we’re going to have a new generation of nuclear power stations. The sites have just been announced. The news made me think immediately of what Zac Goldsmith said to me, when I interviewed him ahead of his standing as a Conservative candidate for Richmond. Here’s an extract:
‘I wouldn’t live near a nuclear power plant,’ he tells me. In addition, he says, add up all the costs to the taxpayer, obvious and hidden, including security, and it’s clearly not economically viable. ‘If you do that properly, if you’re honest about it, you’re not going to have nuclear power plants,’ he says. ‘So the Conservative position is, in my view, a no to nuclear power.’
What if he watches his leader give in and approve more nuclear energy? Will he walk? ‘If and when the Conservative Party forms the next Government, regardless of my role within that, it’s not going to stop me pushing these ideas. If David Cameron, with his clear rhetoric and understanding of the gravity of the situation, doesn’t get to grips with these issues in his time as Prime Minister, then we’re stuffed. He made it a big part of his message.’
And if he fails? ‘It’ll be incredibly demoralising for anyone who’s concerned. People will just throw their arms in the air and say, “What’s the point?”‘
So there you have it. That’s all from the Mail On Sunday’s Live magazine, September 2009. Over to you, Zac.