Nuclear Power - does your party support it?

Assembly Election Manifestos


The Green Party in Wales is known to be staunchly anti nuclear.

New Labour
A section on Green Wales proclaims that Wales could become a world leader in renewable energy, and states that the key to tackling climate change is harnessing the enormous potential of micro-generation and energy efficiency. This is somewhat spoilt by "We recognise that nuclear power generation remains an option in the debate on reducing carbon emissions in any future mixed energy supply."

Plaid
Nuclear power is not mentioned.
The world cannot afford any delay in tackling climate change. Energy conservation and efficiency is the biggest, cheapest, quickest and most practical way of cutting back on greenhouse gas emissions.

Liberal Democrats
We say no to new nuclear power, an unsafe toxic treasure trove for the future. We want all new buildings to be carbon-neutral by 2015. Aim for renewable energy to supply 100% of Wales’ electricity by 2050. As a milestone target, our aim is 30% of our electricity supply coming from renewable energy by 2020.

Welsh Conservatives would provide every household in Wales with £20 worth of energy saving light bulbs financed by our investment fund.
We want to see all the green technologies come forward and play their part, but nuclear cannot be ruled out. Welsh Conservatives would be prepared to replace the Wylfa nuclear power station as part of a wide ranging policy to reduce reliance on carbon based energy.

RESPECT oppose nuclear power on principle,
Cons are pro nuclear in Wales. Labour is slippery, and Plaid are unable to say anything because their leader wants nuclear and the party overwhelmingly does not.

Only the Greens, Lib Dems and Respect are clearly anti nuclear.

Comments
1. The Leader of Plaid explains why there manifesto doesn't oppose nuclear power:"The reason there is no reference to nuclear energy in our manifesto is because it is a non-devolved issue, with decisions taken at Westminster."This was the same argument used by the leader of Welsh Labour to justify his lack of position on Iraq.It attracted ridicule then & it deserves ridicule now.It is also a little disingenuous.In both their 1999 and 2003 ASSEMBLY Manifesto's Plaid has previously taken a position on nuclear power - only in 2007 does it suddenly become a devolved issue that therefore doesn't require comment

2. I have always thought that you can't be a real green without being a red, (and conversely you can't be a real red without being a green)The trouble with the Green Party is in power at local government level they have often supported cuts in local services and neoliberal attacks on working conditions. In some places, like Leeds, they even form coalitions with the Tories! Like Labour their are some good socialists who are members but in power they probably would go down the same route. I read this critique recently:"In the London Borough of Lewisham, in March, the Greens voted with Labour for a budget that will result in £800,000 of cuts, threatening community education services. Darren Johnson, the leader of the Green group, and a prominent figure in the party nationally, called those opposing the cuts irresponsible.In Kirklees, West Yorkshire, the three Green councillors were previously part of a joint Lib-Dem/Green administration and allied themselves with the present Tory ruling group in recently pushing through, along with the Liberals, a budget that could result in the closure of three children's nurseries and an increase in home care charges. In return the Greens got a paltry pledge that cavity wall and loft insulation will be provided for homes in the area. The gap between the actions of Green councillors and their party's 'left' programme to oppose neo-liberalism, is widening all the time, although they have some way to go to match the opportunism of the German Greens. When they were part of the German government, the German Greens ended up backing a ferocious Thatcherite onslaught on the working class and sending troops for the imperialist intervention in Afghanistan."

RESPECT on RENEWABLE ENERGY NOT NUCLEAR POWER

Greenpeace
RENEWABLE ENERGY NOT NUCLEAR POWER

Respect statement on Plaid Cymru dropping opposition to nuclear power

RESPECT Wales are shocked to hear that Ieuan Wyn Jones AM, Leader of Plaid Cymru, has stated that – in principle – he supports the building of a new nuclear power station in Anglesey. This represents a historic break with Plaid’s policy of supporting a nuclear free Wales.

This is bad news for every anti-nuclear campaigner in the UK. New Labour want to build a new generation of nuclear power stations, Plaid have undermined the fightback against nuclear power everywhere by supporting this plant and strengthened the hand of Blair, Brown and the pro-nuclear lobby. And behind nuclear power lies the spectre of nuclear weapons . . .

RESPECT believes that nuclear power cannot be part of the solution to climate change because:

• Nuclear power is costly. It relies on government subsidies of billions of pounds that would be better spent on developing renewable energy.
• Nuclear power is not carbon neutral as its supporters claim. At every stage of the production cycle, from the mining of uranium to the building of reactors and the storage of waste products, greenhouse gases are pumped into the atmosphere and other pollutants leaked into the local environment.
In Southern Australia, the Olympic Dam uranium mine is the region’s largest producer of C02. The mine has also caused huge environmental damage with some of the most ancient springs in the Australian outback are drying up.
• Nuclear power is unsafe. From Chernobyl to Three Mile Island nuclear power has been disastrous. In Sellafield, leukaemia and cancer rates have rocketed in the vicinity of the power station.
There is still no solution to the storage/disposal of nuclear waste. An Observer article in July 2002 reported, “almost 90% of Britain’s hazardous nuclear stockpile is stored so badly it could explode or leak with devastating results at any time”.

According to a study by Friends of the Earth Cymru, Wales’ current electricity needs could and should be met entirely by renewable energy.

In a July 2005 briefing they write:

“Wind energy, offshore and onshore could generate around 30 per cent. Underwater turbines could generate up to 50 per cent. Biomass, solar power and hydroelectric schemes could also make smaller, but significant contributions to make up the difference. Tidal lagoons in the Severn estuary could generate more electricity than Wales needs. Wave energy and tidal streams are other technologies that could be considered.”

RESPECT believe the climate crisis must be solved through a combination of renewables, energy efficiency measures including a massive programme of building insulation, a shift from private motoring towards public transport, and a rapid transition to a low carbon economy.

We demand:
• Emergency steps to reduce the use of fossil fuels, alongside massively increased investment in sustainable energy – including solar, biological, and wind and wave power.
• Opposition to Rhodri Morgan's tidal barrage and call for investment in tidal lagoon technology that is more cost effective & does not jeopardise local habitats.
• No more oil wars. Troops out of Iraq & Afghanistan.
• An international treaty which goes way beyond Kyoto. Campaign for local councils to cut emissions by 25% over 5 years. We demand the government to set binding annual targets of 3% cuts at Welsh Assembly and UK government level.
• A cheap and integrated transport system to provide an alternative to car use, making the current road building programme unnecessary. Re-direct the £30 billion spent on road building into public transport.
• Localised food production with a big reduction in food miles.
• Sustainable town & city planning.
• Tough action against corporate polluters & companies like Esso.
• Halt airport expansion and end the £9 billion tax-break to the airlines. We oppose the expansion of Cardiff Airport.
• Keep Wales nuclear free. Close all nuclear power plants. Scrap trident nuclear weapons.
• All new buildings to be energy efficient. Increased public investment to make homes energy efficient and free insulation to every home. Build new sustainable council housing.
• High quality facilities to maximise recycling. No to incinerators. The aim should be full recycling of waste. In Neath, Respect supporters initiated the Stop the Incinerator campaign.
• Build a massive grassroots movement to save the planet.

The leadership of Plaid are willing to form a coalition with New Labour or even the Tories. They have supported the St. Athan’s Military academy, now they are supporting Wylfa B nuclear power station.

We invite left wing supporters and members of Plaid to join a party – RESPECT – that stands unequivocally against war, racism, privatisation, destruction of the environment, nuclear power and nuclear weapons.

Cardiff Respect Blog

Women and Politics Today - A short report of Respect's Women's Conference

You maybe interested in this report of the Respect National Womens Conference.
In response to a resolution passed at the Respect National Conference held last year calling for a National Women's Conference to coincide with International Women's Day, Respect brought together over 100 women – and a few men – on 3rd March to discuss the position of women in Britain today, and progress on the women's rights movement on a global scale.

A diverse group of women participated in the event, and speakers ranged from journalists, academics and councillors to trade union leaders, NGO workers and leaders of the anti-war movement. It was also an historical conference because though International Women's Day was founded in 1910, in recent years it has come to be celebrated largely as an apolitical event. The Respect conference was an attempt to put politics and issues of class back into discussions around women's oppression.

The six workshops attempted to capture the most pressing issues facing women in Britain and the west today. Issues discussed ranged from the rise of raunch culture and abortion rights to Muslim women and politics, and whether women in general are able to pursue a career, have children and be actively involved in politics all at the same time. The point was made that while women now produce the majority of the wealth in the world, no woman should have to make the choice between pursuing a career or having children, or sacrificing an active political life.

Journalist Victoria Brittain helped open the session along with Lindsey German from the Stop the War Coalition, Linda Smith from the Fire Brigades Union and Rania Khan, a young Respect councillor in Tower Hamlets. Victoria discussed the idea that men are never going to relinquish power willingly, while Lindsey pointed out that the huge inequalities in society today are "not just about individual relationships to society" but rather structural inequalities. "Women got the vote on the same basis as men in 1928. Laws were passed on equal pay and sex discrimination more than 30 years ago. Yet there is still huge inequality," she said.

Iraqi writer Haifa Zangana and Eli Rostami-Povey of Action Iran introduced a powerful session on how the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have set back the position of women in those countries. Haifa noted that while Iraqi women were fighting alongside men in the resistance against the British in 1922, we now have a situation where an Iraqi woman MP considers it unacceptable to speak in public. Not a particularly inspiring role model for young women in Iraq.

The National Women's Conference was welcomed by participants as the first women's conference that Respect has organised, with enthusiasm for similar forums in the future which would allow Respect women members and non-members to discuss action on the issues raised, such as developing a Respect policy on work/life balance and supporting campaigns on abortion rights.

The essence of the meeting was that while there have been clear advances, women are still fighting some of the same struggles today as they were from the beginning of the women's movement. The clear message was that politics must be put back into the fight for equality and that changing society and attitudes towards women are fundamental to realising women's rights

'Respect tsar' is No 10's favourite to take over youth justice board

Alan Travis, home affairs editor Tuesday February 13, 2007 The Guardian

Downing Street is pushing for Louise Casey, Tony Blair's "respect tsar", to take over the job of chair of the youth justice- this is an absolute disgrace! Tony Bliar and New Labour are such conrol freaks!!