ECOTRICITY boss Dale Vince has pledged £20,000 for David Drew’s general election campaign.

The owner of the green energy supplier and Forest Green Rovers FC donated the money to Mr Drew who lost his parliamentary seat in 2010.

Mr Drew, who was Labour MP for Stroud from 1997 until 2010 before Conservative Neil Carmichael won his seat, will use the money to try and win back his seat in the election which takes place on May 7.

Mr Vince said: “Renewable energy is economically vital to our country and essential in the fight against climate change – these are two of the biggest issues we face and the choice at the coming election is quite stark.

“If we get these issues wrong for short term political reasons, as the Tories are doing, then future generations of Britons will pay the price.”

“It’s unlikely that we would have had the waste incinerator imposed upon the district if Dave had been our MP. We need an MP that stands up for Stroud and a government that stands up for the environment.”

Mr Vince also backed the UK's first and only Green Party MP Caroline Lucas for Brighton Pavilion, with the same sum of money.

Backing Mr Drew in the elections which take place on May 7, Mr Vince said: “I backed Caroline Lucas because I think it is good for Britain to have at least one Green MP.

“It’s not realistic to have a Green government, I believe we need a Labour government to start caring for the environment and look at ways of using renewable energy, something which the Tories failed to do.

“Renewable energy is economically vital to our country and essential in the fight against climate change – these are two of the biggest issues we face and the choice at the coming election is quite stark.

“It’s unlikely that we would have had the waste incinerator imposed upon the district if Dave had been our MP. We need an MP that stands up for Stroud and a government that stands up for the environment.”

Mr Drew, who is campaigning for his sixth General Election said: "I know from working with Dale in the past just how strong his commitment to getting national action over climate change is, and it’s been a frustrating five years under the Coalition government.

“We’ve gone backwards instead of forwards, and government policy has been damaging for renewable energy.

“Some important decisions need to be made and I’d like to see Dale involved in talks about the strategy a Labour government will follow in the way we tackle the problem of our dependency on fossil fuels for energy, transport and food.

“For the sake of future generations we need to get this right.”

A spokesman for the Green Party said: “It's excellent news that like many Dale Vince recognises the value of Green Politicians and looks forward to more.

“Stroud District Green Party will be asking Dale Vince to be true to his company's stated ethics and provide a similar sum to the party standing for election in the Stroud District that is genuinely pro-renewable energy, pro-recycling and anti-austerity, the Green Party.”