SNP ‘like Alice in Wonderland’ over fracking

Ministers in a ‘staggering U-turn’

‘A damaging fiasco’

PETROCHEMICAL giant Ineos has accused the Scottish Government of taking an ‘Alice in Wonderland’ approach to fracking, saying it was bemused over a so-called ‘ban’.

Bosses yesterday said ministers had performed a ‘staggering U-turn’ on their position on the controversial method of oil and gas extraction – after a government lawyer claimed the practice has not been outlawed.

Advocate James Mure, QC, made the claims in court months after Nicola Sturgeon and other senior party members insisted fracking had been ‘banned’.

But the Scottish Government told the Court of Session a legal challenge to the ban should be thrown out – as fracking has actually not been banned.

Tom Pickering, operations director at Ineos Shale, said this was a ‘staggering U-turn’ from ministers and had ‘cast further uncertainty and ambiguity’ over their position.

Ineos and Aberdeen firm ReachCSG took Scottish ministers to court over their decision to ban fracking.

Mr Pickering said: ‘We were astonished to learn during proceedings that the Scottish Government claims that it has not issued a ban on fracking in Scotland, and indeed there may never be one.

‘The position of the Scottish Government that has now been stated in court represents a staggering U-turn on the policy direction announced by the Energy Minister during parliamentary debate in October last year, and by the First Minister when she said in parliament “Scotland should welcome the fact that fracking is banned”.

‘The developments during the judicial review process undermine the statements made by ministers. We took the Government at their word. Sadly we seem to have reached the Alice in Wonderland situation where a business has to go to the Scottish courts to establish whether announcements in Holyrood can be taken at face value.’

A moratorium on fracking was announced in 2015 and last October Energy Minister Paul Wheelhouse said planning regulations would be used to ‘effectively ban’ it by extending the moratorium ‘indefinitely’.

Following the announcement, Miss Sturgeon said: ‘Fracking is being banned in Scotland, end of story.’

Deputy First Minister John Swinney and Transport Minister Humza Yousaf both said the process was banned and the SNP’s website also states that it is.

Scottish Conservative energy spokesman Alexander Burnett said: ‘It’s no wonder Ineos are furious at the pathetic stance of the SNP on this issue.

‘Either Nicola Sturgeon is misleading the people of Scotland, or the lawyers she hired are misleading a court of law – they can’t both be right.

‘This is a damaging fiasco and calls into question almost anything this SNP Government says and does.’

Lord Pentland will issue a judgment on the case in the coming weeks.