SNP says UK must rule out use of Scottish revenue for English nuclear energy

National party deputy leader Keith Brown of the SNP has called on the UK government to ensure that Scottish revenue is not used to fund English nuclear energy projects. The Labour government has announced plans to establish a £2 billion energy wealth fund, sourced from North Sea oil and gas revenues, to invest in climate transition.

Brown urged Labour leader Andy Burnham to ring-fence the new fund to support Scotland's renewables future. Brown expressed concern that the money generated by Scotland's oil and gas industry should go towards Scotland's renewable energy sector and not be used to fund nuclear power in England. He criticized the potential for UK government revenue to pay for English nuclear projects, stating that this cannot happen again.

Brown also pointed out that the UK could have built a £1 trillion sovereign wealth fund from North Sea oil and gas revenues over the past 40 years, had they been invested properly. Brown emphasized that the abuse of Scotland's resources under Thatcherism and the lack of investment in Scotland's ambitions should not be repeated. He argued that through independence, Scotland can guarantee that every pound from its waters is spent in Scotland, making independence the preferred choice of the Scottish people. The UK government has been asked for a response to these claims.