Graham Leadbitter has accused the Labour Government of damaging Scotland’s economic future following reports suggesting Chinese wind turbine manufacturer Ming Yang is now looking towards investment opportunities elsewhere in Europe.

The comments come after the company was blocked from building a major new factory in Scotland, a move critics say could cost the Highlands around 1,500 jobs and £1.5 billion in investment.

Leadbitter, who serves as the SNP’s Westminster energy spokesperson, claimed the UK Government had applied different standards to projects in Scotland compared with projects in England involving Chinese backed investment.

He said:

“The Labour UK Government gave the green light to a multitude of Chinese backed projects in England extortionate nuclear power plants, a Chinese super Embassy, Heathrow Airport as well as power networks and battery sites, yet when it’s 1,500 jobs for the Highlands it’s a very different tune from the Labour Party.

“Make no mistake, if Ming Yang had sought to create 1,500 jobs with £1.5 billion of investment in England, the Labour Government would not have blocked it.

“This was an anti Scottish move from an anti Scottish Labour government, apparently set on sabotaging Scotland’s economic future.

“People in Scotland watching this investment, blocked by the Labour party, pass over them to Spain are rightly asking why if the Labour Party is happy for Chinese investors to build nuclear power stations in England it is unacceptable for Chinese investors to build wind turbines in Scotland.

“Labour backs jobs and investment for England, and jobs and investment for Spain, but not jobs and investment for Scotland.

“That’s the price of a Labour government.

“That’s why we need a fresh start with independence.”

The row comes amid growing debate over energy investment, offshore renewables and manufacturing jobs linked to Scotland’s transition towards becoming a major renewable energy producer.

Supporters of the project had argued the proposed investment would have delivered a major economic boost to the Highlands while strengthening Scotland’s role within the offshore wind supply chain.

The issue is also likely to add further political pressure around Westminster control of energy policy and industrial investment decisions affecting Scotland.