Ed Davey was interviewed recently for a podcast published by the Green Alliance.
Shaun Spiers, executive director at Green Alliance, asks him about the historical commitment of the Liberal Democrats to environmental policies. Ed talks about his achievements in the Coalition, and the rather tepid support from the Conservatives since then for green issues. He also makes the case for regulation, and the opportunity offered post-pandemic to rebuild our economy on greener lines.
At one point Ed reveals that, after the Coalition, George Osborne took legal advice about cancelling the 15 year contracts set up under the Contracts for Difference scheme, which supported various green initiatives. Osborne was told that he could not unpick them because they were private law contracts – which is exactly what Ed has planned in order to protect them from future Government interference.



3 Comments
The NHS needs something similar, lack of political interference and a less top heavy management. More professional.
I like renewal energy, at the moment it is lots of spin.
Electric cars and vehicles have batteries made manly in China.
Good to here Ed has got the hydrogen message agree we do need to raise our profile on the natural environment its got to be more than just a Dutch auction on who can promise to plant the most trees , but we can offer a more biodiverse environment , We do need to review the almost developers charter the conservatives have been promoting back to a more sustainable agenda in terms of planning guidance .
I follow the Green Alliance, so had already listened to the podcast. I think it’s great that Ed is out there promoting our environmental credentials, and explaining some of the practical aspects learned from his time in government.
I was a bit concerned that Ed still talks as if he’s at a job interview or campaigning for the leadership. While some of the anecdotes require him to tell it from his point of view, there was an awful lot of “I did this” and “I did that”, which leaves the impression that it was him alone, rather than the party.