Nuclear shambles

Even in a country cursed by short-termist policy-making, nothing over the years has matched the abject failure of successive governments to renew our nuclear power capacity. As far back as the 1980s, pledges were made to build new plants to replace the reactors due to shut down in the coming decades. Yet the programme was abandoned as gas became more economically and politically attractive to governments looking no further than five years ahead.

Now, with the old plants being decommissioned, we are woefully unprepared for the removal of gas from the energy mix. The one reactor under way at Hinkley Point is over budget, years behind schedule and dogged by difficulties because of the involvement of Chinese money and French technology. Another planned at Sizewell awaits a final investment decision.

Now Claire Coutinho, the Energy Secretary, says another will be built. It sounds like the triumph of hope over experience. Nuclear is green, dependable and long-term yet is perversely opposed by environmentalists wanting to phase out fossil fuels. Ms Coutinho is right to say it is a vital part of our energy future, not least because it is not reliant on imports of insecure supplies from overseas (which will continue for the foreseeable future whatever “net zero” targets are set).

But new plants were promised by Boris Johnson two years ago and yet little progress has been made in agreeing sites or a funding model. Having led the world in the 1950s, our failure to invest has seen a loss of engineering expertise, leaving us reliant on other countries to resuscitate the industry. Even with an accelerated programme the benefits would not be felt for years to come. It has been a sorry tale.