THIS is how much contempt Gideon Osborne and the Tories have for The Desolate North. The picture on the left shows a sales brochure that Osborne gave out to Chinese investors during his visit last year, prostituting Lancashire for a multi-million pound dangerous gas storage project (that the government overturned from a 12-year refusal).

Except he SPELLED LANCASHIRE INCORRECTLY!

Gideon’s father-in-law is also Lord Howell – the man who stated that fracking should begin in The Desolate North. And he is an oil and gas lobbyist. So no inside influence there then.

Halite, the firm who are carrying out the project are represented by Finsbury Communications – headed by no other than Roland Rudd: the brother of Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Damage Change, Amber Rudd. Her department overturned Lancashire County Council’s decision to refuse Halite’s permission.

The Fylde Coast is fraught with geological instability due to its multiple faulting, shown by the previous earth tremors when Cuadrilla broke their well at Preese Hall. Is this really the place to begin dangerous and untested technology in the UK? The gas storage project in California has been an unmitigated failure, described as the “worst climate disaster in UK history.” And now fracking, along with the many many scientific studies indicating dangers to health and climate, has been flagged as a climate-damaging process due to the methane leaks.

But that’s ok, because we ARE The Desolate North according to the revolving doors of Westminster/oil and gas industry.

Greg Clark MP, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government will make the ultimate decision on whether to abandon local democracy in favour of corporate interests and the fracking of communities. He has previously been a champion of local democracy therefore he’s got a risky decision to make which will face much public scrutiny and further legal challenges if he overrules Lancashire County Council. The evidence against fracking and the two sites in Lancashire is overwhelming. We won’t be sitting back and letting it happen quietly.

Northerners don’t take to kindly to being designated as a sacrifice zone, Gideon.