Ecotricity to fund Labour party election campaign

Renewable energy supplier Ecotricity has pledged to donate £250,000 to the Labour Party’s election campaign in defiance of the coalition government which it says has undermined the green economy.

“We’re putting our money where our heart is – and that’s the care of the environment,” said Ecotricity founder Dale Vince in a statement.

“We’ve watched the coalition government systematically undermine not just the renewable energy industry in Britain but the whole green economy and by de facto – efforts to combat climate change. We feel compelled to act and to speak out,” he added.

The independent supplier launched a vitriolic attack against the coalition leaders from the Conservative party saying it unfairly blamed renewable energy support for rising energy bills. In addition, the party has retreated from its promise to run the “greenest government ever” as rising support for the far-right Ukip party threatens to erode its support base, it said.

A spokesman for the company said it would back the Labour party above the Liberal Democrats and the Green Party because Labour is the party most likely to form a government following May’s election.

“We’ve supported the Green Party in the past and may support them in the future. But [backing Labour] is the practical option in this election,” he said.

The supplier’s spokesman said they would not back the Liberal Democrats, which led the Department of Energy and Climate Change in legislating for a decarbonised power sector, because they have not done enough.

“This election presents a clear choice between two very different kinds of government with two different visions of Britain. The vision we support is of a green Britain with a strong green economy at the heart of Europe,” Vince said.