FCUKEDD - Prime Minister wakes up ...

On January 31st Tony Blair was in Manchester, UK and in answer to a reader of the Manchester Evening News, judged it an appropriate time to discuss nuclear power in public. The answer was published the following day. The Press / TV passed this historic moment by…..

Question: We are facing a serious energy deficit and the idea of wind farms is proving to be a shambles. Is it the government’s intention to build any more nuclear power stations or further develop the UK nuclear power industry?

Answer: The issue is whether we can overcome two obstacles - cost and public concern. There are countries like China and South Africa that are developing new generation nuclear power stations and I think what we have said is that you can’t shut the door to this. We don’t have any plans to open new power stations but what you are saying is interesting and I think there is a debate to be had about nuclear power but it has to happen in a rational way. If we suggest a new generation of nuclear power in this country I can guarantee there will be public concern about it so we would have to look at what is going on in other countries very carefully.

Press comment and lobbying by the energy industry since the day after the May election has been remorseless, and the subject never off the pages of the press or our TV screens. Today the Scotsman on Sunday says Blair has decided to back new nuclear power stations, which would be built on the sites of existing plants and presented to the public and his party as a job-creating answer to climate change.

Blair's advisers are pro-nuclear. Sir David King, his chief scientific officer, said 3 years ago that renewable energy sources would not be developed fast enough to fill the gap expected in 2020. Margaret Beckett, Environment Secretary, last week claimed at a climate change conference that she has "never said" she is against nuclear power.

A commons motion opposing more nuclear energy has been signed by only 41 of Labour's obedient 354 MPs.

Brian Wilson, a former energy minister (now ex MP) say fears of a House of Commons rebellion are overblown because new plants do not require the permission of MPs.

"There has not been a nuclear moratorium - it's open to anyone to come up with new proposals," he said. "And you do not need legislation, just a level of commitment that makes new propositions economically feasible."

A DTI spokesman said it was "highly unlikely the planning issue wouldn't have ministerial involvement" but confirmed that a new power plant "wouldn't necessarily involve primary legislation".

Research conducted by the DTI has identified three sites to host a new nuclear reactor: Hinkley in Somerset, Sizewell in Suffolk and Hunterston in Ayrshire.

The reader of the MEN , founder of the Forthcoming United Kingdom Energy Debt Disaster (FCUKEDD) is astounded that the Government has finally responded to the naked facts about energy supply and security for the UK. An island which Ernest Bevan famously remarked in the height of the ’47 winter ..” is made of coal, and surrounded by fish, where it would take an organising genius to manufacture a shortage of either”.

9 months - gestation time for a baby - perhaps Tony realised he got FCUKKED when he visited Manchester ?

Now watch the market him fuck him big style while the squeeze the costs out of the UK taxpayer.(Note The DTI has been holding "discreet talks with major energy providers" about nuclear options: E-On and RWE of Germany, and EdF of France. BNFL has design for a new plant (remarkably.... the Chinese / SA pebble bed design the PM mentioned and was evidently very well briefed on in January).

UK Energy security .. that went out of the window when we sold off the N Sea oil and gas and Maggie clobbered the miners.

Here are some news links Sunday 9/10/05, Forbes ,Scoopt, Scotsman... from CND to nuclear reactor !

Recent blogs on same topic here