Get ready for fracking, Reform UK tells energy firms

Shale Gas: Reform UK’s Risky Energy Bet

A potential energy source has eluded generations of British politicians, locked away in underground rocks. It is called shale gas, and the process of extracting it – known as fracking – has long been politically fraught. Since 2011, multiple prime ministers have halted fracking amid fears of earthquakes and environmental damage.

Yet Reform UK, currently leading in national opinion polls, argues that it is worth revisiting.

“We’ve got potentially hundreds of billions of pounds’ worth of energy treasure in the form of shale gas,” says Richard Tice, the party’s deputy leader and energy spokesperson.

“It’s grossly deceitful, financially, to leave such value underground rather than extracting it. If we form the next government, we’ll be ready to ‘drill, baby, drill’.”

But while Reform UK is enthusiastic, history suggests their plans face steep challenges.

Shale Failures

Fracking has been used in Britain’s oil and gas industry for decades, though large-scale efforts to extract shale gas began around 2010, inspired by a boom in the United States. At the time, energy minister Charles Hendry was cautiously optimistic about Britain’s prospects.

More than a decade on, his optimism has vanished. “It’s much more difficult here than in the US. It’s more expensive, more polluting, more disruptive – and there’s simply less space to frack in the UK,” he explains.

Fracking attempts were plagued by delays, legal battles, protests, and tremors recorded near sites. Former Prime Minister David Cameron’s promise of a shale gas revolution never materialised. In 2019, a site in Lancashire caused earthquakes strong enough to spark a national ban.

Even attempts to revive the industry have backfired. Liz Truss lifted the ban in 2022, only to face a parliamentary rebellion that undermined her leadership. She resigned days later. Rishi Sunak quickly restored the moratorium. Labour, meanwhile, has pledged to ban fracking permanently.

“This is the latest attempt to restart fracking,” Hendry warns. “Even Reform voters will be up in arms. It’s a cautionary tale.”

Reform’s Shale Strategy

Despite the controversies, Tice insists Reform UK will act decisively. The party would lift the ban immediately and open a small number of independently monitored sites to test new techniques.

“That will show the amount of gas available and reassure people it’s safe,” Tice says.

The British Geological Survey (BGS) has identified four regions where commercial shale gas might be viable, with the largest spanning Lancashire and several Midlands counties. But its latest report remains sceptical, stressing that more research is needed to prove commercial viability.

“I’m far from certain that the conditions which enabled shale gas to succeed in North America will be replicated in the UK,” the BGS concluded.

Even so, Tice is optimistic that within two years a Reform government could know if fracking is profitable. Unlike Labour’s £28 billion annual pledge for renewable energy, Reform UK promises not to spend public money on shale.

“The government’s role is to establish a modern regulatory and tax framework,” Tice argues.

In meetings with oil and gas companies, Tice and Nigel Farage have already urged firms to prepare licence applications in advance of the next election. “Don’t write off Britain,” Tice told executives in Aberdeen.

Industry Interest

Some companies are still hopeful. Egdon Resources, which holds shale licences in the Gainsborough Trough in Lincolnshire, commissioned a Deloitte study estimating the region could contribute £140 billion to the UK economy and 250,000 jobs. Egdon’s CEO, Mark Abbott, says the firm is ready to invest millions “if the legal environment permitted it.”

Star Energy Group is another company with interests in potential shale regions. Its CEO, Ross Glover, told Reform councillors in Lincolnshire: “We know there’s a world-class resource here. The UK needs whatever indigenous energy it can get – wind, solar, geothermal, or gas.”

Reform’s strategy has given industry players fresh hope. “It’s more progressive than we’ve seen in a while,” Abbott says.

Economic and Political Realities

But not everyone is convinced. Professor Michael Bradshaw of Warwick Business School, who has studied fracking policy for years, remains sceptical.

“The geology of the UK’s shale basins makes extraction more difficult and costly,” he explains. “It’s unlikely British shale can compete with cheaper imported gas from Norway and beyond. Energy bills won’t fall in the short term.”

Labour is betting firmly on clean energy. Its minister, Miatta Fahnbulleh, pledges to make Britain a “renewable energy superpower” by 2030.

“We want to discourage fracking for good. The biggest threat to our energy security is dependence on fossil fuel markets. Only by sprinting towards clean power can the UK shield consumers from soaring prices,” she argues.

The Energy Transition

Fossil fuels will remain part of Britain’s energy mix for years, but their role is shrinking as countries shift towards renewable alternatives. Reform UK’s gamble is that shale gas could still play a role. But if the party returns to government in 2029, it may find itself out of step with a global energy landscape racing towards net zero.