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The UK government could soon start submitting planning applications for new nuclear power stations in Scotland in anticipation of a Labour administration at Holyrood. A senior government source said ministers do not want Scotland “to be left behind” and suggested potential sites including Torness in East Lothian were being actively considered. This comes as a Ministry of Defence minister warned an independent Scotland would be a “win for Vladimir Putin”. There has been an effective ban on new nuclear facilities in Scotland as the SNP has a longstanding commitment to block any potential projects through devolved planning laws. Energy Secretary Gillian Martin has also said the Scottish Government would “capitalise on renewable energy” rather than “expensive new nuclear”. However, former Scottish Secretary Ian Murray said a Scottish Labour government in Holyrood would reverse the SNP’s block on new nuclear power stations. A senior government source said that civil nuclear companies see Scotland as “off limits” because of the SNP’s stance on nuclear energy. However they said: “The reality is planning law is devolved and so that requires a change of government in Holyrood next May to translate these possibilities but we are planning practical changes on the ground because we don’t want Scotland to be left behind.” Read The Steamie - our dedicated politics newsletter They added that because the Torness Nuclear Power Station is due to decommission in 2030, it is perfectly placed to be a future potential site - however the government source added that is “contingent on the Scottish Government’s approach”. Scottish Labour has high hopes of winning the 2026 Scottish Parliament election and its leader Anas Sarwar has repeatedly lauded the benefits of nuclear power. However the party has slipped back in the polls and is now several percentage points behind the SNP, who are the current favourites to win on polling day. This comes as UK Defence Readiness Minister Luke Pollard told Scottish journalists that the SNP government in Scotland is “failing to understand our national security”, adding that getting rid of the Trident nuclear deterrent on the Clyde would play into the hands of Russian aggression. The SNP has a longstanding policy against nuclear weapons as well as nuclear energy, and has previously said removing the nuclear deterrent at Faslane would be one of the first things it would do in an independent Scotland. When asked about the SNP’s stance on Trident, Mr Pollard said: “If you look at the international situation and think being less secure is the answer, then you are failing to understand our national security. “We live in a new era of threats and we need to invest more in keeping Britain safe with equipment and alliances, and if anything rips apart that security it is a win for Putin. “I am incredibly proud of the men and women working on the Clyde and the extraordinary commitment they make, so to see their hard work attacked by the Scottish Government doesn’t help national security, it doesn’t help the economy, it doesn't help our defence and it doesn’t help industry. “The thing Putin fears is a nuclear deterrent, so why make an argument that gives Putin a win, removes jobs and makes Britain less secure? It is not credible.” When asked about how Scottish independence could impact on national security, he said: “I am very mindful that the future of Scotland is very much down to the people of Scotland. “But if I was sitting in the Kremlin and looking at a nation that is at the forefront of support for Ukraine, at the forefront of support for the Baltic states, and has committed to supporting Ukraine after peace and I was seeing an erosion of their defence capabilities, I would regard that as a win.” Mr Pollard also said the SNP's strategy "over many, many years has been to dither and delay" when it comes to defence. The SNP said his comments were “unbelievably crass” and accused him of using Putin’s illegal invasion of Ukraine for a “political attack”. Dave Doogan MP, the party’s defence spokesman, said: “He should do the right thing and apologise. “Successive Westminster governments have committed billions on nuclear bombs while cutting conventional troop numbers. “It is conventional defence forces that will protect us from the threats we face today - not weapons of mass destruction on the Clyde. “Scotland has a thriving defence sector which saw Norway - a small, independent and nuclear weapon free country - choose to build warships here. “That in itself speaks volumes about what our country could be capable of through a fresh start with independence. “Scotland’s existing multi-billion pound annual contribution to UK defence will be far better spent equipping an independent Scotland with the personnel and material we will require to play our key role in NATO just like Norway, Finland and Denmark.” On Tuesday the UK Government also announced that 150 jobs at the Edinburgh-based defence firm Leonardo are going to be supported thanks to a new contract to help build four new Gripen fighter aircrafts for the Royal Thai Air Force over the next five years. Swedish defence and security company Saab has agreed to provide the new aircraft to Thailand in a new deal worth £177 million to the UK supply chain. The aircraft’s radar will be built in Edinburgh, which Scottish Secretary Douglas Alexander described as a huge “defence dividend” for Scotland. He said: “Scotland is globally recognised as a centre of defence excellence. That’s why the UK Government is transforming the sector into an even more powerful engine for growth for the country. “Working with the Swedish Government, Saab and Leonardo, the UK Government helped secure this deal with Thailand against stiff international competition. “It is a fantastic example of how we are providing significant opportunities for Scottish businesses and communities across the country as part of Scotland’s defence dividend.”
