Tories swoon over tidal lagoon

Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon commands the support of 83% of Conservative MPs according to a report commissioned by Tidal Lagoon Power.

The ComRes research surveyed 150 MPs from across the UK, including 61 Conservative, and 303 Conservative councillors across England and Wales.

The report found 84% of Conservative councillors were also in support of the proposed 320MW Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon project.

TLP said Conservative respondents were convinced tidal power will deliver on the government’s priorities of securing long-term and reliable power supplies.

Gower MP Byron Davies said: “I held an event for this project in the Houses of Parliament and it was striking how much support the project has not just from Welsh MPs but from members from across the United Kingdom.

“There is a genuine cross-party consensus building on the potential of tidal lagoon technology and I look forward to continuing these cross party efforts in support of this project in the near future.”

TLP’s head of communications Andy Field said: “We’ve always found support for tidal power to be intuitive and that has been as true of politicians in Westminster as it has community groups in Port Talbot or manufacturers in the Midlands.

“What’s interesting about this research is that support for Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon runs deeper: there is a common appreciation among Conservatives that this project signals the start of something different in UK energy.”

Image: Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon (Tidal Lagoon Power)