GRAEME McCormick (Letters, June 28) makes a plea for Derek Mackay, the
Finance Secretary, to “take control of all public funding and be the
economic father of Scotland”.
What Mr McCormick failed to address was the lack of data on energy finances
given in the Growth Report drafted by Mr Mackay.
Phasing out low-cost gas and substituting it with high-price renewable
electricity will treble energy bills in Scotland.
This would result in the majority of Scots living in fuel poverty – which
MSPs pledged to eliminate by 2016.
The demise of the UK grid will result in the loss of huge energy subsidies
as 92% of these costs are paid by English consumers.
That is an extra £5 billion a year in bills for Scottish consumers.
In addition, with no subsidy assist from English consumers, Scots must
underwrite the £10bn capital cost for 25 years to install sufficient wind
turbines to replace the energy lost in phasing out gas in Scotland.
Add the above costs and more than half of the take-home pay of the average
Scottish worker is required to pay energy bills.
Where is the Finance Secretary achieving the growth to be “father of the
nation” when 80% of Scots would be living in poverty ?
Ian Moir,
79 Queen Street,
Castle Douglas.
