Why Jeremy Corbyn's views on Nuclear Power matter in Copeland

The Labour party in Copeland are frantically trying to disassociate themselves from their party leader's views on nuclear power - even those of them that voted for him to be party leader!

Some of them are even in denial about the fact that Jeremy Corbyn has publicly spoken out against nuclear power. If anyone reading this is in the least doubt. a click on the link in the next paragraph should be enough to prove that he did.

Jeremy Corbyn has described the entire civil nuclear industry as, quote, "dangerous," and came out against new nuclear power plants in his "Protecting our Planet" policy document which he published as part of his campaign to be Labour leader: he stated quite clearly that

"I am opposed to fracking and to new nuclear on the basis of the dangers posed to our ecosystems."

“New nuclear power will mean the continued production of dangerous nuclear waste and an increased risk from radioactive accident and nuclear proliferation.”

Regardless of what the Labour policy book says, if someone with those views becomes Prime Minister it would be just about impossible to raise the finances to build any new nuclear power stations.

If Jeremy Corbyn becomes PM I doubt that the new proposed power station at Moorside near Sellafield will go ahead. That would have catastrophic consequences for the economy of Copeland, as the outgoing MP stated in the resignation letter from Labour's front bench which he tweeted within seconds of Jeremy Corbyn's election as party leader.

Nobody in Copeland who supports the nuclear industry should be in any doubt that if Labour wins the forthcoming by-election, Jeremy Corbyn and his Momentum allies will claim that this was a triumph for the leader and his brand of socialism - with the result that the position of the present party leader, and therefore of opponents of nuclear power, is likely to be strengthened.

If, however, Labour lose the seat, the die-hards around Corbyn will undoubtedly blame everyone but themselves, but in fact it will almost certainly be the Labour leader's policies and approach in general, and his opposition to nuclear power in particular, which cost them the election. Anyone who follows politics and has the most tenuous link with reality will realise this.

That is why I believe that anyone in Copeland who supports nuclear power should use their vote in the manner most likely to bring about the defeat of Labour in the forthcoming by-election.

Comments

Anonymous said…
“New nuclear power will mean the continued production of dangerous nuclear waste and an increased risk from radioactive accident and nuclear proliferation.”

This quote from JC is simply a statement of fact not opinion, unless of course you do not believe “New nuclear power will mean the continued production of dangerous nuclear waste"?
Chris Whiteside said…
There would only be an increased risk of nuclear proliferation if we were stupid enough to give any of the extra nuclear material to people who don't currently have nuclear weapons but might possibly use it to make them.

British governments have done some extremely silly things but that is one particular mistake which I really cannot imagine any realistically possible British government being daft enough to make.

West Cumbria hosts possibly the world's largest concentration of expertise in dealing with nuclear waste and I believe we can manage the extra waste safely.
Anonymous said…
So like Jedi Jamie and Lord Jack before him you are condemning west Cumbria to be the nuclear dustbin of the world in return for - Nothing. I'm pleased you won't be negotiating the Brexit deal.
Chris Whiteside said…
Nonsense. I believe it is essential that we get a much better deal for West Cumbria in exchange for hosting strategically important national facilities than was often the case in the past. I would not agree with the term "nuclear dustbin" but I would agree that West Cumbria was sold short.

Moorside must come with substantial improvements in local infrastructure.

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