Daft Old Duffer returns, this time on the subject of wind turbines. Guest opinion articles do not necessarily reflect the views of the publication. Ed
There is one thing we can be sure of about Pugh, our Boy Champion, and that is, he doesn’t so much as go to the lavatory without checking with Conservative Central Office first.
So his pronouncement that the future for power generation as far as the Isle Of Wight is concerned lays with tidal and not wind power, in my view, springs not from any original reasoning of his.
Original reasoning is not something he does.
Whirly-Bird advances
It is, I believe, something he has been instructed to say. A quiet, barely noticed announcement of yet another step back in the retreat of the once almighty Whirly-Bird advance.
An announcement that will soon be followed by a carefully orchestrated chorus from a government bent on changing course without appearing to do so.
For, as I also believe, a stealthy retreat from the once all-conquering army of the Whirly-birds has been put in motion. Motivated not by any consideration of whether or not they are a good idea. But purely on the grounds that the whole concept is turning out to be a political vote loser.
The future is windy
Do you recall, how only a handful of years ago, the entire country seemed immersed in a flood of enthusiasm for those shiny bright new saviours of civilisation?
An enthusiasm led of course by ‘Jump on the latest craze’ David Cameron. Who was so convinced our entire future prosperity relied on the things, he even appointed one of his ministers to push things ahead as swiftly as possible.
A minister who, in the way of all such great men, took all of five minutes to become a world leading expert on the subject and was ever – and frequently – ready to pop up on our telly screens and assure us nuclear power stations no longer loomed over our future.
Because all those shiny bits of kit would not only amply fulfil our needs but would enhance our world-famous scenery whilst so doing.
World leaders in green energy
And what’s more, we were going to be world leaders in this brand new technology. Designing, building and erecting the things would present us with a world-beating boost to our economy, we were told.
You could almost hear ‘Jerusalem’ playing in the background.
But then, just as the path to our clean and sparkly future of unlimited, free power seem to open up before us, a handful of dark clouds appeared over the horizon.
Roll on the subsidies
First of all, far from being free – of cost and problems – all those keen business people suddenly decided they needed substantial cash subsidies just to build the things.
Things, what’s more is that would only produce if a) the wind was blowing strong enough, or b) it wasn’t blowing too strong.
Which meant subsidies might well be needed to operate them as well. Which meant far from being free, wind generated energy was going to cost us all substantially more.
Not just initially, but year on year. For evermore.
I say old boy
Then, anywhere it was proposed to site a bunch of the magic gadgets, up sprang a protest group: comprising not merely the usual suspects alarmed at having their view ruined, but by whole councils; Tory councils what’s more. The very ones the Tories assumed they could rely on to be obedient to the last man.
Next whole swathes of Tory MPs began to mutter they were in danger of losing once rock-solid voters. And, most telling of all perhaps, dark looks began to be cast in the golf club bar, and at those so-secret meetings of the brotherhood.
Quite suddenly, and entirely unexpectedly it began to appear that some sort of back-tracking was in order. But how to do that without provoking cries of the dreaded ‘U-turn’ accusation?
Spending more time with the family
The answer – get rid of the minster who had been championing the things. Easy enough. The chap had been, naturally enough working all those little expenses and speeding and parking ticket fiddles all MPs are so adept at.
So, inform the press. And instead of covering up for his subsequent lies, hang him out to dry.
It was, after all a standard ploy, used often enough in the past.
And one that will doubtless be used in the future. Does the phrase ‘Resigned in order to leave me free to prove my innocence’ ring a bell?
Goodbye wind, hello nuclear
Cheeryby Chris Huhne. Hallo, Nuclear Power Station, and Tidal Power, and all the other neglected buzz words. Where on earth have you been?
Followed closely by “It’s local councils who should have the authority to decide what happens in their locality – not the government in Whitehall.” From the mouth of David Cameron himself.
In other words, if no-one will accept the whirly birds, or whatever else is proposed, it will be their fault when the power shut downs kick-in. Not mine.
Image: Sashafatcat under CC BY 2.0
