After the 2003 energy white paper, it seemed to many that the United Kingdom would not pursue nuclear power in the near future, yet by 2006 it was a favoured technology. Applying Essex school political discourse theory (i.e. Glynos and Howarth, 2007), and taking a view of the state influenced by Gramsci, Jessop (2007) and Mitchell (1991), this paper indicates how such a change in policy came about, and sees it as an example of the politics of unsustainability (Blühdorn, 2011). An important factor in the political contest over nuclear power was the advocacy group Supporters of Nuclear Energy (SONE), not only because of the high connectivity of members of the group with a receptive government, but also because of the public relations campaign they were responsible for. Their chosen strategy of portraying nuclear energy as sustainable by reference to climate change helped to split green opposition, neutralise market-based criticisms and, ultimately, become adopted as government policy. Crucially, all the policy options considered at this time, including the 'green' proposals from the 2002-3 energy review, depoliticise energy demand and thus the unsustainable lifestyles of UK citizens. The formal governance processes (i.e. consultations etc.) the UK government went through were all framed in this manner. Moreover, they were also framed as inclusive and consensus-seeking, as the government sought to find a 'balanced energy mix' that would 'keep the lights on' even as they were biased to find in favour of nuclear.
