Graham, Tom and Ian

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Greater Manchester opened to fracking after MPs vote

by Lib Dem team on 24 December, 2015

A couple of weeks ago we reported that our Conservative MP Mary Robinson had voted to allow fracking under national parks. Over in Hazel Grove, their Tory MP William Wragg managed to go even further. He’s just one of two Conservative MPs who signed a Greenpeace pledge to oppose all fracking and yet he too voted for it.

We now know that large parts of Greater Manchester, including areas just a few miles from us, have been opened up for exploration and potential fracking.

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A recent 4.6 magnitude earthquake in Canada has been definitively linked to fracking.

   23 Comments

23 Responses

  1. Bruce says:

    I seem to recall that ex-MP Mark Hunter actually signed a PARTY pledge not to increase tuition fees and yet when in office broke his pledge/bond.

    Now remind me Iain – did you ever mention this in any of your communiques?

    Or the promises on ~VAT?

    • Matthew says:

      Any chance we can focus on current and important issues? E.g. how can we make sure no one gets permission to cause an earthquake round here?

      • Bruce says:

        Matthew – as I have said before the jury is still out. This country needs various supplies of energy and this is only one of many . Wind and solar are another source but these by themselves will never be the solution to our needs.

        As long as the safeguards are in place and adequate monitoring/testing takes place I say lets us try it.

        As for our MP, the Dimbles from day one they tried to undermine her and virtually every week the valiant three find time to criticise her. What is that saying – the devil finds work for idle hands?

        • Iain Roberts says:

          Perhaps she shouldn’t do so many things we can criticise? Or do you think politicians should have a free ride to do whatever they want without being held to account, Bruce?

          • Bruce says:

            Iain – there is a huge difference between being held to account and just being anti-Tory – which you are.

        • Matthew says:

          I’m not sure the jury is out Bruce – independent views are that there is at the very least a correlation between new fracking and new seismic activity. The approach of “lets steam ahead until it is irrefutable that we are doing something very wrong” is a responsible policy. And where is you evidence from that sustainable energy can’t fulfill our needs? That isn’t accepted fact either, so why not apply your ‘jury’s still out’ principle to that?

          • Matthew says:

            I meant “not a responsible policy” btw!

          • Bruce says:

            Matthew – wind is only of use when the wind blows and Solar energy can only be harnessed when it is daytime and sunny Solar energy can only be harnessed when it is daytime and sunny.

            Solar power stations can be built but they do not match the power output of similar sized conventional power stations. They are also very expensive.
            .

    • Iain Roberts says:

      Hi Bruce – yes, our former leader Nick Clegg did a whole party political broadcast apologising for getting it wrong on tuition fees. Will we see the same from the Tories?

      The Lib Dems did some good stuff in Coalition, but we made mistakes too. We were punished for that in May – more harshly that any party of government has ever been punished before.

      We’ve listened to that and learned. We’re now in opposition and are determined to do the job that good oppositions are there to do and hold the government and our local MP to account. If you think we are going to let her sell us down the river and get away with it, you are mistaken.

      • Bruce says:

        Iain – why did you not hold local MP Mark Hunter ‘to account’ over tuition fees then?

        • John Hartley says:

          If I recall correctly, Mark didnt vote either way on the tuition fees issue – he was one of the tellers counting the votes. As I understand it, tellers don’t vote.

          Although It is now ancient history, and the voters have had their say, personally I wish he had voted against the increase. It was a bad policy then and remains one.

          • John Hartley says:

            PS: I am always happy to be described as “anti Tory”. I’ll wear the badge with great pride.

  2. Alan Gent says:

    Sometime soon we’ll find out which Tory MPs have vested interests in the fracking industry, which will clarify why they’re in such a rush to get this going. However civil disobedience can still halt this programme, shops can refuse to deal with these people for example.

  3. Matthew says:

    I meant “not a responsible policy” btw!

  4. Jb says:

    Surely there must be huge possibilities for the harnessing of tidal power which is all around us and never fails.

  5. Rick says:

    Bruce, there is nowt wrong with being anti-Tory; we all have our own political opinions and are free to express those opinions as we think fit (for the present)!

    • Bruce says:

      Rick – ~I don’t have a problem with that. It is just that our local Dimbles are very negative concerning our local MP and seem more interested in criticising her than promoting the borough.

      And when they say they are holding her to account did they ever hold Mark Hunter to account over tuition fees?

  6. Rick says:

    Perhaps that is because we have a very negative MP representing only the interests of the Con party and not her constituents.

    • Hailifax says:

      Rick – I think you’ll find that 99% of MPs (and Cllrs) are like that.

      By beef is with the constant approval of housing developments, and then the hand wringing regards the subsequent traffic chaos that these cause on the A34.

      I note that our local Cllr blames this on central Government imposing its will on the Council, but did our previous MP do anything about that? In fact whilst he comes across as a nice bloke, what did he do for Cheadle, which wouldn’t have happened without him

      • Iain Roberts says:

        Halifax – many things wouldn’t have happened without Mark fighting for them, but the biggest and most obvious is of course the A6 to Manchester Airport Relief Road – cancelled under Labour, initially shelved by the Tories and eventually funded because Mark fought for it.

        MPs can make a real difference to their area. The good ones make that difference.

        • Hailifax says:

          Iain – Many constituents are opposed to this scheme. Including me as all it will do is encourage more housing developments along its corridor (which will of course get rubber stamped) .

          I do not believe for one second that if there was no Mark Hunter or any MP for the area, it would have made a blind bit of difference. Greater powers were at work (i.e the companies who will get the contract and which party they support)

  7. […] December we voiced our concern about Cheadle’s Conservative MP voting to allow fracking in national parks and the way the Government immediately opened up large parts of Greater […]

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