caltonjock

In 2010 the Tories and the Lib/Dems formed a coalition pact forcing the Labour party into opposition.

But forming a coalition government required both Party’s to concede ground on some policies and the Lib/Dems were ever so accommodating in this regard. The smell of power almost burst the nostrils of the latter-day twigs.

At the time the Scottish government still had control of energy and it had decided to throw its weight behind the rapid development and introduction of “clean-energy sources”  with the purpose of eliminating nuclear-generated power from Scotland within a decade.

Conservative estimates projected that Scotland’s clean energy would be well capable of supplying the entire national UK  power grid.

But the Westminster government was loath to put England at risk from a future independent Scotland and decided to continue to replace existing the aging and ever more dangerous nuclear-generated power plants in England and Scotland.

But facilitating the change required the removal of power generation policy from Scotland. This was done overnight, without discussion with the Scottish Government. So much for devolution of power!!!

Yet there remained hope since the Lib/Dems had publicly campaigned for the discontinuance of nuclear energy. Would they sacrifice a major plank of their manifesto to gain a place in government???

The twigs would sell their grannies for a taste of power and an opportunity to send many more of their aging politicians to the house of lords.

What follows is an explanation of how the Lib/Dem party betrayed its vow to Scotland that it would support the Scottish agenda for the future provision of clean energy.

Lib/Dem Nuclear Policy – April 2010- Before the General Election

Liberal Democrat Chris Huhne, energy spokesman for the Party had made many statements against nuclear energy, calling it “a tried, tested and failed technology” and repeatedly called for pouring public money into renewables and their supply chain in: “a commitment to 100 percent carbon-free, non-nuclear electricity by 2050.”

Lib/Dem -Tory coalition government nuclear power policy May 2010

Liberal Democrat Chris Huhne, (He who subsequently ended up in the nick) was appointed to the post of Secretary of the Department of Energy and Climate Change.

The coalition agreement brought welcome relief to nuclear industry observers by committing to continue the unfinished work of the previous Labour government.

A greatly expanded programme replacing and upgrading nuclear plants would begin within months.

To facilitate the new nuclear works would require many more billions of pounds and this would be found by asset-stripping Scottish clean energy expansion requiring any future works to be free of any government subsidy.

A second punitive measure was a massive increase in the tariff against Scotland’s clean energy supply to the national grid which would provide finance for nuclear developments and discourage the Scots from any further expansion of its cost-effective and clean energy.

The massively subsidized nuclear energy provision would be a financial noose around the necks of Scots for many generations to come.

How the shady deal was done between the Tory and Lib/Dem Parties

Liberal Democrats had long opposed any new nuclear construction. But the Tory’s, were fully committed to replacing existing nuclear power stations provided they would receive no public subsidy.

The Parties agreed on a revised process which allowed the Lib/Dem’s to publicly maintain their opposition to nuclear power while permitting the government to bring forward the national planning statement for ratification by Parliament so that new nuclear construction became policy.

This process involved:

The government would draft a national energy statement and submit it to parliament for approval.

A Lib/Dem energy spokesman would speak against the planning statement, but Lib/Dem MPs would then abstain from voting in the division.

Assurance was given to the Tories that the issue would not be regarded as an issue of confidence: “Thus allowing the Tory and labour Parties to pass the legislation with the only challenge coming from the SNP” And this is just what the b******s did.