Boris tipped to be next party leader after London triumph as beleaguered PM faces demands for return to traditional Tory values

David Cameron Faces Civil War Over ‘Wind Turbine Toryism’

David Cameron is struggling to contain civil war in the Coalition following a painful setback in local elections for both Government parties. Last night the Prime Minister was warned to rein in ‘wind turbine Toryism’ as senior Conservative MPs prepared to publish an alternative programme for Government, demanding more radical tax and spending policies.—James Chapman, Daily Mail, 4 May 2012

A battered David Cameron and Nick Clegg will try to halt an outbreak of infighting between the two Coalition parties after both suffered heavy losses in the local elections. Conservative and Liberal Democrat politicians turned on each other as Labour emerged as the big winner from Thursday’s contests in 180 authorities. Amid a backlash from his party, the Prime Minister came under pressure to rein in the Lib Dems. Senior right-wingers David Davis and John Redwood will issue an “alternative Queen’s Speech” reflecting traditional Conservative values, calling for an end to “wind-turbine Toryism”. –Andrew Grice,The Independent, 5 May 2012

Boris Johnson is being tipped to become the next Tory leader following his triumph in the London Mayoral race and a humiliating drubbing at the polls for David Cameron. The Prime Minister has been left struggling to contain civil war in the Coalition with members of his own party demanding a return to traditional Tory values after a loss of 12 councils and 405 seats. Last night the PM was warned to rein in ‘wind turbine Toryism’ as senior Conservative MPs prepared to publish an alternative programme for Government, demanding more radical tax and spending policies.—Daily Mail, 4 May 2012

New moves to reduce subsidies for fitting solar panels on homes are jeopardising Britain’s hopes of hitting renewable energy targets and threatening thousands of jobs, David Cameron was warned last night. Some 400 senior figures in the solar energy industry said demand for panels has collapsed since the Government started slashing financial incentives for families that want to go green.—Nigel Morris, The Independent, 7 May 2012

Energy policy is hanging by a thread after the only credible company left to build nuclear reactors in Britain increased the price by 40 per cent to £7 billion each, The Times has learnt. The soaring estimated costs could scupper the French state-backed EDF Energy’s project to build two reactors at Hinkley Point in Somerset. It would also leave Britain’s nuclear programme — and its energy policy — in tatters.—Tim Webb, The Times, 7 May 2012[Registration Required]

CO2 emissions in the US have been in decline since 2005. That is without a carbon tax, without a cap and trade system, and without mandatory, Kyoto style limits and a global carbon treaty. In Europe CO2 emissions are not falling — and Germany is even moving back to coal.What made the difference? The revolution in natural gas.—Walter Russell Mead, The American Interest, 6 May 2012

Germany’s federal government needs to prepare for the failure of its plans for the expansion of offshore wind power. “The goals are not attainable under current conditions,” said Dirk Briese, managing director of Trend Research. Without strong growth in electricity generation in the North and Baltic Seas Germany’s goals of its green energy transformation cannot be reached.—Klaus Stratmann, Handelsblatt, 4 May 2012

Winfried Kretschmann (Green Party), the prime minister of the state of Baden Wuerttemberg, is urging Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) to encourage the construction of new gas-fired power plants. Especially in southern Germany energy security is at risk, according to Kretschmann.—Nikolai Fichtner, Financial Times Deutschland, 3 May 2012

Julia Gillard’s frontbench has hit the panic button over the [Australian] carbon tax with senior ministers warning it is “killing” the government, and others touting Greg Combet as a leadership option.Divisions have erupted over the sales pitch and design of the tax, with some demanding the Prime Minister accelerate the planned move from a fixed to a floating carbon price, or boost planned compensation for struggling families. Julia Gillard is standing firm but her frontbench are in despair. “The carbon tax is killing us,” a senior minister told The Sunday Telegraph. -Samantha Maiden, The Sunday Telegraph, 6 May 2012

Items of notes and interest from the web.