As our one-time columnist (Nick Timothy) has departed for Number Ten, we highlight some of the ideas advanced by the man described in today’s papers as the Prime Minister’s ‘political brain’. Security experts – reportedly inside as well as outside government – are worried that the Chinese could use their role to build weaknesses into computer systems which will allow them to shut down Britain’s energy production at will. “For those who believe that such an eventuality is unlikely, the Chinese National Nuclear Corporation – one of the state-owned companies involved in the plans for the British nuclear plants – says on its website that it is responsible not just for “increasing the value of state assets and developing the society” but the “building of national defence.” MI5 believes that “the intelligence services of…China…continue to work against UK interests at home and abroad.”
Conservative Home 15th July 2016 read more »
Has Government come to its senses by cancelling the champagne party tomorrow? It was arranged to celebrate the giant blunder of a Hinkley decision. Can they have come to their senses? Approving Hinkley would be a decision of monumental stupidity.
Paul Flynn MP 28th July 2016 read more »
“Second thoughts are needed on this expensive hazardous massive spending. There are alternatives especially by investing in tidal and hydro power that are Wales’s ‘North Sea Oil” While power from some renewables is intermittent, the immense power of the Welsh tides are constant, precisely predictable, carbon free, British and eternal. The planned EPR Hinkley reactors are a reckless gamble that have not delivered because all other EPR projects are many years late and suffering vast over-runs that triple their costs. It would be foolhardy to guarantee to two foreign government a strike price that is unfair to UK billpayerss and guaranteed for 35 years’.
Paul Flynn MP 28th July 2016 read more »
Chris Huhne’s ‘performance’ at the memorable Shell/Daily Telegraph Energy Scenarios event in London back in 2010 was impressive. He indicated strong commitment to energy efficiency, renewables in general and in particular a European supergrid for renewables, notably telling the audience – in direct response to a question I put to him on this subject – that he was “completely sold on interconnection”. Equally impressive was his apparently passionate broadside against anti-wind pontificators at the Renewable UK 2011 conference in Manchester, during which he referred to an “unholy alliance of short-termists, armchair engineers, climate sceptics and vested interests … selling the UK economy short by their refusals to acknowledge the benefits that renewables will bring”. Sadly, his performance in an interview about the Hinkley C madness on the BBC Radio 4 Today programme this morning was lamentable. In complete contrast to his previous enthusiasm for renewables, he pontificated about the variability or renewables in a manner one is used to from unenlightened renewables sceptics and about the alleged need for new baseload (which is an outdated concept), verging on enthusiastic support for the Hinkley C white elephant. A classic Victor Meldrew moment! Tom Burke, on the other hand, was in his usual excellent form on the same programme.
Herb Eppel’s Blog 28th July 2016 read more »