The Infrastructure Planning Commission is much more important than it sounds.

Depending on your point of view, it is either a] an undemocratic body which will impose unwelcome nuclear power stations and wind farms on unhappy villagers or b] the only way to prevent the lights going out in 10 years’ time.

One day it could be a case study in utilitarianism. Who should have the final say - the small minority or the big majority?

It’s a major issue because the IPC is about to start work. But the Tories would scrap it next year. Their argument is that such schemes can get built; companies just need to work harder to turn “nimbies” into supporters.

The counter-argument is that time is running out. Ironically, it was Greg Clark in the chamber this afternoon who kept repeating the phrase: “Why did they leave it so late?“. (A report this summer suggested power outages by 2017 the way things are going).

Well yes, it is Labour’s fault that we are in this situation. The dirtiest coal power stations will have to be closed in the run-up to 2015. Many nuclear power stations have less than a decade before they are wound down. And still UK renewables lag behind all EU countries bar Malta and Luxembourg (as this blog has mentioned before).

But if the British public won’t embrace more power - while demanding 24/7 energy supplies - surely the time has come for some form of compulsion? Even if that means angering environmental groups* and others? On this Labour seems to have a more practical policy than the Tories.

Ed Miliband, energy secretary, tried to make the case, gingerly, this afternoon: “Saying no everywhere will not be in the national interest,” he said.

The Tory approach is to let the secretary of state make individual rulings on schemes - subject to today’s national policy statements, released by the secretary of state. Therein could lie the potential for even more judicial reviews.

There is no doubt that business groups are worried about the Tory policy, as my colleagues wrote here.

The Institute of Directors said today:

“The establishment of the Infrastructure Planning Commission and the consultations on today’s national policy statements are important steps towards reducing these costly delays while preserving the democratic accountability that is properly part of the planning process. Now that the new regime is getting under way, it is important that nothing should be done to hinder the IPC’s ability to deliver quicker decisions on key infrastructure projects.”

*I know that Friends of the Earth and others want a more democratic system. But if the IPC delivers much-needed wind farms isn’t that the better of two evils?

David Cameron will tomorrow raise the bugle to his lips and sound the retreat on the Lisbon treaty referendum. But he’ll tell his troops that they will fight another day as he pledges to repatriate powers. One thing to look out for is when he plans to trigger a formal re-negotiation and how. We’ve had a Cameron U-turn on the referendum — watch out for a  Zagreb zigzag on repatriation.

Some European diplomats think that Cameron is a pragmatic chap who has realised he cannot spend his first six months trying to reopen Lisbon. It would overshadow his fledgling government and could waste precious political capital, particularly if other European leaders ignore his pleas. (Remember that 14 member states need to support Cameron to even start renegotiation talks, while any changes require unanimity.)

Continue reading "Cameron and the Zagreb Zigzag"

The Czech constitutional court has cleared the Lisbon Treaty, as my colleague in Warsaw reports here.

Klaus - the last man standing between David Cameron and Lisbon’s ratification - could now sign the treaty within a month. Now it’s just a waiting game for Cameron to drop his promised referendum on Lisbon, a pledge which was always going to be difficult to maintain.

Jean Eaglesham writes here that: “David Cameron is poised to rule out a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty….an announcement would come ‘very soon’.”

Brown, Cameron, and Clegg are answering questions - although separately - on diversity in parliament.

Further Reading:

Live Guardian Blog of the Speaker’s Conference

Watch the conference at the parliament website

Nick Robinson on the need for debate

Gordon Brown has said gay MPs and peers should to be allowed to hold civil partnership ceremonies inside the Palace of Westminster.

Within the Westminster world there is a growing feeling that the financial crisis is over. Spring has sprung, daffodils are blooming, the stock market has (partially) recovered, unemployment figures are not as bad as expected - etc.

But many analysts are warning that the current recovery is almost entirely down to the actions of central government (QE, low interest rates) which will at some point have to unwind.

There is also the commercial property crash. The price of offices and shops may sound esoteric if not boring - but so did “sub-prime”, once upon a time.

My colleagues at Alphaville have done a great job of highlighting the risk to banks from the sector.

Continue reading "Financial pain - it’s not over yet"

– It will cost us an arm and a Legg

– You’re pulling my Legg

– Legg it

– They’ve got Legg on their faces

– They don’t have a Legg to stand on (Yes, Tony Wright MP did say this on Newsnight.)

– Legg over

– This story has Leggs

– Putting all your Leggs in one basket

– The first Legg of a long race

– Shake a Legg

Dare we ask for more?

George Parker, FT political editor, analyses David Cameron’s last conference speech before the general election.

Follow on the link below: Continue reading "FT video: Analysis of David Cameron’s speech"

Brian Groom, FT business editor, assesses the reaction of business to the conference after a year of financial crisis.

Follow the link below: Continue reading "FT video: What does business make of the conference?"