Ed Miliband has been accused of breaking rules by approving an application for a massive solar farm owned by Labour mega donor Dale Vince in Lincolnshire, a Tory MP has said.
The Heckington Fen Solar Park, owned by Vince's green energy company Ecotricity, was given the green-light last week despite fierce opposition from local residents and councillors.
Vince is one of Labour’s biggest donors, with his company donating a total of £5.4million to the party since 2021.
Nick Timothy, MP for West Suffolk, has written to Sir Keir Starmer’s ethics advisor, Laurie Magnus, urging him to launch a probe into Miliband.
The letter highlighted a specific clause in the Ministerial Code stating that no conflict should arise, or “could reasonably be perceived to arise”, between ministerial duties and private interests.
It read: “It seems clear that there is indeed such a conflict in this decision, and beyond doubt that it ‘could reasonably be perceived’ that a conflict has arisen, given the financial support given to Mr Miliband’s party by the applicant.
“Did Mr Miliband seek your advice on how to avoid or manage the perception of a conflict in making this decision? Did he seek the advice of his permanent secretary?”
Speaking to The Telegraph, Timothy said: “It is difficult to see how Ed Miliband has not broken the Ministerial Code in making this decision, which benefits a significant Labour donor.
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“There is no case for constructing these giant solar and battery farms on agricultural land, but Miliband’s net zero zealotry means more of these monstrosities are heading for rural communities.”
He also said that the Government needs to answer numerous questions about its ties to Vince, as well as “the absurdity of this rush to intermittent and unreliable renewables”.
Numerous critics have accused Miliband of favouring the wealthy Labour donor, raising questions about the relationship between the Energy Secretary and the Ecotricity businessman.
The 524-hectare development has sparked intense local debate in Lincolnshire, with Colin Davie, executive councillor for environment, economy and planning at Lincolnshire County Council, accusing Miliband of “trashing the countryside”.
He added: “We need to ask the question of the Secretary of State as to whether he has declared the nature of his relationship with Dale Vince, the applicant for this site and the Labour Party's biggest donor.”
The Heckington approval comes alongside Miliband's green light for another solar development, the West Burton solar farm.
Both projects combined will cover more than 1,000 hectares of Lincolnshire land with solar panels and developers claim that they will generate enough power for hundreds of thousands of homes.
The scale of development has alarmed local communities, who fear the rapid industrialisation of their rural landscape.
Davie said the decision showed how the Government "has not listened to our residents".
"Quite frankly these decisions are another slap in the face for Lincolnshire, and the government must start considering the cumulative impacts of all these proposals in our county," he added.
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The Heckington Fen Solar Park, owned by Vince's green energy company Ecotricity, was given the green-light last week despite fierce opposition from local residents and councillors.
Vince is one of Labour’s biggest donors, with his company donating a total of £5.4million to the party since 2021.
Nick Timothy, MP for West Suffolk, has written to Sir Keir Starmer’s ethics advisor, Laurie Magnus, urging him to launch a probe into Miliband.
The letter highlighted a specific clause in the Ministerial Code stating that no conflict should arise, or “could reasonably be perceived to arise”, between ministerial duties and private interests.
It read: “It seems clear that there is indeed such a conflict in this decision, and beyond doubt that it ‘could reasonably be perceived’ that a conflict has arisen, given the financial support given to Mr Miliband’s party by the applicant.
“Did Mr Miliband seek your advice on how to avoid or manage the perception of a conflict in making this decision? Did he seek the advice of his permanent secretary?”
Speaking to The Telegraph, Timothy said: “It is difficult to see how Ed Miliband has not broken the Ministerial Code in making this decision, which benefits a significant Labour donor.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
- Green energy tycoon calls for ban on political donations despite handing £5m to Labour
- Miliband ‘trashing countryside’ as he approves plans for Labour donor’s mega 500 hectare solar farm
- Eco-warrior Dale Vince claims he is victim of 'character assassination' as ex-wife wins £40million
“There is no case for constructing these giant solar and battery farms on agricultural land, but Miliband’s net zero zealotry means more of these monstrosities are heading for rural communities.”
He also said that the Government needs to answer numerous questions about its ties to Vince, as well as “the absurdity of this rush to intermittent and unreliable renewables”.
Numerous critics have accused Miliband of favouring the wealthy Labour donor, raising questions about the relationship between the Energy Secretary and the Ecotricity businessman.
The 524-hectare development has sparked intense local debate in Lincolnshire, with Colin Davie, executive councillor for environment, economy and planning at Lincolnshire County Council, accusing Miliband of “trashing the countryside”.
He added: “We need to ask the question of the Secretary of State as to whether he has declared the nature of his relationship with Dale Vince, the applicant for this site and the Labour Party's biggest donor.”
The Heckington approval comes alongside Miliband's green light for another solar development, the West Burton solar farm.
Both projects combined will cover more than 1,000 hectares of Lincolnshire land with solar panels and developers claim that they will generate enough power for hundreds of thousands of homes.
The scale of development has alarmed local communities, who fear the rapid industrialisation of their rural landscape.
Davie said the decision showed how the Government "has not listened to our residents".
"Quite frankly these decisions are another slap in the face for Lincolnshire, and the government must start considering the cumulative impacts of all these proposals in our county," he added.
Find Out More...