Aquind: Portsmouth North MP Penny Mordaunt hits out at boss Alexander Temerko over 'emotional' insult

Alexander Temerko launched the attack on the Leader of the House of Commons in an interview with the Politico website. Aquind wants to run an electricity cable between England and France, which would involve several years of digging up Portsmouth while it is laid.

ALSO SEE: Why the government must turn down the Aquind plan – for Portsmouth’s sake

The plan has already been turned down by former Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng, but after a judicial review is back before the government. Grant Shapps asked for more information and is now in the process of making his decision.

It has sparked opposition in Portsmouth, not just from Ms Mordaunt but from Portsmouth South Labour MP Stephen Morgan, the Liberal Democrat-run council, The News and grassroots campaigners Let’s Stop Aquind.

NOW SEE: Aquind puts its case forward

Speaking to Politico, Temerko said Ms Mordaunt would be to blame for ‘high prices of electricity in this country’ if the scheme was turned down.

Politico reported him as saying Ms Mordaunt wanted to ‘politicise any problem’ and that: ‘If Penny Mordaunt wants to be responsible for high price of electricity in this country — people in Portsmouth say “thank you very much”. It’s only emotions... it’s baseless emotions and political inspiration.’

He later went on to call her his ‘friend and colleague’ and said he respects her – although last year he called her ‘an absolutely uncontrollable woman’ and a ‘real threat to national security’.

Speaking this week, Ms Mordaunt said: ‘This is desperate stuff from Aquind. It fails to understand the existing business we do with France and of course doesn’t reflect the serious national security issues brought by this project. The government’s position is right and I hope they stick by it.’

She added that she took exception to being characterised as emotional rather than rational, adding: ‘I’ve been Secretary of State for Defence, and armed forces minister, the UK defensive cyber lead, head of our civil contingencies, a member of the national security council and the Commons Defence select committee. I understand very well what is in our national interest and it isn’t Aquind or Alexander Temerko.’