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“There are substantial concerns about writing blank cheques so policy is more to work extremely hard to make sure that this happens if all possible.” Mr Lenox said a £6bn gap in funding would be left if Toshiba did not come on board and it would be “crazy” to put that amount of money in.

16 February 2017

The Labour and Tory by-election candidates for Copeland locked horns over whether the Government should underwrite investment into the planned Moorside nuclear power station. Prime Minister Theresa May had earlier been accused by the GMB union, which represents nuclear workers, of “ducking” concerns about the future of the development after huge losses reported by Toshiba, one of its backers while on a visit to Copeland.

The question arose again at a hustings, staged by GMB, in Whitehaven on Wednesday night when candidates Trudy Harrison (Conservative), Gillian Troughton (Labour), Rebecca Hanson (Liberal Democrats), Fiona Mills (Ukip) and Jack Lenox (Green Party) were asked whether they thought the Government should guarantee they would step in financially if Toshiba pulled out of the deal. Mrs Troughton called for clarity on Moorside and urged the Government to provide certainty for the community and the UK as a whole and cautioned: “We cannot allow this to slip through our fingers.” But Mrs Harrison hit back and accused Labour of “hypocrisy” in its pledge to back nuclear when its leader Jeremy Corbyn had “a political history of decades of campaigning against nuclear”. Mrs Troughton told a small audience at Whitehaven Golf Club: “Moorside is absolutely vital as part of the energy mix to keep the lights on in this country and it is vital for this community for the jobs it will bring. “What we need is clarity over Moorside going ahead. We need some commitment from the Government to underwrite part of this so that we have certainty. “Labour have committed to underwriting this and making sure that there is certainty for this project to go ahead and the Government must do that, but Theresa May has failed to guarantee that that will happen today. “We need to see who is really interested in making Moorside go ahead. “Who is really interested in making sure we have jobs in the nuclear industry because I don’t see it from this Government and because I don’t see the infrastructure investment there that’s needed to make that happen.” Mrs Harrison replied she had had assurances from Mrs May and Business Secretary Greg Clark that there was a “strong commitment” to Moorside. She said: “This is the only Government to be investing in new nuclear and quite frankly for the Labour Party to say there are totally committed to nuclear when their leader has a political history of decades of campaigning against nuclear is hypocrisy. “To secure investment, more than anything investors need confidence. “Confidence in the Government all the way to the top. “That’s what this Government can provide and as your MP I will be able to work closely and directly with Government to make sure that happens.” Ms Mills argued the Government should underwrite the development and said: “It’s a huge amount of money but I do believe if we leave the European Union a bit more quickly and crystallise the benefits of doing so we might have more money for development. “So that again is why we need a strong voice in Parliament for a complete Brexit.” Ms Hanson said concerns over Moorside not happening were “not logical” with huge investment in the project which had large commercial value. She added guaranteeing an investment underwriting was not Liberal Democrat policy although the party was committed to nuclear so international carbon targets could be met. She said: “I think you will find, realistically, it’s not any party policy. “There are substantial concerns about writing blank cheques so policy is more to work extremely hard to make sure that this happens if all possible.” Mr Lenox said a £6bn gap in funding would be left if Toshiba did not come on board and it would be “crazy” to put that amount of money in. Planned downgrading of services at West Cumberland Hospital in Whitehaven – including consultant-led maternity services transferred 40 miles to Carlisle’s Cumberland Infirmary – also featured at the hustings.

Read more at: http://www.thevisitor.co.uk/news/regional/labour-and-tory-candidates-clash-over-funding-of-moorside-nuclear-plant-1-8392419