The Scottish Government will not actively support one site over another in the race to become the home of the UK’s first Spaceport – but that may change in the future.
Nicola Sturgeon, who will soon become Scotland’s new First Minister, was responding to calls that the Scottish Government make Prestwick Airport their preferred bidder, the airport having been bailed out by government cash and still running at a loss.
However, she insisted that she would not make the Ayrshire site a ‘preferred bidder’ of the Scottish Government so early in the process, insisting that the Government would remain neutral with six Scottish sites being considered – including Lossiemouth and Kinloss.
“I think we have every reason to feel very positive about going forward on this one,” Ms Sturgeon said, adding: “We want to make sure we are doing everything to secure Scotland as the winner of this bid, wherever in Scotland that may be.”
However, she warned that could change, saying: “We may get to the stage where the government is not neutral, not all of the locations bid or there is clearly an outstanding bid – but we are at an early stage of the process so I think it important that we recognise that.”
The issue arose when questions were asked over the future of Prestwick and MSPs called on the Scottish Government to throw its weight behind the airport in the contest for the UK’s first Spaceport.
Currently Prestwick is recording an annual loss of around £5million.