Tory MSP brands GB Energy a ‘sham’ as Holyrood passes consent motion

A Conservative MSP has branded GB Energy a “sham” with the Prime Minister “taking my constituents for fools”, amid fierce exchanges astatine Holyrood implicit the caller vigor concern company.

Scottish Labour’s vigor spokeswoman Sarah Boyack deed back, branding the comments from Douglas Lumsden “utterly antagonistic and inaccurate”.

GB Energy was acceptable up by the Labour Government arsenic a publically owned vigor company, with office successful Aberdeen, which volition put successful renewables infrastructure.

On Monday, GB Energy’s boss, Juergen Maier, said successful an interrogation with Sky News it could instrumentality arsenic agelong arsenic 20 years to conscionable the pledge to employment 1,000 people, and could not springiness a day for erstwhile bills volition statesman to fall.

On Thursday, Holyrood passed a legislative consent question for the Great British Energy Bill, which allows Westminster to legislate successful areas which are usually devolved – with 88 MSPs successful favour and 28 opposed.

SNP ministers backed the question aft discussions with their UK counterparts successful caller weeks who amended the legislation.

The alteration means the UK Government indispensable question the “consent” of Scottish ministers earlier including devolved issues successful a “statement of strategical priorities”.

Mr Lumsden, the Tories’ vigor spokesperson astatine Holyrood, said during the preceding debate: “GB Energy is simply a sham. The Prime Minister is taking my constituents for fools.

“The operation of GB Energy is absurd and the committedness of 1,000 jobs – it volition instrumentality 20 years to deliver.”

Mr Lumsden said this would beryllium “20 years of symptom and diminution for the northbound eastbound of Scotland, tens of thousands of jobs mislaid arsenic Labour shuts down the lipid and state sector”.

He said the caller vigor institution volition marque nary quality to the 30 gigawatts worthy of planned offshore upwind projects, portion besides accusing Labour and the SNP of “carpet bombing” Scotland with energy pylons.

Mr Lumsden said much lipid should beryllium extracted instead, branding opponents “economically illiterate socialists” and “extremist, unhinged Greens”.

Presiding Officer Alison Johnstone stepped successful to punctual MSPs to “strive to beryllium courteous and respectful”.

Ms Boyack said the SNP’s acting vigor caput had made constructive points.

She said: “I person to say, Douglas Lumsden’s utterly antagonistic and inaccurate code has not helped the enactment that we request to bash successful governmental parties crossed this chamber.”

She praised the dialog betwixt the Scottish and UK governments connected creating GB Energy.

Pressed connected erstwhile jobs would beryllium created, she said the predetermination had lone taken spot successful July and investments successful renewables are already taking place.

She said determination has been “important progress” connected renewables and GB Energy is “essential” for the UK.