Skip to main contentSkip to navigationSkip to navigation
British wind
A crop of the 'British Wind' advert due to appear in the Spectator magazine this week, paid for by RES, SSE and Mainstream Renewable Power. Photograph: RES
A crop of the 'British Wind' advert due to appear in the Spectator magazine this week, paid for by RES, SSE and Mainstream Renewable Power. Photograph: RES

Tory patriotism fuels wind energy ad campaign

This article is more than 12 years old
A new advertising campaign with a union flag and wind turbine will appear in the right-of-centre Spectator this week

England expects every Tory to do their duty and support British wind power. That is the unmistakeable message of a new advertising campaign with a union flag and wind turbine appearing in the right-of-centre Spectator magazine this Thursday.

The use of patriotism is the latest tactic in an increasingly bitter war of words between Conservative party backbenchers and those committed to low-carbon energy.

Ian Mays, chief executive of Renewable Energy Systems (RES) one of the backers of the British Wind campaign, said the country's future energy security was being ignored by critics as North Sea supplies ran down.

"Gas prices have trebled in Europe over the last decade and there is no reason to think they will decrease in future years. Shale gas has benefited the US but is only expected to play a modest role in Britain by 2025. In the meantime we can expect 70% of gas will be imported by 2020," explained Mays.

"The cost of wind once built is locked in. This is a British resource that can create a substantial number of new jobs and can provide an increasing percentage of UK electricity."

The advert will say: "Britain's inexhaustible wind energy supplies will be vital as we become increasingly dependent on foreign gas." The campaign's subtitle is "Powering Homes and Businesses."

The move by RES, utility company SSE and Mainstream Renewable Power comes just after Sir Richard Branson and 101 leading "clean tech" entrepreneurs and opinion formers sent a letter to David Cameron calling on him to provide a more stable political and fiscal framework for wind, solar and biomass sectors.

Both initiatives come after an aggressive approach to the prime minister from 101 Tory backbenchers calling for a "dramatic cut" in public subsidies to "inefficient" onshore windfarms.

Comments (…)

Sign in or create your Guardian account to join the discussion

Most viewed

Most viewed