THE imminent closure of the Longannet power station (“Power station plan
axed over ‘unfair’ grid connection cost”, The Herald, August 19) surely
emphasises the urgent need from the Government and all political parties
for a reappraisal of the private control of the UK’s basic utilities: gas,
electricity and water.
The Kafkaesque system of charges used by the National Grid is only the
latest in a long list of actions designed to squeeze every penny from the
public for private gain from resources which have largely been constructed
with public money and are still, effectively, maintained by subsidy and/or
unacceptable profit margins.
Nationalisation has become a dirty word through the propaganda pursued by
those who have gained most from the sale of public assets over the years,
not least the Conservative Party and their cronies.
Yet other countries which have nationalised their utilities are invited to
grow rich at our taxpayers’ expense, as the French nationalised EDF ‘s
proposed new nuclear power station at Hinkley Point so aptly demonstrates,
with EDF being subsidised by the UK and allowed to charge double the
megawatt hour price currently applied to other thermal stations.
Nationalisation for its own sake is unacceptable, but basic utilities must
not and should not be beyond public control, as has happened with the
ideologically driven sale of ours to anyone, including foreign governments.
I would not expect the present Government with its proven propensity for
fire-sales of public assets and its demonstrable lack of empathy for the
less fortunate to heed any call for such a revolutionary action as giving
the people control of their own assets, but the other political parties
should take note. Look at the response that Jeremy Corbyn has had from the
public in including a nationalisation agenda in his leadership campaign –
in the face of almost universal political and media opposition, too.
In any society there are certain national assets that should always be
beyond the reach of the avaricious. Perhaps now is the time for the British
people to take back what is essentially their own property and in doing so
take a small step towards building a more equal society.
James Mills,
29 Armour Square,
Johnstone.
SCOTLAND is energy rich while the rest of Europe is not. It’s really
simple. Vote for independence and nationalise the Scottish National Grid;
set fair connection charges; sell surplus to England and others; subsidise
Scottish consumers from the profit.
These simple actions will guarantee a queue of investors willing to build
energy infrastructure whereas now they are deterred.
DS Blackwood,
1 Douglas Drive East,
Helensburgh.
YOUR correspondents who complain about the so-called “iniquitous charging
regime” and the UK energy policies having a “disastrous effect” on Scotland
(Letters, August 20) miss the point. After all, the policy of closing
Longannet has been a long-term aim of the SNP when they promoted the plan
of delivering the equivalent of 100 per cent of Scotland’s electricity by
green energy – mainly wind power – not so important within a UK context of
mixed energy generation but penal as an independent country.
The early closure of Longannet should rightfully re-ignite the debate about
the flawed SNP green energy policy.
After all, common sense would suggest that the maximum amount of wind power
which could be “efficiently” generated would be around 10 per cent of our
electricity demands. At this level there would be a minimum requirement of
spare capacity for fossil fuel back-up plants to remain “active” to avoid
blackouts when there is no wind. If however we followed the SNP nonsensical
doctrine in “green” energy we would require around a 90 per cent back-up
capacity – much of it in spinning mode which is not only prohibitively
expensive but counter-productive in terms of greenhouse gas emissions.
Clearly Scotland could not finance such a wasteful and costly exercise and
would therefore be dependent on purchasing power from England and other
countries when the wind did not blow – at a price if we ever became
independent.
Fortunately the UK Government got the message and have now enacted a
clamp-down on onshore wind subsidies. It has done us the favour of exposing
the SNP’s incoherent energy strategy and fanciful dream of making Scotland
the “Saudi Arabia of renewables” – covered in steel forests.
Rather than blaming the UK Government the SNP should admit their
culpability for the closure of Longannet and accept their green energy
policy is now in tatters and reconsider their opposition to nuclear power.
Ian Lakin,
Pinelands,
Murtle Den Road, Milltimber.
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