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Sir Bernhard Ingham and Gordon Brown are unlikely bedfellows. But the Government's controversial decision to push for a new generation of nuclear power stations in its White Paper on Energy brings Margaret Thatcher's cantankerous former press secretary and the prime minister-elect on side, at least for now.
But while Ingham sees the backing for new nuclear reactors as progress, he's not convinced the politicians have understood the urgency needed to avert Britain's looming energy crisis.
"Even with our warmer winters, we are sometimes scraping the barrel for electricity generating capacity," he says.
"The Government's decision to back more renewables, such as wind power, is pointless and merely a sop to the greens. What no politician ever tells the consumer is that nuclear power is by far the cheapest form of |
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| ‘Even with our warmer winters, we are scraping the barrel for electricity generating capacity’ |
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electricity - and the safest."
Ingham is talking as secretary of the Supporters for Nuclear Energy (SONE), a cross-party lobby group which campaigns for nuclear power to be taken seriously. Members include Labour MP Denis MacShane and Gaia guru Professor James Lovelock.
Ingham is not anti-green. What he can't abide is the "delusional myth-making and nonsense" talked about alternative energy supplies. "We need the lowest cost and the lowest carbon output consistent with a viable economy," he argues.
While Ingham has grudging respect for Labour's attempts at a grown-up energy policy, he has little time for David Cameron and his policies: "Hugging huskies and misplacing a wind turbine on your roof does not encourage me to think that the Conservatives are closer to reality."
While the UK procrastinates, he warns, the rest of the world is moving ahead. Globally, there are 250 nuclear reactors being built to add to the existing 435 - providing 17 per cent of the world's electricity. 
FIRST POSTED MAY 23, 2007
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