Conservative treasurer's offshore firm backs £16.5bn Chapelcross AI data centre plan
A data centre proposal for the former Chapelcross nuclear site, worth up to £16.5 billion, is owned by Conservative Party treasurer Graham Edwards through a British Virgin Islands company, raising concerns over offshore ownership and public funding.
The former Chapelcross nuclear plant in Dumfriesshire is the focus of a £16.5 billion AI data centre proposal submitted by CX Tech Limited, which seeks a 1,000 MW capacity and could attract up to £23 million of public money. Company filings reveal that the ultimate controlling shareholder is Graham Edwards, the treasurer of the UK Conservative Party, who holds his stake through the BVI-registered Wpgss Limited. The offshore arrangement has prompted tax experts and anti-corruption campaigners to question where profits will be taxed and whether donor influence is shaping planning decisions.
Edwards and CX Tech maintain that the company is a UK-registered entity subject to UK tax and that no political favour has been sought. The project has drawn sharp criticism from local campaigners, opposition MSPs and transparency groups, who cite potential environmental impacts and the risk that financial gains could be funneled to offshore accounts rather than benefiting the local community.
Why it matters
It highlights possible conflicts of interest between political donors and large tech infrastructure projects funded with public money.
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