Lib Dem U-turn on fracking

The Scottish Liberal Democrats have performed a U-turn on fracking, with the party leadership announcing it will campaign to ban the controversial technique, a week after the party voted at conference to allow it.

Lib Dem members voted to lift the current moratorium on fracking – a form of unconventional gas extraction – at their party conference at the end of February.

But the decision was then overturned by the party's policy committee, with leader Willie Rennie arguing the stance went against the party’s commitment to green technology.

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Rennie said: “Allowing it in this country would harm our pursuit of a greener Scotland. We need an energy mix that will help us cut down on emissions, not boost them.

“Fossil fuels will remain part of the picture for years to come but our focus must be on supporting renewables rather than increasing carbon emissions.

“We don't want to distract from this by opening up a whole new front of carbon-based fuels and energy production.”

WWF Scotland director Lang Banks welcomed the move.

He said: “Willie Rennie and the Scottish Lib Dems are absolutely right that fracking and other unconventional oil and gas are incompatible with moves to reduce carbon emissions.

“We now call on all the political parties to clearly set out how they will deliver on their pledges to ensure Scotland delivers on its climate change legislation, and secure the full benefits of low-carbon society.”

But Green co-convener Patrick Harvie mocked the Lib Dem change of position during his party’s conference, saying “nobody thinking of voting Lib Dem can possibly know what their policy will be next week, never mind the other side of the election”.

Patrick Harvie said: “The Liberal Democrats are all over the place on this issue. First they gave fracking the green light when they ran the UK Government's energy department, then they wanted a ban, then they didn't, and now their Scottish leadership is going against members' democratic vote.”

Scottish Labour last week announced the party will include a pledge to oppose fracking in its manifesto.

The Scottish Government introduced the moratorium on fracking in January 2015 while it gathers evidence on possible environmental risks associated with the technique.