A LABOUR candidate says the announcement that the Headquarters of GB Energy, a British publicly-owned energy generation company, will be based in Scotland is a huge opportunity for sites in Fife such as Rosyth and Longannet.
Graeme Downie, Labour candidate for Dunfermline & West Fife was reacting to the announcement by Keir Starmer that Labour’s plan to make Britain a clean energy superpower by 2030 will be “made in Scotland.”
Mr. Downie said the announcement demonstrates what a UK Labour government will deliver, contrasting it with the UK Conservative government and SNP administration in Edinburgh.
Mr. Downie believes Longannet could be a perfect opportunity for investment and delivering thousands of jobs under the next UK Labour government.
The site was once the largest power station in Scotland from its opening in 1970 to its closure in 2016.
The 80,000m2 site is owned by Scottish Power and while there were attempts to bring train manufacturer, Talgo, to the site in previous years, Scottish Enterprise confirmed this option has lapsed.
Commenting, Mr Downie said: “Today’s announcement shows what a UK Labour government can deliver for Dunfermline and the rest of Fife, creating opportunities and meeting the aspirations and ambitions of people across the Kingdom.
“Previous Labour governments took decisions in the interest of Fife, saving sites such as Rosyth dockyard, while both the Tories and SNP have failed to deliver renewable energy jobs or attract investment for sites such as Longannet, which has such huge potential to reinvigorate the regional economy.
“The Tories have no plan to attract investment to Scotland, while the SNP failed to plan for the use of a major site like Longannet, with promises of train factories and offshore wind jobs all falling away.
“That is why it is critical we have as many Scottish Labour MPs as possible at the next election, securing a Labour government that will deliver the change Dunfermline & West Fife needs.”
Mr. Downie has written to Jonathan Reynolds MP, Shadow Secretary of State for Business and Industrial Strategy, inviting him to visit Fife to meet local businesses and skills providers to understand the full potential of the Longannet and other sites.
