Blair set to press nuclear button

Tony Blair is preparing to commit the country to the biggest nuclear power programme since the 1960s if he wins the forthcoming general election.

The Prime Minister is expected to use a third term in office to pave the way for the construction of up to 10 new nuclear stations in an attempt to ensure that Britain plays its full part in tackling global warming by cutting carbon emissions.
A White Paper backing the nuclear option is widely expected to be published soon after the election, provided Labour is victorious. The document is likely to set out the case for nuclear power but stop short of spelling out how a new generation of reactors would be financed and built.

Support for a new nuclear programme would represent a major about-turn in government policy – which has so far been for Britain to meet its environmental targets through an expansion of renewable energy such as wind, wave and solar power.

The Independent