It's Time For The Honeymoon To End

The SNP's honeymoon is coming to an end. Yesterday Jim Mather, their enterprise and energy minister, declined to answer questions about the SNP's plans for the nuclear sector. Having signed an agreement with the Greens about no new nuclear and with existing Scottish power stations coming to the end of their life there is an imperative to do something to fill the energy gap. Little cousin Robin has conceded that Hunterstone and Torness should stay open in the circumstances. However, wind farms are not going to do be enough in the long term, so what is going to happen?

Much of the comment in the Scotsman's online version is about giving the SNP time to sort things out. Well the realities of all this have been with us for a long time now and Labour have been fudging the issue - politicians don't like the tricky stuff. This is one of the harsh realities of what the SNP wished for. As they would say, it's time, but in this case there's not much left.