May 23, 2007 

As the British Government launches its new White Paper today and argues that our future is nuclear, anyone interested in the debate should check out the updated NuclearSpin site.

NuclearSpin was originally launched in response to the British Government’s 12-week consultation on energy in 2006.

Earlier this year, the High Court ruled that the Government’s plans to build a new generation of nuclear power stations were “unlawful” and the way it consulted with the public over the decision was “misleading, seriously flawed, manifestly inadequate and procedurally unfair”. Now the British Government is trying again with a new consultation exercise. 

As like last time though, it seems the British government has already made up its mind. Months before the first consultation Blair convened a secret meeting at Chequers where informed sources have said that nuclear was given the green light.

The Observer newspaper is reporting that Blair’s successor, Gordon Brown, will also support a new generation of nuclear plants in the UK.  What makes this decision politically sensitive, is that Gordon Brown has close family connections to the nuclear industry. His younger brother Andrew Brown works for EDF Energy, the UK subsidiary of EDF, which is one of the leading companies pushing for a nuclear rebuild programme in the UK.

The Labour Government is also speeding up the planning process, making it easier for nuclear power plants to be built. Planning Minister, Yvette Cooper has already had to fight off criticism of "nuclear cronyism" due to her father's links to the nuclear industry too.

So it seems the government has yet again made up its mind to build new nuclear plants, before the public consultation. So what, you might ask, is the actual point of the consultation, apart from the government being seen to be going through the motions of consulting the people. It could be argued it is pure spin.

To help people make up their own mind, NuclearSpin has been updated and expanded.

• There are new sections on countries and regions, including Australia, Belgium, Canada, the EU, Finland, France, Germany, Japan, United Kingdom and United States;

Within these sections you will find details on the lobby groups and pronuclear MEPs in Brussels, including British MEP John Purvis, who is a director of a company with significant investments in nuclear.

You can read about the Italian company, Enel, still 30% owned by the Italian Government, (in a country which voted to close down its reactors in 1987) which is now trying to build new nuclear reactors in Slovakia. Or find out how German companies are trying to undermine the nuclear phase out agreement.

Or find out more information on companies like Iberdrola, which has recently taken over Scottish Power and likes to present itself as a renewable energy company.

Find out how French Government-owned EDF is expanding its pro-nuclear tentacles around the globe, and Vattenfall – wholly owned by the Swedish State, which is meant to be phasing out nuclear power – is heavily involved in the industry battle to undermine Germany’s phase-out of nuclear power.

• Hugely expanded profiles on pro-nuclear organisations and lobby groups.

Some of these are out to confuse you with “eco”-sounding names such as the African American Environmentalist Association and the Clean and Safe Energy Coalition.

Or learn how some of these groups such as the Nuclear Energy Institute ghost opinion pieces for local academics to sign and publish in regional newspapers across the country.

• A new Analysis section, including “Why Nuclear is not the Answer to Climate Change.”

• New Freedom of Information requests in key areas on the nuclear push in schools, the Franco-British Nuclear Forum, the "intimate" relationship between Jamie Reed MP and BNFL, and secret meetings between Number 10’s advisor, Geoffrey Norris and the World Nuclear Association.

We hope you will find the site useful and informative. If you want to get involved get in touch.