Andy Burnham: “No fracking should go ahead until we have much clearer evidence on the environmental impact”

Andy Burnham is to say that there should be a moratorium on fracking until there is more evidence to show whether or not it is safe to drill for shale gas.

Burnham, who is in the running to be Labour’s next leader, is going to explain his thoughts on fracking at a leadership hustings taking place at the Fabian Society’s Summer Conference today. Ahead of this he told the Guardian:

“I was literally left open-mouthed two years ago when I realised there were about nine licences all over my constituency. Some of them are moving forward.

“These things just seem to be handed out like confetti. That made me really focus on the issue. In my area, we are riddled with mine shafts as a former mining area. Where is the evidence that it is safe to come and frack a place like this? No fracking should go ahead until we have much clearer evidence on the environmental impact.”

Prior to the election Burnham, who is Shadow Health Secretary, argued that Labour needed to be more sceptical of fracking. He told the Guardian that he maintains this position, and he thinks Britain should be pursuing the use of renewable energy. He explained that he supported the Guardian’s climate change campaign:

“The evidence [on fracking] is very, very flimsy. If we are going to carry on with fossil fuels we are basically sending a message that renewables aren’t where we want to be. I am pitching this as part of a pro-business, new economy move. We have got to get more serious about investment in renewables. The Guardian campaign has got quite a lot of traction and is quite powerful. I have long felt this and have wanted to harden Labour’s stance.”

“How can we justify in this day and age allowing a multinational to frack a local community without their say so? The next step, beyond the moratorium, would be to give local people a much bigger say in whether or not it can proceed. If an organisation could convince a local community that in the end the deal they were putting on the table was beneficial then that is fine. But it can’t be fine without proper consultation.”

“Fracking is one of those issues that gets politics a bad name. It is being driven ahead at speed by people in the Westminster bubble with scant regard for the views of the communities most affected. This is why people are fed up with politics as usual and want change. I will bring that change and put communities first again.”