Taken from: http://ratcliffeontrial.org/2010/12/day-8-%E2%80%93-morning-session-former-mp-alan-simpson-testifies-in-support-of-the-ratcliffe-defendants/

After two days' court time snowed off, we were back in today for a packed schedule, with two politicians testifying to the failure of government to tackle climate change.

Alan Simpson took the stand for the morning session and pointed the finger at the Big Six energy companies in the UK as key culprits pushing their profit-driven agenda at the expense of the planet.

Alan Simpson was MP for Nottingham South from 1992 until May 2010 when he "decided to resign my seat in order to devote my time to work on climate change and renewable energy policies." In his testimony he detailed how E.ON, the German energy giant that controls Ratcliffe on Soar power station, had attempted to undermine community controlled renewable projects in Germany at EU policy level - and been flat-out rejected by the EU court. Simpson described the power and resources of Big Six lobbying teams to "defend regimes that have as few restrictions as possible...If you want to change government policies then you have to stand up to big vested interests." The government didn't have the courage, and ordinary people not the resources, to stand up to the "cartel" of energy companies.

In response to the prosecution's endeavour to hold up the Climate Change Act as evidence of government response, Simpson pointed out that the UK was 3rd from the bottom of the European Renewable Energy League in 2008 saying that the Act "didn't change reality on the ground - our practical performance in renewable energy was only marginally better than our performance in the Eurovision Song Contest."

In support of the defendants he commented in his written testimony that "Climate Change protestors are in my view absolutely right to argue that we cannot continue with a ‘business as usual' approach to UK carbon emissions without threatening the very prospects of existence for future generations."

This morning the jury heard a local, established politician testify to the democratic deficit in the current system that allows the Big Six energy companies to maintain control in their pursuit of maximum profits. Will they begin to see the necessity of political protest and direct action in the face of unabated climate change?

Taken from: http://ratcliffeontrial.org/2010/12/day-8-%E2%80%93-morning-session-former-mp-alan-simpson-testifies-in-support-of-the-ratcliffe-defendants/