THE mainstream media aren’t unmasking English Labour’s GB Energy scam. Great British Energy, to be headquartered in Scotland, is a cynical sop to Scottish voters who English Labour thinks will be too thick to figure out it’s just a brass plate on a door.
GB Energy won’t generate any energy but invest public money in offshore wind and solar projects to be owned and operated by private energy companies. It’s PFI all over again, Labour’s “big idea” that allows private corporations to “invest” in public infrastructure and earn profits without bearing any risk. Like NHS hospitals that were subjected to PFI schemes, GB Energy’s projects will carry crippling new debt they’ll be forced to pay back over decades from public funds.
READ MORE: John Swinney is right to scrutinise Keir Starmer's ‘GB Energy’ plans
Jonathan Reynolds, the shadow business secretary, confirmed this, saying GB Energy’s purpose will be the “management of the investments, which we believe are essential to unlock these markets and opportunities.”
So Starmer’s lying when he declares that GB Energy will lower bills. Scots will continue to pay some of the highest energy prices in the failing UK when their nation produces the lion share of renewables. If anything, GB Energy will make things worse by extending the privatisation of an irretrievably broken sector that only renationalisation can fix.
But Starmer is against renationalising energy despite pledging to do so in the English Labour manifesto. At the 2023 party conference, members overwhelmingly voted to bring energy and rail back into public ownership, which the leadership ignored.
READ MORE: John Swinney: Labour would cause ‘devastation’ to Scotland's oil and gas industry
Adding insult to injury, Starmer unveiled the GB Energy logo, which one observer remarked looks like a lightbulb farting. That’s because English Labour bought it off the internet for less than a quid.
English Labour’s contempt for Scotland is clear. Let’s not fall for this con, but get on with ending the Union.
Leah Gunn Barrett
Edinburgh
I HAVE been listening to and watching Scottish news reporting on the election and I am heartily sick already with five weeks still to go!
When reporting on the SNP campaign, STV, the BBC and Sky typically say, eg, “today John Swinney launched SNP’s campaign ... and said ...” then they give the three Unionist parties the chance to comment on the SNP and the response is, as you would expect, negative and derogatory. All their “contributions” end with the usual diatribe: “independence is not a priority on the doorstep”.
READ MORE: Labour and Tories 'avoiding spending cuts reality', says IFS
Then each of the three Unionist parties launches into their mantra about how shit Scotland is! Three times we hear the same lies, which are rarely effectively challenged.
This twisted Unionist scenario suits the narrative of Westminster, the BBC and the rest of the Unionist media – we are considered “extremists” and the advice to media outlets is not to give the SNP and their supporters too much air!
Scotland has so much to be proud of and our natural resources have the potential to make us a prosperous independent nation – not that you will hear that from the Unionist media sources.
God forbid that any credit is ever afforded the SNP Scottish Government for: highest health spending per person in UK; highest number of young people going on to positive destinations on leaving school; our Scottish Child Payment; free tuition fees; our Levenmouth rail link; our renewable energy developments at Ardersier and Nigg; our wonderful baby boxes ... to name but a few of the achievements of our SNP Scottish Government.
READ MORE: Rachel Reeves denies Anas Sarwar 'blew up' her fiscal rules in debate
We need to present the positive, successful picture that highlights Scotland’s natural resources including oil, gas, renewables, landmass, fresh water, innovation technology development along with with a thriving food and drink export sector and a well-educated population. All of these resources can work in our favour to ensure Scotland’s independent future.
Tories and Labour offer Scotland nothing but more austerity and we will always be an afterthought.
There are 60 million folk down south with 5.5 million of us here in Scotland – our voices will not be heard in Westminster. A strong
SNP Scottish Government can deliver a future that reflects our people and our aspirations – a country that gives folks a life and a future for the generations to come. Come together for Scotland and for ourselves – vote SNP for the independent future we deserve.
Jan Ferrie
Ayrshire
I’D like to notify readers of the passing of my father-in-law John Edgar, who was a regular correspondent in The National until he became ill around two years ago. As readers of his letters will recall, John was a passionate supporter of Scottish independence.
He was also an inspiring and enthusiastic teacher of Germanic languages at schools all over Scotland, and a much loved husband, father and grandfather. John was delighted at the establishment of The National and greatly enjoyed the engagement he had with its readers via his correspondence.
Stuart Mackenzie
via email
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