Cambria Politico - The Political Blog

Are London journalists going a bit over the top in their belief that David Cameron is on the verge of dumping his love for environmentalism now that Labour’s political star seems to be truly setting ?

Cameron had seen the green agenda as rebuilding the party’s one-nation Toryism in the wake of the Thatcher years.

Welsh Tory leader Nick Bourne was usually seen as the forerunner of this rebuild-the-Tories agenda. But today he seemed to be trying to wreck that image and put him back in line with the ageing backwoodsmen who undoubtedly still exercise too much power within the party apparatus - and may be about to snatch back more control of the London party than is good for them.

Mr Bourne’s group will, during its weekly formal Senedd attack on the administration, call for Assembly plans for Forestry Commission land to be used for wind turbines to be halted.

The secret reason is that they spoil the view for visitors. The advance press release claims instead that knocking down trees contradicts the “importance of maintaining forestry land as ‘carbon sinks’”.

The Welsh Tories have record in opposing every large scale wind proposal to come their way. The Cefn Croes farm on the borders of Powys and Ceredigion was strenuously attacked. And off-shore, too: they fought up to the last vote the plan for a large off-shore wind-farm off Porthcawl.

But Mr Bourne insists he remains as “green” as ever; but rather than wind farms, he would prefer mini-generators on every home’s roof-top - just like Mr Cameron’s, it seems.

No mention of the national plan which apparently exists in Germany, where small but powerful farms are dotted around the country.

Of course, the Assembly possesses only part-control over energy policy. Which is a recipe for half-baked thinking from ministers and the civil service.

Which may be one reason who so little has been made by the Fifth (cabinet) Floor at Crickhowell House of the tidal power which surrounds much of Wales. Mr Bourne’s madly in favour. So are the Lib Dems, who recently hosted a party conference on the issue at Chepstow.

Strangely, the Lib Dems failed to depict what sort of tidal energy they favoured. Perhaps because the elected members from Wales and the West Country failed to agree.

Bearing in mind that Assembly environment minister Jane Davidson also harbours some doubts, perhaps that should not be a surprise.