British MP In Charge Of Building Power Pylons Campaigned Against Building Power Pylons
The UK minister responsible for the building of new pylons has been quietly reshuffled after it emerged he had campaigned against the structures in his own constituency. The energy minister Andrew Bowie had been in charge of energy networks, including building pylons, since he took up his post in February 2023.
In July he wrote on the blog he runs for his constituents in West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine that concerns among locals about new pylons were “a priority of mine”. He met local anti-pylon campaigners on multiple occasions. In December the brief was passed to the climate minister Graham Stuart. No announcement was made but a change has been made on the government website.
A freedom of information request by Politico found that Bowie raised potential conflicts of interest under the ministerial code, recording “a large number of energy companies and organisations working in or on behalf of the energy sector within the minister’s constituency and surrounding constituencies”.
There has been a growing campaign by some Conservative MPs against expanding the National Grid, which needs to happen if enough electricity is to be supplied to UK homes and businesses while allowing for growth and decarbonisation. The MPs say pylons are unsightly.
EDIT
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/feb/07/uk-minister-for-building-pylons-loses-role-after-campaigning-against-them
