Prince Andrew promoting nuclear power
dv | 14.01.2009 13:29 | Ecology | Energy Crisis | Other Press
As if it isn't bad enough that Gordon Brown's brother Andrew is the UK media chief for 85% French state-owned energy giant EDF (Energy), it seems the royal connection is now needed to convince us that we need more toxic nuclear white elephants.
French energy giant EDF (Energy), which recently took over British Energy for £12.5 billion, are planning to build at least four new EPR nuclear power reactors in the UK, starting with Hinkley Point in Somerset and Sizewell in Suffolk, in collaboration with 95% French-stated owned nuclear crooks Areva and German firm Siemens, all with the blessing of Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Lord Peter Mandelson, his (unelected) business secretary. German energy giant E.ON is also keen on building new nuclear reactors in the UK, as well as a new coal-fired power station at Kingsnorth in Kent, of course.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/theobserver/2009/jan/11/3
Andrew courts nuclear meltdown at the Palace
What is Prince Andrew's new year's resolution? Not, it seems, to be any less controversial than he was in 2008. This column has learnt of a plan to hold a gala lunch on 5 February at Buckingham Palace for heavy hitters in the nuclear industry, which is, according to critics, a startlingly fraught arena for a member of the royal family to enter.
The lunch is to be hosted by the prince as the UK's special representative for international trade and investment, the idea of the job being that he can use his royal clout to promote Britain abroad, although providing a publicity boost for nuclear energy within the UK is a departure.
The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament is writing to him. Kate Hudson, chair of CND, says: "It's outrageous that Prince Andrew and the Palace are being used to promote nuclear power. This has always been a contentious political issue and is likely to become more as the government's plans move forward. When this is an issue that divides MPs and the country, it is thoroughly wrong for it to appear that the royal family supports nuclear power. This event should be cancelled."
Further criticism comes from other anti-nuclear campaigners contacted by this column last week. Jim Duffy of the Stop Hinkley group says he is "furious", while Peter Roche of No 2 Nuclear Power points out that several mainstream political parties (the Lib Dems and the SNP, for example) are opposed to any expansion of nuclear power and that the royals should "remain aloof".
So far, there's no word from Prince Charles about the lunch, but his recently appointed deputy private secretary may not be best pleased. Benet Northcote joined the royal household from Greenpeace, where he was a doughty campaigner against nuclear energy.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/theobserver/2009/jan/11/3 Andrew courts nuclear meltdown at the Palace
What is Prince Andrew's new year's resolution? Not, it seems, to be any less controversial than he was in 2008. This column has learnt of a plan to hold a gala lunch on 5 February at Buckingham Palace for heavy hitters in the nuclear industry, which is, according to critics, a startlingly fraught arena for a member of the royal family to enter.
The lunch is to be hosted by the prince as the UK's special representative for international trade and investment, the idea of the job being that he can use his royal clout to promote Britain abroad, although providing a publicity boost for nuclear energy within the UK is a departure.
The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament is writing to him. Kate Hudson, chair of CND, says: "It's outrageous that Prince Andrew and the Palace are being used to promote nuclear power. This has always been a contentious political issue and is likely to become more as the government's plans move forward. When this is an issue that divides MPs and the country, it is thoroughly wrong for it to appear that the royal family supports nuclear power. This event should be cancelled."
Further criticism comes from other anti-nuclear campaigners contacted by this column last week. Jim Duffy of the Stop Hinkley group says he is "furious", while Peter Roche of No 2 Nuclear Power points out that several mainstream political parties (the Lib Dems and the SNP, for example) are opposed to any expansion of nuclear power and that the royals should "remain aloof".
So far, there's no word from Prince Charles about the lunch, but his recently appointed deputy private secretary may not be best pleased. Benet Northcote joined the royal household from Greenpeace, where he was a doughty campaigner against nuclear energy.
dv
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Comments
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No surprise
14.01.2009 16:56
Why should we be surprised at this? This is a family who enjoy shooting birds for fun, beating their dogs if they do ot do exactly as they want them to whilst killing said pheasants, (and of course, the cowardly RSPCA find no evidence to prosecute this) ,call their colleagues racist names and then get away with it all and have the Prime Minister speaking for 'us' by saying an apology (by the way, not heard one from him, just lackeys grovelling for Harry) means that the British public would be happy with that. In the same day football protesters who made racist comments to a footballer are arrested. What a shameful society we live in that these privileged and archaic people get away with all sorts of abuses and racism and now promote nuclear fuel.
anon