LABOUR’s by-election fight to hold a constituency dominated by Sellafield nuclear power station is being bankrolled by an anti-nuclear energy firm, it emerged last night.

Greeny company Ecotricity donate £50 to Labour for every party member that signs up as a customer — and have a declared aim to make Britain nuclear free within a decade.

4 Ecotricty boss Dale Vince is backing Labour Credit: SWNS - Bristol +44 (0)1179066550

Nuclear power is at the heart of the Copeland by-election as 10,000 people around the seat are employed at the Sellafield Nuclear Complex.

And the creation of Moorside Nuclear Power Plant, which is being planned nearby, would also bring 21,000 new jobs to the area.

The Tories have plastered the seat with leaflets pointing out that hapless Labour chief Jeremy Corbyn used a 2011 speech to call for British nuclear power plants to be shut down.

4 Labour are hoping to keep their sat in Sellafield where 10,000 people are employed by a nuclear plant Credit: Getty Images

4 Nuclear power is the heart of the area, but Jeremy Corbyn has previously called for nuclear power stations to be shut Credit: PA:Press Association

Last night an Ecotricity spokesperson said “we have a partnership with the Labour Party, as we share the same goals when it comes to renewable energy.”

But The Sun can reveal “Ecotricity’s 2030 Vision for a Green Britain: Where we should be, and how we get there” says Britain should close down its nuclear power stations by 2025.

Leaked internal polling showed Mr Corbyn’s Labour is on course to lose the crunch ballot on 23 February.

It was triggered by the resignation of Corbyn-critic Jamie Reed, who last night quit the Commons for a job Sellafield.



4 Tories accused Labour of “lining their pockets” on the back of nuclear workers Credit: PA:Press Association

If the Conservatives win it will be the first time since 1982 the governing party has gained a seat in a by-election.

Last night the Tory party Chairman accused Labour of “lining their pockets” on the back of nuclear workers.

Ahead of a visit to the seat on Tuesday, Sir Patrick McLoughlin blasted: “the nuclear industry supports thousands of jobs across the country and Labour is happy to turn this off.”

He went on: “They have a leader who wants nuclear power plants decommissioned and won’t back the new development at Moorside that would create thousands of jobs – it’s clear they are only interested in investing in themselves."

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Conservative MP Andrew Stephenson added: “Not only are the Labour Party supporting a company that wants to see nuclear plants switched off they are actually making financial gains from it.”

Last night a Labour spokesperson hit back saying “our candidate, Gillian Troughton, has been quite clear of her support for the nuclear industry, no ifs and no buts.”

They added: “This is fairly tenuous stuff from a Tory Party desperate to divert attention from their plans to downgrade West Cumbria’s hospitals.”