SNP warn Scots to brace for power cuts caused by 'new and dynamic threats'
SNP ministers have waned that ‘geopolitical instability, hostile state activity and cyber threats’ could cause blackouts across all parts of Scotland
Neil Gray has warned Scots should "know where the candles are" amid preparations for blackouts caused by winter storms, geopolitical instability and cyber attacks.
The SNP Justice Secretary, who is also responsible for security and resilience, warned that loss of power after adverse weather, traditionally felt across rural parts of Scotland, now needs to be embraced nationwide ahead of "new and dynamic threats across the county".
Mr Gray told MSPs that resilience in response to the threat of loss of power and other infrastructure is not limited to winter storms and disruption amid fears over the fractured geopolitical landscape.
“The winter condition challenges do not sit in isolation”, Mr Gray told Holyrood.
“They coincide and interact with the wider risk landscape that Scotland is facing.
“Geopolitical instability, hostile state activity, cyber threats, infrastructure disruption, public health pressures and supply chain vulnerabilities at home and abroad all affect Scotland and they are increasingly interconnected.
“That can create complex and cascading impacts that challenge traditional approaches to resilience. More than ever, we therefore need to ensure that we are prepared for the risks that we will face over the coming months and beyond.”
Mr Gray also warned that getting used to a loss of power, a well-known scenario in rural and isolated parts of Scotland, is now part of an expected norm across the entire country.
“As someone who hails from a part of the world where winter resilience is a daily consideration during these months, I think that there are lessons to be learned, particularly around personal resilience”, he said.
“When I was growing up, I knew where the candles and necessary equipment were located in order to last for a few days during a power cut.
“As we face new and dynamic threats in different parts of the country, we will need to pass on that resilience to those who live in other parts of the country. Those lessons from rural areas are absolutely important.”
Mr Gray also called on employers to acknowledge when workers are unable to travel during severe weather, warning that “adhering to travel advice during such incidents is critical”.
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He said: “I encourage employers, regardless of their sector, to ensure that they support their employees to follow that advice.”
The Justice Secretary warned that “the dynamic that we are facing is changing and spreading”.
He added: “It is not just a winter-based issue that the rural areas of the north and the islands face; the entirety of Scotland faces it.”
Scottish Conservative leader, Russell Findlay, highlighted the issues faced by communities in the west of Scotland during Storm Boelo last month.
“In Largs, drains were tarmacked over, and sandbags were delivered after the water receded”, Mr Findlay said. “The same thing happened in Saltcoats.
“In Renfrew, flood defence barriers were not activated. The authorities knew that the storm was coming but did little to prevent what was extensive and expensive damage.”
In response, Mr Gray said: “I very much understand the issues that Mr Findlay has raised.
“The examples that he gave, and other examples, were part of the discussion that I had with the Scottish resilience partnership, so that we learn lessons through the resilience network.
“That will enable us to ensure that there is responsiveness and that we get access to accurate information, so that local resilience partnerships can take decisions and provide a commensurate response to a particular incident.
“Those examples will also help to inform the forthcoming Scottish resilience framework, so that we have the necessary response in all parts of the country.”
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