Swinney denies 'crankery' over Chinese firm's blocked Highland plans
The First Minister has called the decision by the UK government ‘anti-Scottish’
John Swinney has denied accusations of “crankery” after claiming the UK government blocked a £1.5 billion wind turbine factory in the Scottish Highlands for political reasons.
Ministers announced the move just hours after MSPs had completed their final day at Holyrood ahead of the May 7 election, citing security concerns over the Chinese firm behind the bid, Ming Yang.
The First Minister previously called the decision “anti-Scottish” and suggested the project would not have been blocked if it was in England.
The SNP is running Facebook adverts which refer to the move and accuse the Labour government of “sabotaging Scotland”.
Speaking to BBC Radio Scotland on Tuesday, Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar dismissed these claims, and accused Mr Swinney of peddling a “pretty strange conspiracy theory”.
“I can give you a cast-iron guarantee, I will not do crankery or conspiracy theory as first minister,” he said.
“I will always accept national security advice, because our first duty as a government would be to protect the great citizens of this country.”
Asked if it was strange that Chinese investment was allowed in other UK projects, Mr Sarwar said: “All these projects will have national security briefings.
“A national security briefing was received that said there was a national security risk for investment.
“Are we honestly saying that a first minister would reject national security advice? I can tell you quite categorically, if a national security briefing comes to me, I will not ignore it, because I will put the national interest before political interest.”
He went on to say suggestions the security services may have taken a “deliberate do Scotland down approach” was the “height of conspiracy theory”.
Speaking to journalists at a campaign visit in West Calder on Tuesday, Mr Swinney said: “The extent of my knowledge about the decision of the UK government to block the Ming Yang development is that they’ve said it is on national security grounds.
“I have no more detailed information than that. I’ve not had a national security briefing that gives me any more [information].”
He added: “At the same time, the Prime Minister is in China trying to attract Chinese investment to the United Kingdom, and when Chinese investment is proposed to come to Scotland through the Ming Yang development of manufacturing capability in offshore renewables, the UK government vetoes it.
“And I simply cannot give you an explanation for that. So I don’t think that the reasonable concerns that I am raising can be dismissed in the way that they have been dismissed by the leader of the Labour Party in Scotland this morning.”
Asked if he was a crank, Mr Swinney said: “No.”
He later added: “They’ve just turned their back on £1.5 billion worth of investment, so I’d like to know why.”
UK energy minister Michael Shanks previously told The Scotsman: “John Swinney should take off his tinfoil hat - he knows that this decision was reached for national security reasons. Only the SNP would think that’s something to just cast aside to so they can further another grievance.”
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