Imagine standing on the shore at Ardersier five years from now and looking out across a port alive with activity, where thousands of skilled men and women are building the next generation of offshore wind technology, ships are coming and going from one of Europe’s largest energy transition facilities, local businesses are thriving, young people are staying in the Highlands because the work is here, and communities that have spent years wondering where the next opportunity would come from are finally looking to the future with confidence.
That future is within touching distance.
Between the Aspen floating wind project and the proposed £1.5 billion Mingyang investment, Ardersier has the potential to create more than 2,500 jobs and establish the Highlands as one of the most important renewable energy centres anywhere in Europe, yet despite the promises, the investment and the ambition, one crucial decision still has not been made.
Which brings us to the new Prime Minister.
He has spoken repeatedly about economic growth, about rebuilding Britain’s economy and about backing investment, but for people living across the Highlands those words mean very little unless they are followed by action, because this is no longer simply about renewable energy or industrial policy, it is about whether the Highlands are finally going to receive the investment that politicians of every colour have spent years promising.
If the Prime Minister wants to show that his Government is serious about growth, there are few clearer opportunities than Ardersier.
Backing the project would send a message that the Highlands matter, that Britain intends to build its clean energy future here, and that the skilled workforce which powered the North Sea for generations will also power the industries of tomorrow.
Choosing not to act would send a very different message.
For too long Highland communities have watched opportunities delayed, investment slowed and decisions made hundreds of miles away while people leave in search of work and businesses wait for certainty that never seems to arrive.
That is why the decision on Mingyang has become about much more than a single company or a single investment.
It has become a test.
A test of whether this Government truly believes economic growth should reach every part of the United Kingdom.
A test of whether the Highlands are seen as central to Britain’s future or simply somewhere that provides the resources while others enjoy the rewards.
The new Prime Minister now has an opportunity to answer those questions.
Not with another speech.
Not with another promise.
But with a decision that could shape the Highlands for generations.
