Tories vow to override Scotland's nuclear power ban

Scotland currently blocks new nuclear power plants. On Sunday, the Scottish Conservatives said that would change if they ever govern. Shadow energy secretary Andrew Bowie announced a new law to force new nuclear stations into Scotland. It would override the Scottish government's own block on them. He called the SNP's current stance 'luddite.'

Nuclear power sits at the center of a real fight over how Britain generates electricity. Nuclear plants take years to build but run for decades without the swings in output that wind and solar have. Bowie argues Scotland's ban costs jobs and weakens energy security compared with the rest of Britain. The SNP would almost certainly fight any attempt to override a power currently devolved to Scotland's own government.

Keep reading — what to watch

Will Scottish voters actually back new nuclear plants, or is this mainly a way to attack the SNP? The Conservatives are currently in opposition at Holyrood, so this promise has no real force yet. Whether nuclear becomes a genuine election issue in Scotland is worth watching as campaigning builds.