PM has two good reasons to be wary about Hinkley Point

Theresa May reportedly reads heavily and consults with experts in such situations, rather than rushing into a choice and running the risk of a premature outcome.

In the case of the Hinkley Point nuclear plant it would be better to wait until the autumn and think further than to approve now a plant that could cost £20 billion, and which some energy experts are saying could be a white elephant.

There is some urgency over the decision, in that the UK needs to upgrade the infrastructure of its power provision.

All but the most vociferous opponents of nuclear power accept that fission will form part of the energy mix if we are to avoid a situation in which there are power shortages. But there is growing talk that smaller nuclear reactors are the way forward, not vast plants. And some aspects of renewable energy, such as solar, are providing more power than was anticipated in the recent past.

Mrs May is also concerned on security grounds about the role of China in a key piece of British infrastructure. Beijing is outraged at that wariness.

But China has shown itself to be a nation that is ruthless about pursuing its own interests, so a degree of caution is appropriate. Mrs May as Home Secretary was never one of those politicians who is naive about security threats, be it from pro jihadi hate preachers or any other quarter.

China is clearly a nation with which the United Kingdom will have to trade and do significant business in the years to come, but that does not mean that Britain should rush into every major contract that has links to that country.

The delay at Hinkley Point should not become a precedent for delays in all big infrastructure schemes. A decision on runway provision in southeastern England needs to be taken soon. But in this instance a further pause seems reasonable.