Fracking farce

Ineos and Aberdeen firm Reach CSG are in court challenging the Scottish Government’s decision to convert a moratorium on fracking into an indefinite ban.

Advocate James Mure, QC, acting for the Snp-dominated Scottish Government, shocked everyone when he said that there was no formal ban in place and “the concept of an effective ban is a gloss”.

In what could be a scene out of Yes Minister, the previous assurances of Nicola Sturgeon, John Swinney, Humza Yousaf and other SNP worthies have proved to be full of spin with no substance, just like so many of their promises.

I expect the government spin doctors are already working on a plan to get the government out of the hole it dug for itself.

CLARK CROSS

Springfield Road, Linlithgow

I’m not surprised the SNP’S QC was able to to keep a straight face when telling the High Court that there was no fracking ban. He had many precedents to invoke.

There’s no plan for a Scottish Energy company, the National Investment Bank isn’t even a brass plate on the door of St Andrew’s House, the economic bonanza from the renewables industry never happened and the plan to replace diesel and petrol cars with electric vehicles by 2032, and set up a network of charging points, has fallen into one of the many potholes littering our roads.

And he won’t be smiling when Ineos cite the “material change in circumstances” caused by the “ban”. It almost scuppered its business plans, could put many Grangemouth workers’ jobs at risk and, if they lose the case, kill stone dead a potential new highwage industry and supply chain for Scotland. The “material change” may yet convince the Greens that the SNP have taken them for a gigantic, virtue-signalling ride for the past 11 years.

ALLAN SUTHERLAND

Willow Road, Stonehaven