Day 2770: A Nuclear Non

Friday:


Well, it’s not EVERY day that you get to see the Government’s energy policy AND environment policy both implode before breakfast.

We ARE going to need extra generating capacity if we’re to avoid the lights going out; we’ll need it NOT to be more fossil-fuel-based plants if we are to meet our Kyoto targets. But really, the whole idea that we could flog off British (Radioactive) Energy to the French and get them to build us the infrastructure on the cheap is just TYPICAL of this Government, particularly Mr Frown and his ENRON-ACCOUNTING PPP (or Pay Pounds Perpetually) schemes.

Ironically, the deal also failed because in their keenness to do GOOD deal for EDF, the Labour Government forgot that selling to France at below the market rate also toasted the private sector who said that the deal was off unless they got a fair price – including for the taxpayer!

But do we REALLY want to be handing over control of YET ANOTHER energy industry to another country? From moving to a position where the country could supply its own energy needs, through coal and North Sea oil and gas, we have allowed ourselves to drift into a state where we are at the WHIM of foreign corporations and governments and WILDLY fluctuating international prices.

We already have HUGE increases in the cost of energy, hitting the poorest hardest – and worse, it’s disproportionately harder because of the way they are excluded from cheaper deals like Direct Debit payment!

The Government should be taking RESPONSIBILITY for guaranteeing future supply.

And now, it would appear, that the Government has abrogated its duty AGAIN, and wants not only to inflict atomic power plants on us, but to inflict atomic power plants on us that are under the control of FRANCE!

If you WANT new generating capacity – and we do – just go and BUILD IT. For personal preference, I would rather build a dozen windmill farms, but if you MUST make atomic power stations then just MAKE them rather than insisting on doing something stupid and then trying to get some other fellow to do it for you. On the cheap.