Duncan Borrowman supports call for energy independence

10.50.26pm BST (GMT +0100) Thu 21st Aug 2008

Old Bexley & Sidcup Liberal Democrat candidate Duncan Borrowman has have given his strong backing to ambitious calls by Nick Clegg MP for Britain to become self-sufficient in energy.

The Liberal Democrat Leader has called for a major programme to build up Britain's own energy supplies through wind, tidal, wave and biomass technologies.

Duncan Borrowman, who is a former national Chairman of the Green Liberal Democrats, said: "I am delighted that the Liberal Democrats nationally are calling for a green revolution in the way we produce power.

"The recent Russian invasion of Georgia and the ongoing troubles in Iraq and Iran show just how dangerously reliant Britain is on energy from unstable parts of the world.

"We have to build up our own energy supplies and as an island nation, we have an abundance of natural and clean energy sources that both Labour and Conservative governments have failed to develop.

"The government are hell bent on building a polluting new coal fired powered station just down the road at Kingsnorth, even though their own head of the Environment Agency, a former cabinet minister, says this is environmental suicide.

"Whilst Labour and the Conservatives joined together earlier this year to agree Britain should have a new generation of nuclear power stations, Liberal Democrats believe this will leave a legacy of radioactive waste for future generations. It will also leave us dependent on foreign supplies of uranium."

Mr Clegg said: "We have an enormous opportunity to create real energy independence for the UK, freeing ourselves from the shackles of foreign oil, coal and gas. This will require the kind of ambition and political will that succeeded in putting man on the moon."

Related Links:

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Stop Kingsorth campaign.