Greenpeace Slams 'Fixed' Nuclear Research

Environmental campaigner Greenpeace has challenged the UK government's nuclear power consultation process, claiming it is 'being fixed' by Gordon Brown's 'favourite market research company', Opinion Leader Research (OLR). The group has also formally complained to the MR industry standards body.

In addition, as reported on last night's Channel 4 News, twenty 'senior academics' are to write to the government saying the process was 'deliberately skewed' and that participants were 'misled'.

Dr Paul Dorfman of the University of Warwick says that questions put to the public were 'framed in a particularly ambiguous way in order to get a particular answer'. He adds that the process made it 'totally impractical for people to make a rational decision' and was 'designed so that a particular view would emerge.'

Greenpeace has issued a formal complaint to the Market Research Standards Board about OLR's role in the consultation, and has suggested that the firm 'has broken its industry's own code of conduct by designing questions and materials for the public that are deliberately misleading and factually inaccurate'. Opinion Leader refutes the allegations and says it will co-operate fully with the investigation.

Lawyers acting for Greenpeace have written to the Government calling the consultation techniques 'a complete charade'. In a blog, the charity claims the process 'buried' statistics about the 'measly 4%' by which the nuclear option could cut UK carbon emissions, at the back of a mass of information given to attendees; and gave out positive messages about nuclear power as statements of fact while requiring 'answers by degree' for those wishing to make negative statements.

The consultation is already the government's second attempt, after a High Court judge decided the first exercise was 'seriously flawed' and 'procedurally unfair'. To date, around 900 people have been surveyed for the second process, which is scheduled for completion on 10 October. As the process is a legal requirement, a successful challenge in the courts could lead to a third consultation or a change of policy, Greenpeace suggests.

Web sites are at www.greenpeace.org and www.opinionleader.co.uk.

All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas, 2024- by Nick Thomas, unless otherwise stated.

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