Bill Esterson calls for Fracking to be banned when he speaks this Wednesday in the debate
MP Bill Esterson is speaking in the debate on fracking on Wednesday 19th October at 4pm. He will be calling for fracking to be banned.
The Sefton Central MP said: “Families across Britain, including here in Formby are facing the toughest of times due to the cost of living crisis, particularly rocketing energy bills. So we need immediate action to help people, which is why Labour led the way in calling for an energy price freeze.”
“But the only viable, long-term route to lower bills and energy security is to get off the fossil fuels.”
“Fortunately, there is an answer staring us in the face. Clean energy, like solar, wind, tidal, hydrogen and nuclear.”
“Solar and wind power, for example, are nine times cheaper than gas.”
“That is why the next Labour Government will make the UK a clean energy superpower by 2030, with a world leading clean power system that will save UK households £93 billion over the rest of this decade.”
“As well as this we need a massive programme to insulate homes and cut bills.”
“That’s why we would invest billions of pounds in a national mission to insulate 19 million cold draughty homes.”
“It could save families up to £1,000 off bills, and reduce our need for imported gas, as well as cutting carbon emissions—and creating even more jobs.”
“But what about fracking—extracting gas from across our countryside? I’m all in favour of sustainable, safe, clean fuel sources which will make a difference to prices, but this certainly isn’t one of them. Fracking is expensive, unsafe, and we know that communities across the country do not support it.”
“That is why this week, Labour has proposed a motion in the House of Commons to ban fracking once and for all.”
“In 2019, every Conservative MP stood on a manifesto that pledged to ban fracking.”
”Labour’s message is simple- we will stand up for the communities that oppose fracking, and not let the Conservatives impose another u-turn that would harm local communities and wildlife.”
“There are three problems with fracking.”
“Firstly, it would not solve the energy security or price issues the UK currently faces. The shale gas extracted by fracking would make no difference to gas prices, and is a more expensive alternative to renewables, which are currently up to nine times cheaper than gas.”
“Next, is it safe?“
“The government banned fracking because they said it wasn’t after earthquakes at a fracking site in Lancashire. They commissioned a report to see if safety could be guaranteed.”
“That report, published this week, said it couldn't. And what is the government response? To go ahead anyway and move the goalposts—raising the safety limits.”
“The Business Secretary, Jacob Rees-Mogg, even says we need to tolerate more “risk and disturbance”. Very easy for him to say.”
“Finally, do people actually want fracking?”
“No. Only 17% of the whole population actually support it. And there is huge opposition in the places where fracking is being planned, including here in Formby.”
“Liz Truss can’t even tell us what ‘local consent’ means, and there are reports that these decisions will be outsourced to the fracking companies themselves. Labour says no to this undemocratic charade. We say that the British people should not have fracking imposed on them- not now, not ever.”
“Jacob Rees-Mogg even had the nerve to suggest that local opponents of fracking were somehow being funded by Vladimir Putin.”
“What a total insult that is. I urge you to show him how wrong he is. Speak to Conservative MPs and councillors and let's show the government what a big mistake it is making in insulting and seeking to ride roughshod over the people of this country. Tell them to back Labour’s motion to ban fracking. Lets stop fracking in its tracks and make Britain the home of the clean energy revolution we need, with tens of thousands of jobs for local people, lower bills and doing the right thing by future generations.”
