Stephen Morgan MP has today grilled Ministers in the House of Commons on when the Government will finally put an end to the uncertainty and decide to stop the disastrous AQUIND interconnector project.
Working alongside the Stop AQUIND group, the City MP has been a tireless campaigner against AQUIND which would cause untold disruption and pose a threat to Portsmouth’s environment and local economy.
The City MP has also raised concerns that the project is engulfed by murky financing and ties to the Conservative Party, overall posing a risk to national security if the project were to go ahead.
The High Court overturned the Government’s 2022 decision to block the project, requiring the Secretary of State to redetermine the scheme.
Speaking in the House of Commons today after raising concerns, writing to the relevant department and posing questions to Ministers, Stephen Morgan MP asked:
“Portsmouth people have waited far too long for the Government to decide against AQUIND.
“Will the co-owner donating over 1 million pounds to the Tories – including donating £6,000 to the Prime Ministers constituency party and over £70,000 to the Chancellor – factor into the Minister’s decision on this disastrous project for Portsmouth?”
Aquind’s public face, Alexander Temerko, has also conducted a coordinated and concerted effort to influence British political figures. Since the project started, Temerko has donated thousands to the Conservative Party.
In addition to this, research done by the BBC has revealed that Mr Fedotov’s businesses have donated a further £700,000 to 34 MPs and their local parties. This includes a string of current and former Ministers in the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.
The question in the House of Commons comes as Stop AQUIND campaigners wrote to the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero urging her to make the right decision to reject the project without further delay. The intervention has the full support of the Portsmouth South MP.
Commenting, Stephen Morgan MP, said:
”Portsmouth people are long overdue clarity and confirmation on whether this project will go ahead, given the disastrous consequences it will have on our city.
“The Government came to the correct decision almost two years ago. The facts have not changed and our concerns have only grown.
“That’s why I am calling on Ministers to again deliver the right decision as soon as possible. I will continue to work with Stop AQUIND campaigners to make this happen”.
