Coalition in a spin over wind farms 'energy shambles'

Labour leader Ed Miliband described this as a “useless answer”. He accused the Government of giving voters mixed messages over wind farms, adding: “There are investors all round this country who want certainty about energy policy.”

In his original comments Mr Hayes said it “seems extraordinary” that wind turbines have been allowed to spread so much throughout the country and that we can “no longer have wind turbines imposed on communities”.

Sources close to Mr Davey told how the Energy Secretary told Mr Hayes the comments were “not acceptable” and forced him to give a speech in Glasgow last night supporting wind farms.

“John Hayes might wish that he has the final say on energy policy and that he’s in a single-party government — but he doesn’t and he’s not,” said one. “He did not deliver the speech because he was told it was not acceptable.”

The source added: “He is not in charge of renewable policies on his own, he has to follow the Coalition agreement which is in favour of renewable energy, and meeting our legal EU targets for 2020.”

Mr Davey said today: “There has been no change to government policy on renewable energy, as collectively agreed by the Coalition Cabinet. Onshore wind is one of the cheapest renewables, which is why we’ve been able to cut the subsidy.”

Mr Hayes this morning attempted to play down reports of a Coalition rift over wind farms. He said: “We’ve issued a call for evidence … which is designed precisely to look at how we can get better sense of ownership from local communities of wind turbines. That is right in line with government policy.”

This year, more than 100 Conservative MPs wrote to Mr Cameron urging him to get rid of the subsidies paid to wind farm operators funded from household energy bills. MP Caroline Flint, Labour’s shadow energy and climate change secretary, said: “Britain needs a clean, diverse and secure energy supply but this Government appears clueless when it comes to delivering clean energy and fair bills.

“With energy bills skyrocketing, what hard pressed people urgently want is action but instead we have a shambles of a Tory-led Government which can’t even agree with itself.”