Concern over Labour cash gifts from nuclear industry

Labour has received thousands of pounds in donations from energy companies and lobbying firms linked to the nuclear industry. The cash donations give the pro-nuclear lobby access to decision makers, campaigners for the environment warned.

Details published by the Electoral Commission showed that the money from nuclear interests flooded in as the government prepared for a review of long-term energy needs. The review is due to be published in July, but Tony Blair gave a strong indication of its outcome earlier this month, when he told the CBI that nuclear power was "back on the agenda with a vengeance".

Donors included EDF Energy, which has 58 reactors across Europe. It gave Labour £6,000 last September. In the same month, Labour received £19,500 from the lobbying firm Weber Shadwick, whose clients include British Nuclear Fuels.

Two weeks after Mr Blair's speech, the party was given £8,000 by Sovereign Strategy which represents the US nuclear firm Fluor. Sovereign, run by the former Labour MEP Alan Donnelly, gave another £5,875 on 30 January, seven days after the Government announced a review of energy needs.

Powergen, which is owned by a German firm with nuclear stations in Germany and Sweden, is another past contributor to Labour.

Jean McSorley, a nuclear campaigner for Greenpeace, said: "It's worrying to see cash donations made by the energy firms and lobbying companies and unions that have links to the nuclear industry."