SIR — Being a lifelong opponent of nuclear bombs and nuclear power because of their obscene dangers and obscene waste of enormous billions of public funds, I obviously am pleased that the final investment decision regarding the go ahead for Hinkley C new nuclear power station is being further delayed by its calling-in for more detailed review by this new, unelected Tory government.

Please tell me this is a genuine, serious review with an option of cancellation being considered.

With so many top economists, energy experts, scientists and politicians on my side, I say this not just as a longstanding Stop Hinkley committee member but because in all honesty a Hinkley C go-ahead could be a decision even more disastrous than pulling out of the EU in terms of:

l Insane construction cost of 25 to 35 billion pounds (with an unproven EPR reactor design).

l Insane electricity cost to consumers (two or three times current market prices guaranteed for 35 years).

l Insane possibly billions of public subsidies still under EU legal challenge.

l Insane danger from terrorism and high-level radioactive waste stored on site (new and for up to 160 years).

l Insane control by the French and Chinese of big chunk of UK energy supply.

l Insane disturbance to local life from 10-years plus of enormous construction.

l Insanely not operative until 2025 ( too late to bridge so-called ‘energy gap’).

l Definitely not low carbon emissions over whole life cycle.

The alternative of similar investment in very low carbon renewables would produce 100 times more jobs and give communities control over their energy futures, not big-money global corporations.

Amongst all of this we have the dreadful irony from so many local Hinkley supporters, who voted to leave the EU mainly on the mythical grounds of wanting to “take back control” from foreign invaders and EU bureaucrats, now supporting a dangerous foreign takeover of our vital energy supplies by France and undemocratic China – the latter, of course, already with controlling ownership of our Wessex Water supplies via YTL and its Chinese Malaysian family.

Alan Debenham,Taunton.