Letters to Press – Unpublished. New Director of WCM bankrolled by Russian Government – Nothing to see here?

The following letters were sent to press on Monday – if anyone sees anything published please let us know- thanks!

Image: wikipedia

To Local Press

Dear Editor,

All MPs in Cumbria have supported sanctions imposed on Russian companies and oligarchs, with the supplying of arms to Ukrainian forces taking precedent over any peace negotiations.  There is however a strange anomaly in Cumbria with the appointment of a Russian government funded Director to West Cumbria Mining.   In December 2022 just a week after UK Government approved the first deep coal mine in over 30 years in the UK Owen Hegarty officially joined West Cumbria Mining.   He is founder and Executive Chairman of EMR Capital, the private equity company who put up the money backing WCM’s undersea coal mine near Sellafield.   He has fingers in lots of pies.  Back in December 2020 Owen Hegarty said “There’s never been a better time to mine coal on Russia’s Pacific coast due to  China’s blacklisting of Australian coal So the new Director is an opportunist then – nothing wrong with that you might say.  However this opportunist has no qualms about accepting money from governments.  In the case of Owen Hegarty’s Tigers Realm Coal, the Russian government, to the tune of at least £30 Million.    

The CEO of West Cumbria Mining Mark Kirkbride who appointed Owen Hegarty (WCM funder)  is also advising the UK Government on the “biggest environmental project in the UK” aka an undersea nuclear dump for high level nuclear wastes (prime area in the frame is next to the coal mine).   So much for national security – but hey we need the steel from Cumbrian coking coal to build Trident nuclear submarines to protect us from Russia who are also bankrolling the new Director of West Cumbria Mining.    Why has this not raised lots of questions from those MPs who are “horrified” by Russia?

yours sincerely

Keep Cumbrian Coal in the Hole – a Radiation Free Lakeland campaign

address supplied

Shhhh – don’t mention the Russian connection. We all hate Russia – Don’t we?

Letter to The Guardian

• Dear Editor,
• Following Government approval of the Cumbria coal mine the Guardian reports “coalmine is owned by private equity firm with Cayman Islands base” ( Sandra Laville, Environment Correspondent Thu 8 Dec 2022).  The story does not end there.  A week later on Dec 16th the owner of the private equity firm, Owen Hegarty was appointed as Director of West Cumbria Mining.  Owen Hegarty is also the founder of Tigers Realm Coal who are responsible for bringing coal mining to a previously coal mine free area – in Siberia!. 
• Owen Hegarty the new Director of the Cumbria coal mine has not only generated massive environmental destruction in Chukotka and the Bering Sea area but has also been bankrolled by the Russian government to the tune of tens of £Millions playing fast and loose with the human rights of regional indigenous communities into the bargain.  This is a massive scandal.   
• On the one hand Government is providing armaments to Ukraine against Russia and on the other it is approving an earthquake inducing coal mine near the worlds biggest stockpile of plutonium at Sellafield whose Director is bankrolled by the Russian Government.  The same Cumbrian MPs who cheerlead for the Russian bankrolled Director’s coal mine are also cheerleading War against Russia rather than peace negotiations.  It makes no sense.
• yours sincerely
• Keep Cumbrian Coal in the Hole – a Radiation Free Lakeland campaign address supplied
• https://keepcumbriancoalinthehole.wordpress.com/2023/02/27/shhhh-dont-mention-the-russian-connection-we-all-hate-russia-dont-we/
• Letter to the Daily Mail
• Dear Editor,
• Just a week after UK Government approved the first deep coal mine in over 30 years in the UK,  a new director was appointed.  Owen Hegarty was appointed by West Cumbria Mining on 16th December 2022.  He is founder and Executive Chairman of EMR Capital, the private equity company who put up the money backing West Cumbria Mining’s undersea coal mine near Sellafield in Cumbria.  He has fingers in lots of pies.  Back in December 2020 Owen Hegarty said “There’s never been a better time to mine coal on Russia’s Pacific coast due to  China’s blacklisting of Australian coal So the new Director is an opportunist then – nothing wrong with that you might say.  However this opportunist has no qualms about accepting money from governments.  In the case of Owen Hegarty’s Tigers Realm Coal, the Russian government to the tune of at least £30 Million.    The CEO of West Cumbria Mining Mark Kirkbride who presumably appointed Owen Hegarty (WCM funder)  is also advising the UK Government on the “biggest environmental project in the UK” aka an undersea nuclear dump for high level nuclear wastes (prime area in the frame is next to the coal mine).   So much for national security – but hey we need the steel from Cumbrian coking coal to build Trident nuclear submarines to protect us from Russia who are also bankrolling the new Director of West Cumbria Mining.    Why has this not raised questions ?  
• yours sincerely
• Keep Cumbrian Coal in the Hole – a Radiation Free Lakeland campaign
• address supplied
• 
  
  

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