Jamie Reed
History
Jamieson (Jamie) Reed MP was appointed MP for the Copeland Constituency in 2005, after the retirement of the vehemently pro-nuclear incumbent Jack Cunningham. Copeland is the local constituency for the controversial Sellafield plant so it is hardly surprising that its MPs are the strongest pro-nuclear proponents there are.
He is also a local to the area. Born in Whitehaven, he was educated at Whitehaven School before studying at Manchester Metropolitan University and then Leicester University where he completed an MA in Mass Communications[1].
A Nuclear Spin-Doctor
Reed then put his spin doctor skills to good use by becoming BNFL's press-officer for four years. During his time there he defended the company's radioactive discharges into the sea, and BNFL's "terrifying loopholes in security" at the Sellafield site exposed by the media just weeeks after the September 11th terrorist attacks in America. [Nucleonics Week, 2003, "Progress in Reducing Discharges under Debate at Ospar Meeting", 26 June, Vol 25, p12]
[P.McMullan (2001) "Our Reporter Exposes A Scandalous Lack Of Security Checks At The Nuclear Plant Classed As A Prime Target For Sabotage; Terror Risk At Sellafield", Sunday Express, 2 December, p17]
Reed was not the only pro-nuclear spin doctor chosen by Labour to represent the Copeland seat. The public relations in-house magazine PR Week wrote a story on the Labour selection process to replace Cunningham: "Stuart Bruce of Bruce Marshall Associates informs us he was one of four people on an all-PR shortlist alongside Bell Pottinger board director and former special adviser to Cunningham, Tim Walker, and Thomas Docherty, another BNFL PR man. What this can mean for the re-elected Labour government's commitment to pump billions into a raft of new nuclear power stations, we couldn't possibly say". [PR Week (2005) Labour Candidate Emerges And Wins, 20 May, p48]
A Nuclear MP
On election Reed said that one of his major tasks was to fight for a new generation of nuclear plants in the UK. [Nuclear News, 2005, A Sellafield Press Officer was Elected Member of Parliament, July, p46.
Reed has been lobbying officials in Whitehall over what he calls the 'compelling case for nuclear'. In November 2005 he told his local paper: 'The evidence in support of a UK nuclear renaissance is growing week by week.' [1]
In his record in the UK Parliament Register of Interests, Reed records a "Donation to my constituency party received from GMB trade union." [2] The GMB Union is pro-nuclear like Reed.
Both the GMB and Reed welcomed Blair's review of energy and the possible resumption of nuclear power. Peter Kane, from the GMB said: 'This is a major step forward not only with regard to the possible employment opportunity within the industry but also to the government's commitment on reducing carbon emissions." [3]
Reed said that he also welcomed "the Prime Minister's bold and necessary leadership on what will be a contentious issue. Britain pioneered nuclear generation as a world leader and Calder Hall - the world's first commercial scale nuclear station - is in my constituency. Britain is still a world leader in the field of nuclear technology, and we have one of the most skilled, committed, safe workforces within any industry anywhere in the world. This must be built upon, not allowed to wither.' [4]
