Revealed: Reform UK's top financial backer in Lancashire wants fracking 110%
PLUS: Inquest to open into the circumstances that led to a skeleton washing up on Cleveleys beach
Hello and welcome to The Lancashire Lead.
Penny for the thoughts of local Reform UK politicians this week after the topic of fracking was tossed scalding into their laps.
The party at national level is all for it but Lancashire has more experience of it than most - and the local party said the county is proven to be unsuitable for more fracking.
But one man who disagrees with that sentiment is local businessman David Haythornthwaite - one of Reform UK’s top financial contributors (particularly when you remove Richard Tice and Zia Yusuf).
Haythornthwaite, to his credit, was willing to speak with us about why he backs Reform UK. And fracking was high on the agenda.
We also report on the discovery of the skeleton at Cleveleys beach, and are able to identify the much-loved man whose death will be examined starting this week.
Anti-fracking residents told to ‘sacrifice for the greater good’ by top Reform UK backer
By Jamie Lopez
Lancashire’s most prominent Reform UK backer has openly supported fracking, describing it as a “no-brainer” and saying those concerned about earthquakes should “sacrifice for the greater good”.
As the party declared its support for the practice nationally, new focus has been placed on the comments of David Haythornthwaite, the AFC Fylde chairman and self-made millionaire whose company has donated large sums to the party. Speaking to The Lancashire Lead, he doubled down on his belief that fracking should be restarted in the UK, whether that be in Lancashire or elsewhere.
Tangerine Holdings Ltd, the group which includes all of his businesses and is ultimately owned by an Isle of Man-based entity, gave £75,000 to Reform UK across two donations in 2024 and 2025.
Mr Haythornthwaite was previously a UKIP supporter and contributed to a £10,000 payment for Nigel Farage to appear in a referendum debate organised as a part of a charity fundraising day in 2016.
He remains a supporter of Farage and the Reform Party, at both national and local level. When he spoke at the Fylde’s branch’s December meeting, he was described as “a strong supporter” who has “helped drive our efforts to promote Reform UK’s values, support local candidates, and create lasting impact in Fylde”.
“His leadership and vision are an inspiration, and we are grateful for his continued commitment to the cause,” noted the slideshow which accompanied the meeting.
A hugely successful entrepreneur, Mr Haythornthwaite made his fortune selling supplements for animals. The business has expanded significantly and, according to its website, Tangerine Holdings now consists of two main areas - manufacturing and leisure.
The manufacturing business primarily consists of animal nutritional products, while the leisure business is centred around Mill Farm, home of AFC Fylde and a series of hospitality businesses. Mr Haythornthwaite took over the club, then named Kirkham and Wesham, after being rejected from efforts to invest in Blackpool FC and has ploughed in a reported eight-figure sum to finance their rise through the leagues.
Born into a farming family, he had planned to take over that business only for his dad to sell it when he was 15. Before going on to oppose Brexit, he would spend six summers working in bars in Spain and lived in the US for more than a decade.
Reform’s attitude to fracking hit the news this week as Lancashire County Council’s leadership were forced to distance themselves from the national party’s open embrace of the controversial practice.
The party’s deputy leader and energy spokesperson Richard Tice announced that should Reform take control of the UK government, it would lift the ban on shale gas drilling, initially on a small scale to “confirm the quantity of gas available and satisfy people that it’s safe”.
Those comments naturally raised alarm in Lancashire, where the UK’s only fracking site led to earthquakes and years of protests, and LCC cabinet members have tried to reassure those concerned by saying it would more likely occur in other parts of the country.
Mr Haythornthwaite on the other hand has repeatedly spoken out in favour of fracking in Fylde. In 2016, he signed a letter along with other business leaders urging local and national decision makers to ensure fracking occurred in Lancashire.
The letter stated: “As Lancashire-based businesses and local residents, we also believe shale gas will create opportunities for our businesses, new jobs, and much-needed investment for our county. But we are concerned that all these benefits to Lancashire risk being left behind.
“It’s high-time for all decision-makers, both national and local, to work together to ensure that Lancashire does not miss out on the jobs and investment offered by our County’s shale gas resources.”
While that pre-dated the earthquakes which led to the current ban, Mr Haythornthwaite remained a supporter years later. In 2022, three years after a 2.9 magnitude tremor was recorded among daily earthquakes, he reiterated his support when Liz Truss attempted to reverse the ban.
Speaking to The Lancashire Lead this week, Mr Haythornthwaite said he had only become more convinced on the need to resume fracking in recent years as energy prices soared.
“I’ve always been 100% for fracking. I’m 110% now.
“I think the country should be independent from outside influences on a lot of different things and most critical is energy. One factor is when the Ukraine - Russia fighting started, that exposed our vulnerability to be expected to import from Russia,
“So to me it’s the most bizarre situation in that we’re giving our money to Russia for gas and then paying for Ukraine to fight them. It would never have happened in World War II with us buying gas from Hitler.”
The businessman and football chairman said he fully supports Reform and hopes to see the back of this “stupid bloody Labour government” and its efforts to reduce gas reliance. He also played down the risks associated with fracking.
“Fracking was a no-brainer. There’s all kinds of scare stories put about but if all those people saying that had been about when it was the beginning of the industrial revolution, we’d all still be running round in grass skirts. That was dirty, dangerous work.
“Fracking is not at all dangerous. No-one is going underground, it’s just the equipment.”
He added “I spend a lot of time in America, the home of fracking but also the home of the lawsuit which has affected us here too. If it was all that bad, they wouldn’t have got it done. But if you go to America, people don’t talk about it, they only say ‘oh isn’t this gas so cheap”.
Mr Haythornthwaite said that while there are objectors, “sometimes you have to sacrifice for the greater good” and that the most critical thing is ending the reliance on imported energy. He said that although “where they do it, I don’t care”, resuming here could bring financial benefits to the region.
“Aberdeen became the world centre of excellence in oil exploration. In the 5 sq miles there’s more millionaires than anywhere else in Britain. It’s created unbelievable wealth in that small fishing village.
“If you look at Blackpool, where there’s so much deprivation and people need jobs, it could have that effect.”
In a statement, Reform Fylde chair and LCC Cabinet Member for Rural Affairs, Environment and Communities, stopped short of saying the local party would oppose fracking. He said: “The conditions in the Fylde Coast are not conducive to fracking, and there are no plans for it to take place.
“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.
“Cllr Roberts will continue to support local residents and liaise with them regularly to ensure their concerns are heard and represented.”
Inquest to examine how the skeleton of 39-year-old man washed up on Cleveleys beach
An inquest will be opened in Blackpool next month to determine the circumstances by which a whole skeleton washed up on Cleveleys beach.
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