Stephen Morgan MP has submitted a 6,200 signature petition to Parliament today, calling on the Business Secretary to scrap the damaging infrastructure project.
The campaign, supported by the local ‘Stop AQUIND’ group, has been the leading local voice of opposition to the proposed interconnector project. The Portsmouth representative’s petition cites the huge damage it would cause to the local infrastructure and environment, as well as ongoing concerns surrounding the project company and its directors.
Local activists met the city MP on Tuesday morning outside the House of Commons, ahead of the petition’s submission.
The Portsmouth MP, who strongly opposed AQUIND from the earliest stages, has written a string of letters to Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng MP on the issue, regularly attended local demonstrations against the project and held Ministers accountable through written and oral questions in the House of Commons.
Kwarteng has until October 21 to make a decision.
The original deadline was September 8, but this was postponed earlier this month after Mr Kwarteng queried why an alternative plan without commercial telecoms aspects still included rights for the associated land.
The company has until September 16 to respond.
Commenting on his latest intervention, the member of parliament for Portsmouth South, said,
“The people of Portsmouth have spoken: the Aquind Interconnector Project must be stopped.
“I’ve been clear from the outset that this project would bring untold disruption to our daily lives and natural environment, with no clear benefits. Meanwhile, the company directors’ cosy relationships with government ministers continue to raise suspicions.
“The Secretary of State needs to provide certainty to the thousands of city residents whose daily lives will be affected.
“Over 6,200 of you have spoken. It’s time the government finally listened.”
Responding to the news in a joint-statement, the co-chairs of the ‘Stop Aquind’ campaign, Viola Langley and Paula Ann-Savage, also said:
“Today was a critical moment in our campaign with Portsmouth voices being heard loud and clear In Parliament through Stephen’s petition, and we’re grateful for his support and being alongside us every step of the way.
“It cannot be right that decisions impacting residents here in Portsmouth are made hundreds of miles away behind a desk in Whitehall.
“It’s time the Business Secretary listened to our concerns, end the uncertainty and scrap Aquind.”
