Lancaster MP Cat Smith has welcomed the Government’s announcement that it will speed up its move to ban fracking.

Speaking at the Labour Party Conference on Wednesday, Energy Secretary Ed Miliband announced that the Government will legislate for a ban on fracking at the earliest opportunity.

Mr Miliband pledged that Labour will launch a campaign in nearly 200 constituencies to “Send the Frackers Packing”, after Reform UK has pledged to bring back fracking.

Cat Smith, Labour MP for Lancaster and Wyre, who campaigned against fracking, said fracking has been repeatedly shown to be dangerous, unsafe and harmful to the environment.

Cat Smith MP has previously campaigned against fracking.

placeholder image — Cat Smith MP has previously campaigned against fracking.

The last time fracking was tried in the UK, at Preston New Road in Lancashire, it resulted in nearly 200 earthquakes in less than a year, she said.

“Lancashire deserves better than to be treated as an experiment for a failed industry by Reform, and I’m delighted the Labour government are protecting residents,” Ms Smith said.

"We secured a ban on fracking for good reason. It doesn't lower energy bills, it doesn't create jobs, earthquakes devalue homes, water contamination harms public health, and drilling the earth damages our environment.

“Labour's clean energy on new homes, hospitals and schools is cutting bills, creating new skilled jobs, putting money back into public services, providing long-term energy security and tackling the climate crisis.”

The Government’s forthcoming ban will prevent fracking from taking place anywhere in the UK, ensuring the 187 constituencies that sit above shale gas areas are protected from dangerous, unsafe operations.

Speaking at the Labour Party Conference, Ed Miliband said: "Fracking will not take a penny off bills. It will not create long-term sustainable jobs. It will trash our climate commitments, and it is dangerous and deeply harmful to our natural environment.

"The good news is that communities have fought back and won this fight before and will do so again. Remember Liz Truss and her 42 days of disaster? The Tories tried to overturn the fracking ban – led by Jacob Rees-Mogg, remember him?

"Friends, we sent those frackers packing. I say: let's ban fracking and vow to send this bunch of frackers packing too."