Scotland needs a proper strategy and deliver on green jobs vow

A proper green industrial strategy for Scotland is long overdue.

With our energy system and our economy changing before our eyes, the Scottish Government talks a good game on a “just transition” – but to many, it seems like little more than a slogan.

Because while the massive growth in wind power in Scotland, both onshore and offshore, is to be welcomed, there are legitimate questions around who, ultimately, is benefiting most from this.

Big multinational companies and firms partly or fully owned by foreign states are among those who raked in £4billion from Scotland’s clean energy sector between 2021 and 2022.

But over the same period, the number of Scottish jobs in these new industries actually fell – by about 4000.

Meanwhile, we know many of the multinational giants building wind farms on Scotland’s land and off our coasts are, for example, manufacturing many of the parts they need overseas instead of employing Scots.

Indeed, despite the rapid growth of wind in Scotland, the SNP-Green government has spectacularly failed, so far, to fulfil the promise that was made of a green jobs boom of more than 100,000 posts.

That’s worrying because we know we need to ensure jobs are in place for the industries of the future to ease the transition away from North Sea oil and gas.

What we cannot have is our skilled oil workers left on the economic scrapheap as Thatcher did to Scotland’s coal miners in the 1980s. No one wants that to happen – but we can’t just close our eyes and hope for the best. The “just transition” mantra only goes so far.

What we need is action. What we need is a real plan for green jobs.

Don’t betray our football heroes

AN academic study has proven beyond reasonable doubt that retired footballers have a far greater chance of suffering from dementia.

Too many of our footballing heroes have fallen victim to this awful disease for it to be a coincidence. The issue now is coming up with a solution rather than diagnosing the problem.

Labour MSP Michael Marra believes the devolved benefits system should be tweaked to help retired pros.

He says the industrial injuries benefit system should be overhauled to include dementia in footballers. He is correct and it is heartening to see STUC general secretary Roz Foyer back the campaign.

The benefit is not fully under the control of Ministers yet but it soon will be. The Government should give
a commitment in principal to implementing the Marra in plan without delay.

Failure to do so would be a betrayal of our heroes.

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