Ed Miliband has announced that the government will speed up plans to permanently ban fracking in the UK, countering promises by the Reform party to revive the controversial practice. The energy secretary said legislation would be introduced as part of the North Sea transition plan, due to be published this autumn.
Under the proposed law, any future government seeking to allow fracking would need to repeal the legislation through a parliamentary vote, a difficult process requiring support from MPs in constituencies sitting on shale gas. Miliband used his speech at the Labour conference to pledge campaigners would be sent to nearly 200 constituencies to 'send the frackers packing'.
A permanent ban was a key Labour manifesto pledge, reaffirmed by Miliband earlier this year. Wednesday's announcement outlined how the government would implement the ban 'at the earliest opportunity' to protect the 187 constituencies above shale gas areas from drilling.
Currently, a moratorium exists on fracking, which involves drilling deep into the earth and injecting a mixture of sand, water and chemicals at high speed to dislodge shale gas. The practice is unpopular in the UK due to its link to earthquakes; the last attempt at Preston New Road in Lancashire caused nearly 200 earthquakes in under a year.
Reform UK supports fracking, claiming it would reduce energy bills, a claim widely debunked by experts. However, the party has faced internal divisions, with Reform-controlled Lancashire council stating it would not welcome drilling. The Liz Truss government collapsed in 2022 after Miliband forced a vote on fracking during an opposition day debate.
Experts note that the UK's high population density and different geology make fracking riskier than in the US, with a greater chance of disruption and earthquakes due to heavily faulted and compartmentalised shale resources.
