EDF is still at the table, but nuclear could go critical for Osborne

The UK's nuclear energy strategy will be in meltdown if the French pull out of Hinkley. The best guess is, they'll find the cash

What if EDF says no to Hinkley Point? What if the French power generator, under pressure from its unions and potential lenders, decides it can't finance the 18bn project, even with the Chinese chipping in?

After all, the disgruntled French workers make a reasonable point. EDF's last big foreign adventure, in Finland, is nine years behind schedule and massively over-budget, so why risk another expedition? EDF's share price, remember, is down 85% since 2004: the company is in a weak position to resist its local critics.