Campaigner hits out at nuclear 'sweeteners'

Sunday, August 31, 2008

A SOUTH Lakeland anti-nuclear campaigner has claimed taxpayers’ money is being used to “soften up” Cumbrians for a new nuclear power station.

Artist Marianne Birkby spoke out after discovering the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority has given £34 million from its “socio-economic fund” to organisations such as hospitals and colleges and wildlife, and heritage groups.

Ms Birkby, from Milnthorpe, said the NDA was “handing out sweeteners” to local community groups in West Cumbria as an “insidious PR sideline”.

“A dependency on such funding is being created. The people are being softened up for nuclear new build at a time the NDA should be focusing on dealing with nuclear waste,” she said.

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