Referendum threat to renewables

Orkney and Shetland MP Alistair Carmichael has warned that continued uncertainty over Scotland’s constitutional future could hit investment in renewable energy projects in the northern isles.

The LibDem MP was commenting after analysts from the Citibank warned developers of investing in Scotland.

He said: “This report confirms what many of us have feared for some time. If the SNP delays having its referendum until 2014, as they currently threaten to do, then inward investment into new sectors like renewable energy could be lost.

“This report should be a wakeup call to those who refuse to recognise that separatism comes with a hidden price tag. What investors are looking for is stability.

“What they – along with the Scottish people – are getting from the Scottish Government at present is uncertainty and silence over what independence would mean for them.”