This morning’s Western Mail has picked up on the split at the very top of Plaid Cymru where its Leader is saying one thing on nuclear power whereas party policy (and the chair of their national executive) are saying the opposite.
On his blog, Plaid national chair John Dixon wrote: “There’s no surprise in the announcement that Horizon are keen to build a new nuclear station on Ynys Môn. The final decision will, of course, be outside the control of the Welsh Government or the National Assembly, and will be taken primarily on the basis of the energy needs of England. And the interests of the construction companies, no doubt.
“Having produced an energy statement only a fortnight ago which showed that Wales has no need of new nuclear or fossil fuel power stations, the Welsh Government must oppose this development, and their call for a public inquiry is to be welcomed. It would be utterly inconsistent for them to do otherwise.
“Hard it may be; but if we are really to create the sort of green economy in Wales which most of us want, opposing the ‘bad’ developments is probably the most important aspect of all in delivering the strategy.”
It seems that providing that the decision remains with Westminster then the lid can be kept on this steaming mess. That is ignoring the fact that Plaid Cymru also want these decisions devolved to the Welsh Government.
Labour’s Ynys Mon MP, Albert Owen is particularly scathing. He says: “This is Plaid Cymru’s hypocrisy exposed yet again. You have Ieuan Wyn Jones trying to claim credit for the Horizon announcement on one hand, and his party chair calling Wylfa B a ‘bad development’ on the other hand.
“People would have more respect for Plaid if they were just honest with people about where they stood. I’ve been very clear from the start that Wylfa B will be an enormous economic boost for Ynys Môn and that will be down to good, responsible energy policy from Labour.”
Perhaps somebody should point out to him that it is not just Plaid Cymru who are opposed to this development, it is the whole Welsh Government and that the Environment Minister, Jane Davidson is a member of the Labour Party, as is the First Minister.
In June 2007, Jane Davidson wrote that there is no need for new nuclear power stations in Wales, as we will be more than self-sufficient in electricity generation within a few years. Jane Davidson also indicated she had written to the Department of Energy and Climate Change calling for “a public inquiry into the request for justification into the request for the proposed new nuclear reactors, on the grounds of concern over the safety and security of the management of future nuclear waste”.
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‘Split at the top’, spltting the atom you mean!
Jane davidson is right, we must avoid nuclear power stations.
The government clean coal (CCS) stations are a much better bet (even if more expensive) because they trap the carbon emissions and bury in old offshore oilfields.
I’m looking at a pie chart (old text book) from 2004, the radiation we encounter in the UK, some of it natural cosmic rays 10%, gamma rays 14% but what is striking the radiation we come across most is RADON , 47% of all radiation , Radon comes from the decay of Uranium in fission power stations which i think the Anglesey plant will be.
This is something the UK govt have successfully covered up, half the radiation we encounter is not ‘natural’ but the result of uranium being smashed , Radon shown to be massive cancer risk in US
Also massive amounts of water are needed for the cooling towers, which will have radioactive elemets in it.
I think Wind is much better. Wales has a massive coastline for a small nation, lots of upland sites for turbines, severn barrage should produce. off shore turbines as well,
The Uk is getting rid of 9 of it 10 nuc power stations in next few years, why nuclear power on anglesey when CCS would be less encroaching on environment and have no radioactive waste to entertain?