Professor John Robertson OBA
Before the recent surges by Plaid Cymru and Reform UK, we used to be able to contrast BBC Wales reporting, favourably with the horribly one-sided and dishonest coverage by BBC Scotland. With Labour now at risk, they are moving quickly to behave in the same manner.
In a 980-word report on the Westminster plans for a new small nuclear power station as far away from London as they can manage without trying to put it in Scotland, on the farthest edge of North Wales, there are only 90 words casting doubt and, even then, avoiding sensitive issues such as cost, safety or national security.
Further the 90 in 3 paragraphs do not appear until after 25 paragraphs favouring or accepting uncritically the project. After the 3, there are another 9 promoting Welsh Labour.
From BBC Wales today:
A first-of-its-kind nuclear power station is to be built on Anglesey, bringing up to 3,000 jobs and billions of pounds of investment. The plant at Wylfa, on the Welsh island’s northern coast, will have the UK’s first three small modular reactors (SMR), although the site could potentially hold up to eight. Work is due to start next year with the aim of generating power by the mid 2030s.
It is only after 25 paragraphs that any comments critical to the project appear:
Opponents of the project point to the fact that a long-term storage facility for the UK’s nuclear waste is yet to be agreed upon and say investment in renewable energy schemes – wind, wave and tidal – is what Anglesey needs. Dylan Morgan of campaign group People Against Wylfa-B told BBC Wales the proposed SMRs were far from “small” and were in fact “an unnecessarily big development of an unproven technology”.
“Modular reactor technologies have been touted by many companies internationally but are still only plans on paper,” he said.
Then another 9 paragraphs return to uncritical support.
It’s bad enough as it is but, also, it omits key facts which readers and viewers are entitled to be made aware of in a democracy.
GB Energy budget raided to develop dangerous small nuclear reactors for England
The higher burn-up and radioactivity of UK Labour’s preferred Small Modular Reactor spent fuel make it more difficult to handle, transport, and store, safely
Stanford research finds Labour’s preferred small modular reactors will produce even more highly radioactive nuclear waste
Small modular reactors will be dependent on high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) from Putin’s Russia which has ‘complete monopoly’ to undermine our energy security
Labour’s Small Nuclear Reactor strategy is based on none in operation in the West, no concrete order and two already cancelled in France and the US due to soaring costs
Research from USA reveals ‘eye-popping’ new costs for small nuclear reactors favoured by Labour
Read the fully-sourced facts at: https://talkingupscotlandtwo.com/?s=small+modular
Talking-up Scotland 'Albatraz' 
It would appear that Westminster Labour are so desperate to cling on to power that they have resorted to the extreme last-resort ‘Nuclear Option ‘ !
They don’t care about the ever rising cost , the increased reliance on Russian uranium , the dramatically increased amount of radioactive waste …these do not enter the consciousness of Starmer and his cabal of drowning Tory-lite incompetents . If they are going down then they will take the rest of us with them !
Scotland does not want or need this discredited energy source but the anti-democratic Westminster Labour Party , with the grovelling support of tea-boy Sarwar , is determined to ride roughshod over any and all objections .
Pathetic excuses for humans !
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According to Starmer in the article in the National with Sarwar a new direction for Scotland that would be disaster I say new nuclear builds all in Scotland to feed England.
https://www.thenational.scot/news/25617870.keir-starmer-pledges-reclaim-heritage-bizarre-snp-attack/
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Thanks for bringing us the information that others (Millibabble?) seem to want kept hidden.
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O/T tho’ still energy related. The Scotsman covered the following story. The National too. But BBC Scotland, STV News … anyone spot even a brief, passing mention? And in the P&J – the ‘voice of the North’ – on a story about a local MSP? Couldn’t find anything but you may know differently.
Time Magazine has just announced its TIME100 Climate 2025 list of notable leaders, innovators etc. Gillian Martin, Cabinet Secretary for Climate Action and Energy in the Scottish Government is included. The Magazine highlights her work to support oil and gas workers transition into clean energy jobs.
Background: ‘TIME100 Climate 2025: As the U.S. has backed away in 2025 from using legislation to tackle the climate crisis, business leaders globally have pushed forward to attempt to fill the gaps. It’s a theme that proves inescapable in this year’s TIME100 Climate, our list of influential leaders driving business climate action. Around the world, decision-makers, executives, researchers, and innovators are working to help unlock the necessary funding and resources needed for successful and equitable climate action.’
(See https://time.com/collections/time-100-climate-2025/?filters=leaders )
News of the accolade was featured today (November 13) by the industry website Energy Voice: ‘Scotland energy secretary named one of world’s most influential climate leaders – Time Magazine selected Gillian Martin in its Time100 Climate 2025.’
Other politicians named include the governors of New York, California and Hawaii in the US, Australia’s foreign minister and the energy ministers of Singapore and India. Time also recognised COP26 president and past Tory energy secretary Alok Sharma for his work as chair of The Transition Finance Council. And the British monarch also appears on the Time Magazine list!
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Labour has given Wales £1/2 Billion. The Tories gave NI even more. Bribes.
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London’s desire to plonk a “ first-of-its-kind ” nuclear power plant as far away as possible from the south coast where it’s output is needed, could not be more obvious, but I doubt the folk on Anglesey will much impressed.
In the 25 years since Wylfa began running into trouble, and the last 10 with no power being generated, renewables had already proven more than capable, with Wales a net exporter of energy…
London’s nuclear obsession would be best directed where it’s truly needed, along England’s south coast…
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