EU votes down power station emissions cap with help of Labour and Tories
Despite an overwhelming response from P&Pers, MEPs last week voted against an amendment that would have meant the end of dirty new coal in Europe.
If the amendment had passed, new power stations right across the European Union would not have emitted as much carbon dioxide as Drax in Yorkshire
Members of the European Parliament in Strasbourg last week defeated Labour MEP Eluned Morgan’s proposal to limit the carbon dioxide emissions of new power stations. This was in spite of several hundred students responding to our late e-action to bring our concerns to the attention of our MEPs. It was the best response we’ve ever had to an e-action so if you took action then thank you!
144 MEPs voted in favour of the cap (out of 785) and 29 abstained. The amendment was defeated thanks in part to Conservative MEPs either abstaining from the vote or voting against - on the same day that back in London party leader David Cameron was calling for rules to ensure that all new coal-fired power stations would include measures to trap carbon dioxide (i.e. to limit the emissions of new power stations). Almost all those from the Socialist grouping at the European Parliament, including Britain’s Labour MEPs, also voted against the amendment.
Read a report of David Cameron’s speech.
If you live in David Cameron’s constituency of Witney in Oxfordshire (and even if you don’t!), why not write to him to ask about the inconsistency between his media-friendly speech in London and the votes of his party’s representatives in Strasbourg.
Let us know if you get a reply!