Fracking – some proposals for action

Stephen Hall of Wigan Left Unity puts forward proposals for action in response to the proposed legislation announced in the Queen’s Speech

The Queen’s Speech on Wednesday included the announcement of proposed legislation which would allow fracking companies to run shale gas pipelines deep under people’s homes without getting their prior permission.

The passage of what the government is proposing into law will inevitably make it easier for the fracking industry to get a foothold in this country and, as such, would represent something of a setback and a tactical political defeat for us collectively as an anti-fracking movement – though obviously not a decisive one.

However, it is also the case that the passage of the proposed legislation through parliament provides the anti-fracking movement with the opportunity to do the exact opposite. It provides us with an opportunity, if we can all work hard at it, to mobilise sufficient public opinion to knock the industry and the government back on the issue, and in so doing, inflict an even more significant tactical political defeat on them, given we are in the run up to next year’s general election, and likely to cost the Tories and the Lib Dems votes.

Also, for us in so doing, to potentially build up sufficient nationwide political opposition to fracking in general, for us to actually make the election of any government committed to supporting the expansion of the fracking industry (including CBM and UCG) untenable.

In order for us to do anything even closely approaching that however, will require much better national and local co-ordination of all our efforts and resources, and moreover, our actively going out to engage with the wider public on a much greater scale and in a more concerted way than we may have so far been unable to, in addition to everything else all of us are already doing.

It is my view that we all need to rise to the challenge presented to us by this bill, which by its nature is sure to be extremely controversial on any account, and potentially enrage millions of homeowners, many in areas that traditionally overwhelmingly vote for the Tories. All of this combined is bound to put the issue of fracking high on the national political agenda in the next period, and we need to make sure our voices are clearly heard during the debate. Also, generally speaking, that we are all singing from the same hymn sheet in terms of working to defeat the bill using every valid argument and non-violent means at our disposal.

We should be additionally looking at utilising whatever broad based and well co-ordinated national campaign to stop the passage of the bill that emerges (a simple “Stop fracking under our homes bill” campaign – or similar – would do) as the spring board for us as an anti-fracking movement, to help build up more widespread opposition to fracking in general. Also, in the case of those amongst us who are additionally concerned with the threat posed by fracking in relation to climate change, to win broader support for the much more sensible, thought out, and fully costed proposals of the one million climate jobs report.

Every organisation and every individual who has been involved in the anti-fracking fight so far, in whatever way, and everyone wanting to become part of the fight, needs to be drawn in and play their part. From individual protectors and anti-fracking activists, to local anti-fracking groups, to Friends of the Earth, to Greenpeace and the unions, to the Green Party, Left Unity, Reality Party, TUSC (the latter all being political parties who have publicly come out against fracking), to even members of other political parties who as individuals support a complete ban on fracking even if their party doesn’t (and who maybe would like to change that). And of course we must not forget the much greater number of ordinary people who aren’t in any political party or organisation, and who just want to do something positive in the here and now, which might contribute to achieving a positive outcome.

Some proposals for action in response to the proposed legislation.

Let’s all support and promote these three online petitions/actions:
Friends of the Earth
38 Degrees
Greenpeace

Let’s also get a common printed version going too, with a short agreed wording and set ourselves a target of getting a million signatures for it, before the bill’s final reading in parliament (the hand-signed printed version total could be added to an online version with the same wording). This is an excellent way to engage with the general public via street stalls, and also door-to-door. Also an excellent “agreed action” to suggest everyone get involved in at a local fracking awareness meeting, or one specifically organised to promote the widest possible opposition to the bill, along with the formation of a local campaign group in that area to carry forward the necessary work that needs doing on the ground. It is also something which will be relatively easy to promote in the local press/media and to organise actions around in everyone’s locality, especially outside MPs surgeries, local council meetings, etc.

Let’s agree to jointly stage and build two huge lobbies of parliament coinciding with the first and last readings of the bill. Maybe to also support some kind of permanent or near-permanent presence outside parliament for the duration of the bill’s passage through parliament.

Let us all agree to do whatever we can to help build up support for all the protectors at all the various (and possible new) camps at Crawberry Hill, Upton, Farndon, Danesill including helping to fill coaches as when possible to “solidarity Sunday” style events and any other solidarity initiatives, which everyone should commit themselves to building via their own networks.

Let’s all agree to organise and work to mobilise massive public lobbies of this year’s TUC & Labour Party conferences calling on them to give their full support to the campaign against the fracking under our homes bill, to strengthen and re-affirm their own opposition to fracking where they already have such a policy, and where they don’t, to have the debate, and allow us the opportunity to put forward the opposing case in it.

For those of us concerned with the threat of climate change and who also want to do something about unemployment at the same time, we might also call on them to give their full support to the proposals of the one million climate jobs report and the efforts directed towards the Labour Party’s leadership to make the implementation of it a manifesto commitment at the general election along with an immediate legislative nationwide ban on fracking. In relation to the Labour conference to call on Labour MPs and the Labour Party in general to mobilise the full weight of their opposition to the passage of bill through every stage of parliament and to support the wider campaign against it.

Above is surely sufficient a broad outline for a nationwide campaign which could involve at one level or another everyone currently involved in the nationwide fight against fracking, and which Left Unity members will hopefully play their part in helping to bring about.