Green Party pledge to oppose fracking in Calderdale

Gary Scott and Jenny Shepherd have joined hundreds of election candidates from nearly all the UK’s political parties who have pledged to oppose the controversial industry in their constituencies, through signing up to Greenpeace’s Frack Free Promise.

The Green Party has proposed an outright ban on fracking and other related extreme energy technologies like Coal Bed Methane and Underground Coal Gasification.

Jenny Shepherd, Green Party PPC for Calder Valley, said: “When you look at the web of financial interests that link Tory politicians and fracking companies, it’s clear that fracking is not about Britain’s energy needs, but about profits for the 1% and to hell with the environment and the 99 per cent.”

Gary Scott, Green Party PPC for Halifax, said, “We’re being sold fracking on the grounds that it will reduce our dependence on imported gas from countries we’d really rather not have to rely on, like Russia.

“But the way to increase our energy security is through investing in measures that will power down and power up.

“Power down our energy use through public investment in energy saving measures, like mass home insulation, improved affordable public transport and making our towns and cities more walkable and cyclable. And power up our renewable energy generation.

“It’s all doable and it’s exciting,” he said.