What a surprise!

I should have put money on it, even Blair spoke about it.

It did not take higher Mathematics to calculate that with wind power both unreliable 24/7, wave and tidal power production provoking protests from bird lovers and conventional power stations producing carbon dioxide, all logic suggested that the only clean, reliable and viable solution was nuclear powered electricity.

The Times has announced this morning that the Government expects at least 8 new nuclear power stations to be approved over the next two years. The alternative would be power cuts within the near future, as many of our conventional power stations and nuclear power stations are becoming obsolete. In fact by 2023 all the present nuclear stations will have become so.

Some of the nuclear power stations will be built as additional reactors or stations within the present ones, but the 8 new ones will need fresh sites. We could be kind to the Government and say that they have waited until they had the new planning authority (Quango) which can override or shorten local planning protests.

However, the Government are guilty of dithering and delay. It has been obvious for years to anyone who looked at the data that if we have to meet EU and other undertakings on emissions, and if we are to maintain sufficient reliable capacity, then there is no way we can avoid the nuclear option. The irony is that as our own nuclear industry has been downgraded for many years, we shall probably have to rely on the French for technology and building stations.

Bottler, as he went on his spending splurge, took his eye off the ball and ignored power generation. It was very short-sighted and it is now very last minute, given the time it takes to prepare, design, and build nuclear stations.