The Tory, The SNP and The Cosy Alliance

Malcolm Rifkind QC is the Conservative MP for Kensington and Chelsea. From all the information that is available it appears he has never voted on a transparent parliament and he's someone who votes well below the average amongst MPs, yet he seems happy to take on a lobbying job for North British Windpower, a company trying to get permission to build a giant wind farm in the Lammermuir Hills in the Scottish Borders.

Despite, it would appear, after a public enquiry well over a year ago, and the Scottish Government's Reporter recommending against this wind farm, the SNP government are doing everything in their power to find a way to get it approved. The reason that the wind farm was rejected is because the MOD have objected to it because it will create 'holes' in their radar. The radar that they use to see if there might be a possible threat against the Torness Nuclear power station, which is not many miles east of the Fallago Ridge wind farm site.

Now why would Mr Rifkind, whose constituents are a good way away from the Lammermuir Hills, have an interest in such a thing? Could it be the offer of the dreaded wonga! Or is he just so mad keen on wind farms that he sees it as his duty? I wonder if he consulted the local Conservative MSP in Berwickshire to gauge public opinion? I doubt it. Has Mr Rifkind ever been to the Lammermuirs to see for himself the scale of the developments of windfarms? Having moved south after losing his Edinburgh Pentland's seat I don't suppose he really cares.

And while we're on the subject how come the Energy Consents Unit here in Scotland seems so cosy with North British Windpower, to the extent that they apparently offered to go to London to meet with the MOD, along with NBWP? It seems that there's an agenda afoot. Let's cover the South of Scotland with turbines, an area where the SNP have absolutely no chance of ever winning a seat outright, so that we can keep turbines away from all those SNP strongholds.