Power plans that may well cost the earth

11.30.00am GMT Wed 9th Jan 2008

A new generation of nuclear power stations will cost the UK's taxpayers billions of pounds

MP for Manchester Withington, John Leech, today slammed the announcement that Gordon Brown's Cabinet has unanimously given the go ahead to the development of a new generation of nuclear power stations.

John Leech MP stated:

'Nuclear power is extremely costly and contentious.

'We should instead be concentrating our efforts on renewable forms of energy and sever our dependence on fossil fuels. Nuclear power is simply not necessary. Renewables can provide us the energy we require.

'The government tell us that there will be new nuclear power stations built, but we are not told how they will be paid for or how nuclear waste will be efficiently disposed.'

The Liberal Democrats have continued to voice their opposition to the building of any new nuclear power generation capacity in the UK, instead campaigning for more funding for renewable energy projects and a shift in emphasis to the promotion of energy efficiency.

The Liberal Democrats also call for a change in the current taxation system, instead rewarding individuals who minimise their Carbon footprint.

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