Blair pressured to publish briefing on nuclear power

ENVIRONMENTAL campaigners called on Tony Blair yesterday to publish a briefing he used to justify hints that he would approve a new generation of nuclear power stations.

Friends of the Earth has filed a freedom of information request on the “first cut” of the Government’s energy review — due to report before the summer.

Blair told business leaders the “stark” facts he had been shown meant the nuclear question was “back on the agenda with a vengeance”.

And he told MPs that ruling out more use of the technology in the future would be “a collective dereliction of duty”.

But a chorus of protest was joined yesterday by Mayor of London Ken Livingstone who said choosing nuclear would be “the great misjudgement of our generation”.

“I would say to Tony Blair and every politician who has the ability to influence the future energy strategy of our country that giving the green light to nuclear power would be an expensive and dangerous mistake.

“The government will get it disastrously wrong if it reactivates the nuclear option. We need a solution to climate change that protects the environment not damages it,” he said.

Friends of the Earth director Tony Juniper said the energy review appeared to have been a “sham” to mask the prime minister’s determination to press ahead with nuclear.

“Tony Blair has completely undermined the government’s Energy Review by endorsing a new generation of nuclear power stations.”