Back the Severn Barrage

Reports that the Government and Conservative parties are preparing to 'delay indefinitely' plans to harness energy from the Severn are deeply disappointing.

Tidal energy from the Severn could produce up to five per cent of the UK's electricity needs and create jobs and opportunities.

The Liberal Democrats do not want the Cardiff to Weston barrage which would have too great an environmental impact and prevent Bristol Port building its new deep-water container terminal.

Instead we want to see a smaller 'shoots barrage' combined with other tidal stream technologies.

With the Copenhagen summit approaching this is yet another climb-down from a Government that has failed to provide leadership on climate change and energy security, and from a Tory party that abandoned its green rhetoric as soon as we went into recession.

Yes of course it would cost a lot of money to harness energy from the Severn – which just throws into sharper focus the folly of spending £12.5 billion on a VAT cut that few consumers have noticed.

Paul Harrod, Prospective Liberal Democrat MP, Bristol North West