Tory MP from Berkshire suggests fracking in ‘northern reaches of Scotland’

By Adele Merson

October 12 2022, 6:30 pm

Fracking has sparked protests like this one in Blackpool.

A Conservative politician has suggested fracking for shale gas could be explored somewhere like the “northern reaches of Scotland” to get around community opposition in built-up areas.

Laura Farris, MP for Newbury, in Berkshire, made the remarks on the BBC’s Politics Live on Wednesday, while discussing proposals from Prime Minister Liz Truss to allow fracking in areas where there is local consent.

Ms Farris said it is “not something that’s going to be happening” in her constituency, and did not mention the Scottish Government’s own ban on licences for fracking.

A ban on fracking in England was controversially lifted last month but it has been met with strong opposition from campaigners and environmentalists.

‘Arrogant and outrageous’

Drew Hendry, MP for Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey, described the comments as “arrogant and outrageous”.

He added: “The north of Scotland is not an experimental ground for the Tories’ dangerous obsessions.

“Thankfully Liz Truss’ reckless decision to end the fracking ban in England doesn’t apply north of the border, with the first minister making clear that the Scottish Government will not be issuing licences for fracking.

“Our position is firm and unchanged. Fracking isn’t wanted or needed in an area already rich in clean and renewable energies.”

Drew Hendry criticised the MP’s comments. Picture by Sandy McCook.

Ms Farris told the BBC: “I know that the communities who it does affect feel very passionately against it and I wouldn’t be able to support a policy that imposed it on an area where that view is held.

“It’s probably not going to happen in densely populated communities but I don’t know whether there are parts of the northern reaches of Scotland, where there would be appropriate sites, and I wouldn’t discourage it if there were.”

She did not elaborate on what area is specifically covered by her term the “northern reaches”.

In her speech to SNP conference on Monday at P&J Live in Aberdeen, Nicola Sturgeon reiterated that the Scottish Government will “not be issuing licences for fracking”.