Welsh Labour Party Conference – Bute Energy calls on Welsh Government to change its narrative

The Welsh Labour Party Conference at Llandudno in North Wales over the weekend presented the Alliance with many opportunities to speak with politicians from the Senedd and Cardiff Bay. Conversations with senior politicians focused on promoting and protecting our countryside, while roundtable sessions drew attention to green energy proposals and the future Sustainable Farming Scheme.

The Countryside Alliance has written twice to the Cabinet Secretary and Deputy First Minister, Huw Irranca-Davies MS, but has yet to receive a response. The NFU and FUW fringe event presented the opportunity to approach him face to face for the second time, requesting a meeting. We shall see if this one comes off.

At the roundtable session sponsored by EDF energy, the Alliance made the most of the opportunity to share the concerns of communities across Wales on the proposals that have been put forward by Green GEN, an arm of Bute Energy. The session was chaired by the MP for Cardiff North, Anna McMorrin, who has declared that she has received a donation of £3,000 from Bute Energy.

Bute Energy staff present at the roundtable event were keen to point out to both Ms McMorrin and the Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning, Rebecca Evans MS, that they saw the narrative of undergrounding cables “where possible” as unhelpful, urging the Government to change their wording to “where appropriate”. Changing the narrative does not change the position. The Welsh Government has supported undergrounding on several occasions on the public record. Changing that position to satisfy a company known for financially supporting the governing party would be a mistake and would clearly cause uproar.

Farmers from Mid and North Wales made their way in convoy to fill the incredibly long promenade at Llandudno, with tractors and farm vehicles stretching as far as the eye could see. Called on by the police to park in an orderly fashion in full view of the conference, supporters made their presence known and were heard loud and clear by Labour politicians and conference delegates.

The Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, left to applause as rousing as you would expect in his own conference, but whispers in the corridor were less than impressed. Why, I cannot tell you; that is an issue only Labour politicians can divulge, but obviously not all is as happy in the Labour house. He left sharply out the back door but could not avoid the jeers from farmers rightly calling on his budget decisions on inheritance tax to be reversed. This demonstration warmed them up nicely for Tuesday’s rally in London.