Hinkley Point C nuclear deal contains £22bn 'poison pill' for taxpayer

Public left with huge liability for a government closure of power plant before 2060 under UK's agreement with EDF

The Hinkley nuclear power deal contains a "poison pill" which could leave taxpayers with a 22bn bill if a future UK government closed the plant before 2060, according to an official document seen by the Guardian.

The huge liability shows Hinkley is a "terrible deal" for the UK public, according to critics, with the company also guaranteed three times today's price for electricity for 35 years. The project has recently been battered by financial warnings and resignations at its prime backer EDF, although on Thursday France's economics minister, Emmanuel Macron, said that the French state would bail the company out.