The Conservative Party manifesto – link: https://www.conservatives.com/manifesto Check for yourselves
Bob Earll ‘It seems to be a fair assumption that the Conservatives will return to Government after the election. It is also very clear since the publication of the Conservative manifesto that Theresa May is breaking away from many aspects of thinking of the Cameron – Osborne years and that she is seeking a mandate to back her thinking. So reading the Conservative manifesto becomes a valuable guide towards the policies that will unfold over the next five years.
- London Convention Withdrawal On page 27 of the manifesto there is a paragraph on the Common Fisheries Policy post Brexit and it says ‘we will withdraw from the London Convention.’ [See Background]
- Commitment to the 25 year environment plan On page 26 – paragraph six: ‘Finally, we pledge to be the first generation to leave the environment in a better state than we inherited it. That is why we shall produce a comprehensive 25 year Environment Plan that will chart how we will improve our environment as we leave the European Union and take control of our environmental legislation again.’
- Coastal Communities Fund At the bottom of page 26 they commit to continuing with the Coastal Communities Fund until 2022.
- Litter – the penny has dropped On page 25 there are a number of commitments on litter.
- Oil & Gas & decommissioning Page 21-22 includes several paragraphs on the continued support for the oil and gas industry and specific commitments to supporting decommissioning work with a new ultra deepwater port to support this (p 22).
- Energy mix On page 22-23 there are just two paragraphs on how energy will be generated. No mention of Swansea Bay lagoon. Onshore wind in England is rejected again although there is a pledge to meeting global climate change commitments.
- Gripped by the frackers By way of contrast the Conservatives are still committed to onshore fracking in England and five paragraphs are devoted to this. Planning requirements are to be lifted and a new specific regulating agency to be set up. Give the remarkable lack of progress on this since it was first greenlighted in 2010 by Cameron & Osborne and the increasing levels of public opposition this emphasis and backing seems very odd and fishy. Page 23.’
Greenpeace on Fracking http://energydesk.greenpeace.org/2017/05/18/comment-tory-manifesto-exempts-drilling-planning-permission-much-like-boundary-wall/
BusinessGreen are once again quickly off the mark – James Murray. ‘The Conservative manifesto contains plenty of flaws, but like all the main parties policy plans it promises a significant boost for green businesses
‘It is time to celebrate. No, really, bear with me on this, it is. All the main parties have released their manifestos and we can now be certain that this most dispiriting and monotonous of elections will deliver a significant green lining. The UK’s cross party consensus on climate action has held. All the main parties accept climate action is essential and are committed to delivering it. The level of ambition and the precise policy mechanisms proposed may vary, but the direction of travel is clear. The only party whose official stance is a full embrace of aggressive climate scepticism is UKIP – the latest poll puts them on two per cent. To read more click here