Before I hand you over to Roddy I should also like to draw your attention to this post from a research scientist at MIT Boston, whose father has extensive experience in Germany's nuclear industry. (H/T )

The most obvious green features are two 30-kilowatt wind turbines for electricity and 16 solar thermal panels for hot water, but an equally important aspect of the facility is inside the 71 vehicles that service it: have replaced traditional lead acid batteries. Walmart says this move alone will account for more than a quarter of the five-year savings it expects at Balzac.

"A lot of politicians have been coming to see me, both Gaullistes and Socialists. They agree, but don't want to come out publicly. They want somebody else to take the lead. If Marine Le Pen wishes to use my work, I have no problem," he said.

"It's time to stop this revolting obsession with racist accusations. The pitch of some of the questions asked I find distasteful. This sort of thing creates antagonism rather than addresses it."

The media, of course, didn't take a blind bit of notice, but the PM remained singularly unperturbed by this spin failure. "He told us to just wait," an MP reports. "Labour were having their fun, he said, but soon the new policy would come in to effect. And at that point he was going to ask Ed Miliband flatly: 'So, will you reverse it? Yes or