Welsh Secretary pressed on links between Welsh MP and controversial energy company

Emily Price

The Welsh Secretary has been questioned about links between a Welsh MP and a controversial energy company.

This week, Jo Stevens faced questions in the Westminster from the Welsh Affairs Committee on her work as the Secretary of State for Wales.

During the session, Liberal Democrat MP for Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe, David Chadwick, quizzed Stevens about Welsh Labour's links to wind farm developers Bute Energy.

The firm is currently developing a portfolio of onshore wind and solar power energy parks across rural parts of Wales.

It’s been involved in several controversial planning applications for turbines and steel pylons in picturesque areas of the country.

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Concerns

In July last year, Nation.Cymru reported how concerns were being raised that Welsh politicians were be courted by Bute.

We revealed that several Labour Senedd Members and a Welsh Labour MP had received gifts and cash from the company.

Labour MS John Griffiths had received a ticket to the FAW Women’s Cup final - then later sponsored an evening reception for the wind farm developers in the Senedd.

Labour MS Jenny Rathbone’s husband John Uden accepted a position on Bute Energy’s advisory board which was setup to help to promote onshore wind and solar energy projects in Wales.

Clwyd South MS Ken Skates and Alyn and Deeside MS Jack Sargeant had received rugby tickets from the company.

Sarageant's wife also has links to Bute Energy as she works for Camlas – a public relations company which lists the firm as a client on its website.

Concerns were raised about the links between MSs and the energy giant whilst the Senedd was actively discussing matters that would have a material impact on Bute Energy’s proposed projects.

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Cash

Our probe also found that Cardiff North MP and Assistant Government Whip Anna McMorrin had hosted Bute at an event in Westminster shortly after receiving a £3000 donation from the company.

At the time of our story, Welsh Labour said that the donations had been "declared in the proper way, in line with the relevant rules and regulations of the Senedd and UK Parliament."

Bute Energy said that all it's interactions with politicians had been made and declared "in full compliance" and that the company had engaged with politicians "from all political parties".

In Westminster on Wednesday (July 10), David Chadwick asked the Welsh Secretary if her government's desire "to keep costs down" for Bute Energy's owner Oliver Millican had anything to do with McMorrin's cash donation.

He said:"The question of who gets to benefit from Welsh natural resources is clearly an ongoing saga.

"Oliver Millican is a property developer who stands to make an absolute packet if his company is allowed to build wind farms all over Radnorshire.

"Bute Energy is short changing local residents through its community benefit fund and it will be paying a tiny fraction of the revenue generated from its turbines.

"Why is the government so keen to keep the cost down for Oliver Millican and his various companies - and has it been influenced by the donation his company made to the member of Cardiff North?

"Because that’s one company whose tentacles seem to reach all over this current government."

Not appropriate

The Welsh Secretary responded saying she did not think it was "appropriate" to be asked about McMorrin's donation, adding that it was a matter for Chadwick "to take up elsewhere".

She said: "Our clean power mission by 2030 is designed to give us energy security, to create thousands of jobs in Wales and to bring down energy bills - for everybody in Wales and the United Kingdom.

"So there is a choice for people. They can either have the infrastructure and lower bills and energy security - or they don't.

"That means we will have to have infrastructure in some parts of the country.

"In Wales, we will benefit hugely from the jobs the clean energy mission is going to bring - both in terms of our free ports, in terms of floating offshore wind and all the other types of energy.

"We will deliver that 2030 mission - but most importantly energy security and bringing down bills."