Theresa May today launched the Conservative party manifesto, eager to differentiate her party from the Liberal Democrats that are making a land-grab for the anti-Brexit centre, and a Labour party swinging leftwards and away (or possibly slightly towards)ย Europe.
But among the Conservativesโ vague anti-immigration promises and plans to tie social care to the value of an individual’s estate was a stark fact โ the Tories are now the only major party in the UK that does not opposeย fracking.
Both Labour and the Liberal Democrats promised to ban or opposeย the practiceย in this general election campaign.
Labourโs manifestoย promised an outright ban, and said the party was against fracking because โit would lock us into an energy infrastructure based on fossil fuels, long after the point in 2030 when the Committee on Climate Change says gas in the UK must sharplyย declineโ.
The Liberal Democratsโ manifesto said the party opposes fracking โbecause of its adverse impact on climate change, the energy mix, and the localย environment.โ
But the Conservatives maintained that there is a role for the fledgling industry. The manifesto said:
โThe discovery of shale gas in the United States has been aย revolution.โ
โWe will therefore develop the shale industry in Britain. We will only be able to do so if we maintain public confidence in the process, if we uphold our rigorous environmental protections, and if we ensure the proceeds of the wealth generated by shale energy are shared with the communitiesย affected.โ
During that election only the Green party promised an outright ban, as it has done so again this time round.
The Tories also reiterated their commitment to maximising recovery of North Sea oil and gas reserves, as well as making the UK a leader in decommissioning services once the wells areย spent.
The manifestoย said:
โWe will continue to support the industry and build on the unprecedented support already provided to the oil and gas sector. While there are very significant reserves still in the North Sea, it is expected to be the first major oil and gas basin in the world to decommission fully, and we will take advantage of that to support the development of a world-leading decommissioningย industryโ.
Climate Changeย Promises
Like Labour and the Liberal Democrats, the Conservative manifesto also pledgedย to continue to take action on climateย change.
Labourโs manifesto promised to put the UK โback on trackโ to meeting its climate goals. It listed climate change among other major challenges any government must address such as global terrorism and the threat of nuclearย war.
The Liberal Democrats likewise said the government has โa duty to future generations to protect our environment and tackle climate changeโ. It promised to fight a hard Brexit, and maintain the EUโs โhigh standardsโ when it came to regulations that aim to tackle climateย change.
The Conservatives pointed to the ratification of the Paris Agreement on their watch as proof of their commitment. The manifestoย said:
โThe United Kingdom will lead the world in environmentalย protection.โ
โThat is why we will continue to take a lead in global action against climateย changeโ,
At the opposite end of this spectrum, as usual, is UKIP. The party also launched it energy manifesto today, which included a promise to repeal the Climate Changeย Act:
.@RogerHelmerMEP โremove VAT from domestic fuel, repeal Climate Change Act, cut subsidies to intermittent energy generationโ pic.twitter.com/sPFeVSgdeq
โ UKIP (@UKIP) May 18, 2017
Main image credits: ย Theresa May (Foreign and Commonwealth Office, CC BY 2.0) Jeremy Corbyn (Rwendland,ย CC BY–SA 4.0), Time Farron (David Spencer,ย CC BY 2.0). Composite by DeSmog UK.
