for giving people more time switch from traditional boilers to heat pumps or other systems.

People should not be forced to pay around £10,000 – and for some households far more - to make the change when they don’t have to.

Pushing back the deadline allows more time for the new technology to improve – and for prices to comes down.

Householders will be able to make the switch when their existing boiler reaches the end of its natural life and will work with the Scottish Government to ensure everyone here benefits.

But Scottish consumers are not the only winners.

The Prime Minister’s environmental pledges are good news for people across the whole of the UK. As Secretary of State I would add this: the package is great news for Scotland.

The Prime Minister’s unequivocal backing for North Sea oil and gas gives a massive boost to one of Scotland’s most important and globally successful economic sectors. It would be madness to turn off the North Sea taps now.

We would end up importing oil and gas from regimes such as Vladimir Putin’s Russia – and it would be oil and gas produced to far lower environmental standards than our own.

Not only that, shutting down the North Sea would put around 200,000 UK jobs at risk, a high proportion of them here in Scotland.

Shut down the North Sea now and you might as well shut down Aberdeen, the UK’s oil and gas capital.

Both Labour and the SNP must explain why that is exactly what they want to do.

If they come up with an answer do please let me know because I haven’t heard one yet.

The North Sea is not the only important sector of the Scottish economy to receive a boost from the Prime Minister’s announcement.

We all know about Scotland’s renewable energy. It is already a success story but it has the potential to grow much bigger.

To make that happen, this Government is backing the grid infrastructure improvements we need.

We are also backing new nuclear power with the roll out of Small Modular Reactors.

Unfortunately, that clean, green technology raises further questions for the SNP government at Holyrood, who continue to block it in Scotland.

The longer Humza Yousaf holds out against new nuclear, the more he holds Scotland back. Why?

The UK has a record to be proud off, cutting emissions faster than any other G7 country.

We’ve cut emissions by almost 50 per cent since 1990 – more than twice as much as France – and we remain on course to hit our interim target of 68 per cent by 2030.

We are on course for Net Zero by 2050 and to meet and our international commitment, repeated at the Cop 26 summit in Glasgow, to limit global warming to 1.5C.

Rishi Sunak’s pledges help consumers and businesses in Scotland without halting the UK’s drive towards a green future.

So why have they been criticised by Labour and the SNP? Why did First Minister Humza Yousaf describe them as ‘unforgiveable’?

That is for them to answer.

What I do know is this: Rishi Sunak will not shy away from taking difficult but necessary long-term decisions for the good of the country.

He demonstrated that as Chancellor with his furlough scheme that safeguarded 900,000 jobs in Scotland.

He has now done it again with plans that maintain our push to Net Zero while backing Scottish businesses and easing the burdens on consumers. Good news for the UK and great news for Scotland.

Alister Jack is Secretary of State for Scotland