More than twice as many Reform UK voters would back a solar farm in their local area than support fracking, according to new polling that appears to contradict the party’s energy stance.
The survey, conducted by ‘More in Common’ for the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit, found that among people planning to vote for Reform in the English local elections on 7th May, 435 would choose a solar farm as the best way to generate energy locally, compared with just 23% who would pick fracking.
Among all voters in the local elections, three in five said they would choose solar, while only one in ten favoured fracking.
The findings come despite Reform’s energy spokesperson repeatedly calling for fracking to be restarted in places such as Lincolnshire. The party’s mayor for Greater Lincolnshire, Dame Andrea Jenkyns, has personally reached out to an American oil and gas company following a major gas discovery in the county, according to records released under freedom of information laws.
However, Reform-led councils in Lancashire and North Yorkshire have opposed fracking projects in their areas, highlighting a split between the party’s national positioning and local action.
The polling also found that nearly three in five voters would support the construction of pylons, compared with fewer than one in five who opposed them. Even among Reform voters, 46% said they would support pylons being built, while 33% opposed them. When asked about the visual impact of pylons, over half of the public still said they should be installed because they connect new renewable energy projects to the grid, creating high-skilled jobs.
Alasdair Johnstone from the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit said: “Reform’s pro-fracking, anti-solar stance appears not only at odds with broad public opinion, but also the opinion of their voters who would prefer a quiet solar farm over a noisy fracking pad in their area. That divergence is also playing out between the national level of the party and local councils some of which have said they don’t want fracking in their area.’
He added that public opposition aside, British geology is very different from that in the United States, making it difficult for Reform to emulate a pro-fracking push. Previous polling also found that even among Reform voters, there is strong support for onshore wind, offshore wind and solar farms.
Photo: Paul-Alain Hunt