Reform UK plans for fracking fly in the face of Lancashire communities
PLUS: Migration misinformation continues to circulate from elected officials
Hello and welcome to The Lancashire Lead.
News over the weekend confirmed what we already knew - Reform UK wants fracking to be back on the menu in a move last advocated for by failed PM Liz Truss.
To their credit, they have at least stuck to their guns on an issue that has proven to be unpopular.
The move, if it happened in the wake of any Reform victory in 2029, would be unlikely to shave money off energy bills - but would allow energy companies to pursue something they’ve wanted to for years. It appears unlikely it can be done without ‘seismic activity’ based on the evidence available.
We also report on the latest Reform local politician to be accused of misinformation when tackling migration.
And one of the areas Reform is responsible for is education - but what are their plans? It's not clear. We're investigating what Reform-led councils are attempting when it comes to educating our children. But we need your help to do this, if you're a teacher, school worker or know someone who is you can use the form here to help us investigate.
‘Fracking is unsafe, unwanted, and expensive’
By Luke Beardsworth
Reform UK’s plans to row back on a fracking ban would set the national party against local campaigners.
The party, who have repeatedly polled as likely to be the next leaders of the UK, has reiterated their belief that fracking should be allowed with Farage reportedly telling energy firms to get ready to ‘drill, baby, drill’.
Meetings between Reform UK leaders and energy firms have taken place where both Farage and Richard Tice have been reported as telling companies to prepare licences to extract shale gas.
The strategy sits at odds with the current UK strategy to expand renewable energy as the influence of fossil fuels lessens. It is hoped clean power will meet 100% of electricity demands by 2030.
Reform UK’s strategy is nothing new - in 2024 ahead of the general election, they explicitly stated that they would explore new licences.
But local Reform UK campaigners said that while they supported fracking generally, it had already been demonstrated that it was not suitable for Fylde and that the community had made its point clear.
Cllr Joshua Roberts, Reform UK’s councillor for Fylde East at Lancashire County Council, said: “The conditions in the Fylde Coast are not conducive for fracking and there are no plans for it to take place here.
“While Reform UK does support fracking on a case-by-case basis, any activity is expected to be more likely in the East of England rather than the Northwest.”
When the decision was made to stop fracking at Lancashire, particularly in relation to seismic activity, the Oil and Gas Authority made clear that it was not the case that Preston New Road was unsafe and others would be different.
More research would be required to explore whether it could be done safely at all in the UK.
Cat Smith, MP for Lancaster and Wyre, said that Lancashire had already made clear that it would not welcome fracking.
She told The Lancashire Lead: “Lancashire has already spoken: we do not want fracking. Communities across our county, particularly those on the Fylde Coast, have lived through the earth tremors, the disruption and the broken promises, and they should not be asked to endure them again. Reform UK’s call to bring fracking back shows how out of touch they are with the people who actually live here.
“Fracking is unsafe, unwanted, and expensive. Chasing after it is nothing more than a distraction from the real solutions to our energy needs. Instead of trying to drill under our homes and farmland, we should be investing in clean, affordable renewables that cut bills, create good jobs, and tackle the climate crisis.
“Lancashire deserves better than to be treated as an experiment for a failed industry. Our future lies in renewable energy, not a return to fracking.”
Gina Dowding, deputy leader of the Progressive Lancashire opposition at Lancashire County Council, said: “Extracting shale gas in the UK would be extremely expensive, geologically dangerous, environmentally polluting. No amount of spin by Nigel Farage and Reform UK, nor by their funders in the fossil fuel industry can change the facts about fracking.
“The fracking industry’s promise of jobs, lower energy prices and energy security were all proven to be false hopes and lies which were debunked during their attempts to set up in Lancashire.
“Lancashire said no to Fracking. Nigel Farage will soon find out that every community across the UK will do the same.”
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Migration misinformation continues to be fertile ground for Reform UK
By Luke Beardsworth
A Reform UK councillor in the east of the county has become the latest to be accused of ‘whipping up misinformation’ in relation to asylum seekers.
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