Reform candidate wants to strip mine Scotland

Scottish Liberal Democrat list candidate for North East Scotland Michael Turvey has today hit out at proposals from a Reform UK candidate to reintroduce open cast coal mining to Scotland and demanded that Nigel Farage’s party set out which parts of Scotland it intends to mine.

This follows comments from Reform UK candidate for Aberdeen Central James Wyllie at a hustings event in Aberdeen last night hosted by Prosper, in which he endorsed “open cast” coal mining.

The final open cast coal mine in Scotland closed in 2020, after years of decline in demand from coal-fired plants and falling profitability.

Scottish Liberal Democrat manifesto commits to:

• Urge the UK Government to replace the Energy Profits Levy as soon as possible with a stable, fair and proportional system.
• Bring down energy bills and protect you from volatile fossil fuel prices through an emergency insulation programme.
• Re-write community benefit rules so local people get much more of the money companies make from generating renewable energy near them.
• Recognise that the futures of the oil and gas industry and renewables are intertwined, avoiding polarising policies that fail them both and valuing the knowledge and experience of everyone working in existing industries.
• Work with the UK Government to create a new carbon capture and storage industry, supporting around 15,000 jobs at its peak.

Michael Turvey said:

“Reform UK needs to say which parts of Scotland they intend to strip mine.

“No one wants to see ugly and polluting pits opened up in our beautiful countryside.

“It’s clear no one in Reform knows anything about energy if they think coal mines across Scotland is the answer.

“Scottish Liberal Democrats have set out common sense plans to boost domestic energy production and bring down household bills. You can back those plans by supporting us on your peach regional ballot paper. Across the North East every vote will count. Unless you want to be lumbered by SNP neglect or Reform taking us back to the 1970s, you should vote for the Scottish Liberal Democrats.”