OK, so we have known for months that Tony Blair has favoured nuclear power in order to keep the UK’s CO2 emissions down. Last night, giving a speech to the CBI, he gave the clearest statement yet that he backs a new generation of nuclear plants (Guardian article here). This has prompted former Environment Minister Elliott Morley to go public in his criticisms of Blair and – reading between the lines of this piece – the nuclear issue was probably the reason for the sacking. Blair’s statement also pre-empts the results of the DTI’s Energy Review, due in a couple of months. So here we go again: Blair trying to be strong, leading from the front, but and making it clear he actually doesn’t much give a damn about the very review he set up and not really caring about the views of the cabinet or the party.
[UPDATE: 18.05.2006, 00:20]
It brought a small smile to my face when I discovered that The Guardian’s News Blog has quoted a line from this post in their ‘Blog Fission‘ round-up. So that’s The Guardian and Aftonbladet in one week… 🙂
Well…firstly congratulations on the Guardian mention! Though I am not sure they have realised you are a Labour member as they said comments were ‘split on party lines’.
Which brings me to a semi-joking but half serious point…Jon do you think at some point you should say something *positive* about the party you are a member of? I mean I know slagging off Blair is very popular in Labour circles at the moment, but most Labour people are then using that to praise GB instead – but you have gone the other way and seem even less keen on him than on TB! I mean obviously it’s up to you but would you like to remind us just why you do support the Labour party? I know there can be plenty of reasons for this that do not involve either current occupants of Downing St, I just haven’t heard you say any of them recently…
There is of course one party whose position you are supporting in this blog post, both on the substance of the nuclear energy question, and the style of the review and leadership.
Hope you don’t mind me asking…