Energy Policy

Part of the debate – in the Scottish Parliament at 9:44 am on 9 March 2006.

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Photo of Nora Radcliffe Nora Radcliffe Liberal Democrat 9:44, 9 March 2006

Another debate, another opportunity to make the Liberal Democrats' opposition to new nuclear power stations crystal clear. The Tories do not agree. Their motion calls for new and replacement nuclear build. That makes the Tory position clear—or does it? Launching the Tory energy policy review in February, Alan Duncan said that his party had

"no fixed opinion on nuclear energy".

This week, he went further still and said:

"you can't go against the grain of public opinion on nuclear power ... We are open-minded but we start from a position of suspicion."

On 2 March, David Cameron said that we want decentralised energy; on 9 March, Scottish Tories call for more nuclear power, which requires a centralised energy system. Young David plans a wind turbine for his roof; Murdo Fraser calls for a moratorium on wind energy. Alan Duncan is suspicious of new nuclear power stations; Alex Johnstone is positively excited by them. How interesting it is that the Scottish Tories continue to embrace nuclear energy while the English Tories are much less happy about it.