I am utterly appalled that less than one week into his role, Ed Miliband approved the Mallard Pass Solar Plant for construction.
This shows a complete disregard for community consent, contempt for human rights, and a complete failure to understand food security is a national security issues.
In waving through three of these mass mega-solar projects, he has given a green light to every company complicit in Uyghur genocide seeking to make a profit off our agricultural land. 6,295 acres of agricultural land will be lost.
With 93 documents in the decision subfolder for Mallard Pass alone, let alone the other two projects, I struggle to believe the Secretary of State has engaged with the detail or read all of the documentation and representations. It is also not in line with the Written Statement I secured from the last Government which put food security first.
This is a slap in the face for all those who value human rights, food security, upholding standards in business, and protecting our agricultural land.
I am sorry to all those who have campaigned so hard, for so long, and whose voices today were flagrantly dismissed.
In particular, Mallard Pass Action Group's campaigning against Mallard Pass and their support for residents over the past few years has been outstanding and it has been a pleasure to work with Sue and all the MPAG team. They have just been incredible, and their attention to detail and work has been truly outstanding with their love of our community shining through at every moment.
I am not done however fighting against solar on agricultural land, fighting against slave labour in supply chains, and fighting for a compensation package that gives our communities what we deserve. Mallard Pass still needs to deliver a number of reports and plans before they can get building, and I plan to hold them to account on every single one and ensure they cannot proceed unless they deliver them.
I will continue to do everything I can, and I'm very grateful to you all.
All my best to you and yours -
