Reporting of the politics at national and local level of the shale gas and fracking debate
A planning inquiry over oil drilling in the Surrey Hills – described as a “David versus Goliath battle” – reaches the half-way stage when it resumes tomorrow morning (Tuesday April 28th 2015).
Sir Nicholas Soames, the Conservative candidate for Mid Sussex, supports fracking – but not in his constituency, he told voters last week.
Nearly 1,000 of the 3,990+ candidates standing in the general election have made a formal promise to oppose fracking in their constituencies, according to the latest figures from Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth.
The government cannot be trusted to regulate shale gas, according to more than 40% of people surveyed by Cardiff University. Just over 20% were confident that the government would do an adequate job.The rest didn’t know.
Party manifesto mentions of onshore oil and gas (in alphabetical order)
The government has rejected arguments for a moratorium on fracking and stricter regulation made by MPs on the Environmental Audit Committee.
Nearly a third of British voters said they would be less likely to vote for candidates who backed fracking in their own constituencies, according to a poll released today.
The government has instructed local councils and the police to do more to stop protest camps, including those against oil and gas operations.
More than 600 would-be MPs have so far promised to oppose fracking, according to figures from Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth.
A measure to take the siting of underground radioactive waste dumps out of local control came into force today after approval by only 277 of parliament’s 650 MPs. More than 300 MPs did not vote.
DRILL OR DROP? 