Sunday 8 November 2009

‘It isn’t just about the green thing’ – Ed Miliband

Ed Miliband:

It isn’t just about the green thing it’s about doing the right thing by way of energy security.


A fascinating choice of words. And so true! When it comes to walking and cycling, it isn’t just about the green thing, it’s about adopting an invertebrate position to the road lobby. Copenhagen is about the green thing, but as we know it’s an awfully difficult choice between catastrophic climate break-up and Big Carbon special interests.

And it’s super to see Ed announcing a major policy change not through parliament or even to his own party, but through that all important medium, The Daily Telegraph.

Ed Miliband, the Energy and Climate Change Secretary, will give the go-ahead for a new generation of power stations and explain how new planning guidelines will speed up the time it takes for them to come into operation.

In a major series of policy statements on Monday Mr Miliband will say that “saying no” to nuclear is no longer an option.

Last night he told The Daily Telegraph: “Saying no is not a good energy policy. In fact we’ve got to say yes to all of the key technologies, nuclear, renewable, clean coal. It isn’t just about the green thing it’s about doing the right thing by way of energy security.

Ed, by the way, is coming to Walthamstow on Thursday 26 November to take part in a community meeting at Willowfield School between 6.30pm and 8.30pm

Over on The Archipelago of Truth, someone cruelly asks

What possible good would it do for Ed Miliband to visit Walthamstow?

Surely the answer is obvious. The excitement generated locally by the arrival of charismatic Ed will rub off on Labour parliamentary candidate Stella Creasy, who in 2010 will be swept to power by a newly-energised electorate. And on an MP’s salary, and with all those lovely allowances, Stella can donate her bicycle to the recycling scheme and buy a new one. This may well be enough to save the planet.

(I was at a party in The Village recently and I quizzed a long-term local Labour Party member about Stella. But as this is a wholesome family site, I am sadly unable to record the response, which was quite lengthy and involved very many adjectives.)