Nuclear Neanderthals create stupid block to sustainable energy future

Letter to the Morning Star:

 

Pam Pink asserts in her letter (“Whose banners are raised high?” Moring Star, 29 March) that it is the number of trades union banners on a protest march that is the measure of its importance.

On many issues, this is certainly true.

Unfortunately in the energy sector, the trades unions working in the nuclear sector, betray a reactionary not radical perspective, even teaming up with really right wing Tory MPS to back their forlorn cause..

Last week the regional newspaper, John O’Groat Journal, reported (Dounreay union official says nuclear should be part of energy mix,” 30 March ; https://www.johnogroat-journal.co.uk/news/nuclear-should-be-part-of-the-future-energy-mix-says-john-deighan-176302/) that  John Deighan, the branch secretary of the Unite union at Dounreay, had backed nuclear as part of the UK energy mix a Parliamentary reception held by Trudy Harrison, the Conservative MP for Copeland in west Cumbria.

Other speakers at this highly reactionary event were former Labour MP and  energy spokesman Tom Greatrex, now the chief executive of the Nuclear Industry Association, Peter McIntosh, Unite national officer, and Justin Bowden, the national secretary of the GMB.

 

Afterwards, Mr Deighan argued  "The key message from all the speakers was that the UK requires to maintain its highly skilled workforce,” which is true, as a huge century long mission to decommision old nuclear plants is crucial, but erroneously added the UK also needs to “commit to building new nuclear power stations as an integral part of our energy mix for the future and to ensure we meet our climate change targets.."