Wind Turbines are so Great for the Scottish Economy - Except they're Not!

There's big news here in Scotland this morning because Vestas, the wind turbine manufacturer, is closing it's Argyll factory with a loss of around 100 jobs. In the Scotsman there's much gnashing of teeth saying it's a blow for Alex Samond's wind aspirations, it's because the planning process is cumbersome, it's because the factory doesn't build the biggest turbines (surely that's their decision? - Ed) and the government 'should intervene' says a union leader. According to government minister Jim Mather, "As a government, we are ready to do whatever we can to try and find a sustainable future for the yard."

The Scotsman miss one vital point. Yesterday Vestas also announced the expansion of their facitlity in the Isle Of Wight with plans to provide 300 plus more jobs on the English island. All the turbines that are being approved in Scotland are not exactly doing a lot for employment north of the border are they? The First Monister constantly trumpets how good all these wind farms are for Scottish jobs. First we have the Norwegian company behind Crystal Rig giving the ground works to a Welsh company and now this.