Lord Howell condemned as "out of touch" on fracking

The former Conservative cabinet minister David, now, Lord Howell caused controversy today when he said that the South East should be protected from "fracking" which is the process which removes shale gas from the earth. Instead of fracking going on in the south east Lord Howell continued it should take place in "desolate" places in the "north east". Lord Howell's comments have been widely condemned as "out of touch" from Conservatives and Labour to green campaigners.

David Skelton, Director of Renewal, an independent campaign group aimed at broadening the appeal of the Conservative Party said: "I was surprised to hear Lord Howell talk about the "desolate" landscape of the North East. As a proud North Easterner, I know that such a description isn't even close to the truth. The North East boasts some of the finest and most picturesque landscapes in the country, from Durham Cathedral and Bamburgh Castle, to the delights of the North Eastern countryside and the Northumbrian coastline. I'd be delighted to give Lord Howell a tour of the North East to show him that it's far from desolate and is, in fact, one of the gems of the nation."

"There is, of course, a real potential that that shale gas could play a significant role in meeting our energy challenges. It could provide a real jobs boost to areas like the North East, which shouldn't be dismissed. The choice over where fracking should take place should be taken by local communities, rather than being based on and outmoded, inaccurate view of 'the North'."

Also commenting on reports today that Lord Howell has called for fracking to be concentrated in the North East because of its "large, desolate and uninhabited areas", Friends of the Earth Energy Campaigner Tony Bosworth said: "Lord Howell's suggestion that fracking should be concentrated in the 'desolate' North East is jaw-dropping. But the Government's ill-conceived fracking plans aren't something that can be quietly brushed under the carpet 'up north' - as the villages resisting the drillers in the Tory heartlands of England's south show. It's time to pull the plug on the UK's dirty fossil fuel addiction and develop clean energy that won't cost people all over England their green and pleasant land."

Phil Wilson Labour MP for Sedgefield also joined in criticising Lord Howell by saying: "Lord Howell's comment on the North East is yet another in a long line from David Cameron's Tories which show how out of touch they are with the rest of Britain. This shows ignorance and a total lack of pride in this country and he should apologise."