- Boris Johnson - live: PM confirms £700m nuclear power expansion amid energy crisis The Independent
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- Boris Johnson pledges massive expansion of nuclear power in final act as Prime Minister The Telegraph
- Boris Johnson to make energy price crisis announcement today Wales Online
- Sizewell C nuclear power plant given green light with £700m of government funding Sky News
Boris Johnson has promised £700m of funding to get the much-delayed Sizewell C nuclear power project into operation as part of a drive to improve the UK’s energy security.
In his final major policy speech as prime minister, Mr Johnson said the spike in gas prices driven by Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine showed why the UK needed new nuclear-generation capacity.
The new Suffolk reactor could power the equivalent of about six million homes and would provide tens of thousands of jobs, he said, and it would be “madness” not to go ahead with it.
“In the course of the next few weeks I am absolutely confident that it will get over the line,” he added during a visit to the site.
Lamenting the UK’s failure to build new nuclear power stations, he blamed “myopia” - politicians not being able to see beyond the political cycle, as he took a swipe at Labour and the Lib Dems for not having built any while in power.
And in what is seen as a veiled put-down of Liz Truss, he cast doubt on fracking.
Earlier, chancellor Nadhim Zahawi said he was deeply concerned people could freeze this winter as energy bills skyrocket, admitting government help with the cost of living was not enough and insisting “nothing is off the table”.
Sizewell go-ahead will increase bills for decades, says Greenpeace
Greenpeace UK has condemned the cost of investing in Sizewell C.
Chief scientist Doug Parr said the £700 million could insulate huge numbers of draughty homes and cut next year’s bills, “instead of being thrown on to the slow-burning financial bonfire that is EDF, to increase our bills for decades”.
He added: “The contrast between these lumbering white elephants and the dynamic, cost-cutting, innovative technologies in the renewables sector could barely be more striking.
“While this down-payment on failure shows the government hasn’t noticed, the market has, and investors have fled the nuclear sector.
“To get Sizewell done, the government would have to step in and add the enormous costs of building reactors to the enormous costs consumers are already paying for their electricity.”
The “Boris bill” would be the Prime Minister’s legacy, he added.
Gove urges Truss to consider business energy rationing
Tory former environment minister Michael Gove, a Rishi Sunak backer, has urged Liz Truss to consider rationing of energy for businesses this winter.
Ms Truss, the strong favourite to be the next PM, ruled out any form of rationing at last night’s final Tory hustings event.
But Mr Gove, who in 2016 himself stood as party leader, said the UK may have to follow some European countries in limiting use.
“If we look at our European neighbours and others, there have been some restrictions on the use of energy in non-domestic settings,” he told Radio 4’s Today – but said he did not think “individuals rationing energy” would be necessary.
“It may be the case that in certain non-domestic settings, that there needs to be some form of restraint in the way energy is used,” he said.
MPs claim £200,000 for utility bills on second homes
MPs charged taxpayers almost £200,000 for energy bills and other utilities at their second homes over the past year, new analysis by The Independent has found.
Campaigners said the findings showed that Britain’s elected representatives were partly “insulated” from financial pain during the cost of living crisis. Adam Forrest has this exclusive report:
MPs claimed £200,000 to pay utility bills on second homes last year
Exclusive: Taxpayers’ support to heat MPs’ second homes ‘adds insult to injury’, say campaigners
Lib Dem leader hits back at PM over renewables
Lib Dem leader Ed Davey says Boris Johnson’s call for more investment in renewable energy would anger “many people who know it is his government that has failed to invest in cheap green energy”.
He added: “The millions facing sky-high energy bills this winter could have had cheaper bills and warmer homes if it wasn’t for Boris Johnson’s failure to invest in renewable energy as Liberal Democrats did in government.”
Johnson casts doubt over fracking in dig at Truss
Mr Johnson appeared to take aim at supporters of fracking, in what will be seen as a veiled put-down of his likely successor Liz Truss.
Highlighting the importance of offshore wind, he said: “Because of the activism of the government we’re now racing towards our target - we will hit it - of 50 gigawatts of offshore wind by 2030. Fifty gigawatts is a huge amount, that’s roughly half the electricity consumption of this country, from offshore wind.
“I tell everybody who thinks hydrocarbons are the only answer, we should get fracking and all that, offshore wind is now the cheapest form of electricity in this country. Offshore wind is nine times cheaper than gas.”
Liz Truss has repeatedly said she supports fracking in areas where local people support it.
Sizewell C will power one in five UK homes, says PM
Boris Johnson said of Sizewell C: “This project will create tens of thousands of jobs, it will also power 6 million homes - that is roughly a fifth of all the homes in the UK - so it’ll help to fix the energy needs, not just of this generation but of the next.
Hailing the decision to press ahead with the project, Mr Johnson added: “So no more national myopia, no more short-termism - let’s think about the future, let’s think about our kids and our grandchildren, about the next generation.
“And so I say to you, with the prophetic candour and clarity of one who is about to hand over the torch of office, I say go nuclear and go large and go with Sizewell C.”
Johnson blames Blair and Brown
Boris Johnson blamed Tony Blair and Gordon Brown as Labour prime ministers for not pushing ahead with nuclear power.
“When Sizewell opened in 1966 it was the eighth reactor that this country had built in just seven years,” he said.
And he compared the UK with France and other countries, asking: “Why have we never got back to that kind of rhythm?”
“For 13 years the previous Labour government did absolutely nothing to develop this country’s nuclear industry. They said it didn’t make economic sense,” he said
“Thanks a bunch Tony. Thanks a bunch Gordon.”
'Ukraine must have Zaporizhia nuclear plant back’
Asked about the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant that is occupied by Russian forces, Mr Johnson said the Russian objective was clearly to “unplug” it from the Ukrainian grid and plug it into the Russian grid - a risky move.
The Ukrainians should have it back under their control, he said, adding what the Ukrainians had already done was astonishing in pushing the Russians back.
“Whatever happens in Kherson or the Donbas, it’s vital that we stay steadfast and rock solid in our support for Ukraine,” he said.
Johnson refuses to say whether he has regrets
Boris Johnson has refused to answer whether he has any regrets from his time in office, but added he was very proud of what his government did.
Asked by journalists whether he would change anything and about what people should do in view of spiralling energy costs, he said he would leave it for them to judge.
He said was sorry it would be tough, but the future would be better once the UK had an strategy in place that delivered long-term, sustainable energy.
Then the UK would no longer be vulnerable to Vladimir Putin’s tactics, he said.
On his own future, he said he would give his successor his “full, unqualified” support and “only time will tell” what kind of ex-prime minister he will be.
PM says government will put £700m in Sizewell C
Announcing a £700m investment in Sizewell C, Mr Johnson said renewables were the future.
Offshore wind is nine times cheaper than gas, he said.
Vladimir Putin thought Europe would roll over and accept Russian gas - but he was wrong, he insisted.
There would be a substantial sum of money from whoever took over from him, Mr Johnson promised.
“Of course there will be more cash to come from whoever takes over from me... substantial sums.”
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