A SCOTTISH Labour MP has blasted his own party's policy on nuclear energy.
Brian Leishman, MP for Alloa and Grangemouth, said Labour's nuclear policy was "madness" in the face of the climate crisis.
Leishman made the comments in response to reports that Romania has been forced to "blast" the Danube river to help a nuclear plant as a result of the heatwave.
Romania, like much of Europe, has been subject to scorching temperatures, with water levels in the Danube reportedly dropping to just 23 centimetres.
Channel 4 News reports that the Romanian navy has blown up rocks at the side of the Danube, where it splits, in order to get more water flowing down the main branch of the river towards a nuclear power plant.
In response to the news report, Leishman wrote on Twitter/X: "We are suffering from climate crisis/extreme weather.
"Parts of the UK have declared drought status yet there is a political push for nuclear energy requiring huge amounts of water to operate.
"And AI data centres would require incredible amounts of water.
"Both are madness!"
We are suffering from climate crisis/extreme weather. Parts of the UK have declared drought status yet there is a political push for nuclear energy requiring huge amounts of water to operate. And AI data centres would require incredible amounts of water. Both are madness! https://t.co/mDbeQ13XLP
— Brian Leishman (@BrianLeishmanMP) August 4, 2026
The Labour Party supports nuclear energy as part of its election pledge to "make Britain a clean energy superpower".
It has vowed to build new nuclear power stations, such as Sizewell C in Suffolk, which is currently under construction and is expected to cost around £38 billion.
Nuclear power plants consume vast amounts of water, which is partly used to cool the reactor core in order to prevent meltdowns.
Sizewell B, also in Suffolk, uses around 800,000 litres of fresh mains water per day, while Sizewell C is estimated to need more than 2 million litres per day by the time it is completed, according to the Guardian.
Last month, Labour advocated for more nuclear power stations to be built in Scotland, with the UK Government publishing a report highlighting six areas where plants could be built "should the policy position of the Scottish Government change".
The Scottish Government opposes new nuclear developments and has insisted the focus should instead be on renewable energy, with both Dounreay Nuclear site in Caithness and Hunterston Nuclear Power Plant in North Ayrshire currently being decommissioned.
Elsewhere, Torness Nuclear Power Plant in East Lothian is scheduled to end operations in 2030.
Labour have been approached for comment.
