Pippa Bartolotti, Wales Green Party Leader said today:
"The government is now desperately resorting to bribing local residents in a desperate attempt to impose fracking on our communities. This money is being snatched from vital public services, already under huge pressure due to government cuts. “
The Green Party is now the only major political party opposed to this greedy dash for gas. However much money is offered, the facts are clear - fracking won't bring down energy prices, produce many jobs or solve our energy crisis. Instead we need investment in clean renewable energy and energy efficiency schemes so that we confront climate change and reduce people's energy bills."
“The Government is committed to pushing fracking through with a £100,000 bribe from industry – effectively giving a major subsidy to this industry. Cameron’s new major finance bribe will adversely affect those Councils that stand up for their local communities against the interests of the shale gas industry especially in the south of Wales where fracking is being targeted”
Last month, Government seriously scaled back support for people to insulate their homes, promoting it as £50 off household energy bills – money which most people will never see. Drastically cutting the Energy Company Obligation to improve insulation in homes, means it is clear that Government has no interest in helping householders control their energy demand.
The Wales Leader added, “Let’s have an industrial strategy that creates hundreds of thousands of renewable energy jobs, and which properly invests in energy efficiency measures for households so they can reduce their energy needs. Permanently.
“ Greens note that Cameron makes no claim any more that fracked gas will reduce fuel bills for householders and it is clear that it will have no benefit for those households in fuel poverty. This policy is not being applied to renewable energy installations: this typifies the government’s lack of commitment to the green economic sector which is already at serious risk of completely missing national renewable energy targets.
“We are likely to see huge local opposition to fracking - and the Government knows it. Bribing councils is their last ditch attempt to get people to accept this damaging industry.”