On August 25, 2025, a new energy debate erupted across Britain as Reform UK, led by Nigel Farage and deputy leader Richard Tice, reignited the country’s most contentious environmental issue: fracking. With the next general election still four years away, the party has already urged oil and gas firms to prepare fresh licence applications for shale gas extraction, promising to lift the ban on fracking "immediately" if they come to power. Their rallying cry—“drill, baby, drill”—has sent shockwaves through communities, energy firms, and political rivals alike.
Fracking, or hydraulic fracturing, is a method that involves blasting water, sand, and a cocktail of chemicals deep underground to release oil or gas trapped within shale rock. While it’s been used on a small scale in England for decades, its expansion in the 2010s sparked widespread protests, legal battles, and mounting fears of earthquakes and environmental damage. According to the BBC, fracking has been banned repeatedly in the UK since 2011, largely due to the environmental risks and sustained community opposition.
Richard Tice, Reform UK’s deputy leader and energy spokesperson, has been vocal in his belief that Britain is sitting on a fortune. “We’ve got potentially hundreds of billions of energy treasure in the form of shale gas. It’s grossly financially negligent to a criminal degree to leave that value underground and not to extract it,” Tice told the BBC. He and Farage have already met with energy firms in Aberdeen, telling them to "get your ducks in a row and get applications ready" ahead of the next election. The party’s pitch is simple: unlock Britain’s hidden energy wealth and reduce reliance on expensive imports.
Yet, the shadow of fracking’s past looms large. Under David Cameron’s Conservative government, a "shale gas revolution" was promised, echoing the fracking boom in the US. But the British experience turned out very differently. As The Guardian reported, the expansion of fracking in the 2010s led to protests, minor earth tremors, and legal challenges. In 2019, after tremors at a site in Lancashire, Boris Johnson’s administration imposed a ban. Even Conservative ministers admitted that UK geology makes fracking more expensive, more polluting, and more disruptive than in the US.
The issue briefly returned to the fore in 2022, when then-Prime Minister Liz Truss attempted to restart fracking in response to energy security concerns following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The backlash was swift and fierce, with a rebellion by Tory MPs contributing to her government’s downfall. Rishi Sunak, her successor, quickly reinstated the ban, signaling the depth of political resistance to fracking. Labour, meanwhile, has doubled down. In its latest manifesto, the party pledges to ban fracking "for good" and achieve 100 percent clean power by 2030. Earlier this year, Energy Secretary Ed Miliband approved plans to fill in the last remaining wells in Lancashire with cement, closing the chapter on England’s fracking experiment—at least for now.
But Reform UK is undeterred. The party argues that the country can’t afford to ignore its underground riches, especially with a new natural gas field recently discovered under Lincolnshire. One energy company claims this field could supply the UK’s energy needs for seven years and add billions to the economy—a tempting prospect as households continue to grapple with spiraling energy costs. According to The Daily Mail, Tice insists that a Reform government would work with companies to explore gas at independently monitored sites to "confirm the quantity of gas available and satisfy people that it’s safe." He also promises to "create an attractive regulatory and tax framework" for the industry, but without putting public money into fracking ventures.
Still, the environmental concerns that plagued earlier attempts haven’t disappeared. Fracking’s risks—earthquakes, groundwater contamination, mishandled waste—remain at the forefront of public debate. Past proposals to drill for shale gas in Wales, including at St John’s Colliery in Maesteg and Llandow Industrial Estate, were halted over fears of environmental damage. Eden Energy and Coastal Oil and Gas previously held licences to explore about 1,000 square kilometers in south Wales, but plans were withdrawn after growing concerns about pollution and seismic activity. According to WalesOnline, the Welsh government signed up to the Beyond Oil & Gas Alliance at COP26, underscoring its commitment to phase out oil and gas production entirely.
Reform UK’s push for fracking is not just a policy proposal—it’s a major political gamble. The party is riding high in the polls, with a July 2025 survey projecting it as the leading party in the Senedd for next year’s Welsh election, commanding 28 percent of the vote. That puts them in direct conflict with the Welsh government’s anti-fracking stance and its broader green ambitions. If Reform’s plans materialize, they would mark a dramatic pivot away from the current consensus, potentially reigniting old battles over local control, environmental stewardship, and the future of Britain’s energy system.
Labour and the Conservatives are both keen to draw a clear line. Energy minister Miatta Fahnbulleh told The Guardian, “We intend to ban fracking for good and make Britain a clean-energy superpower to protect current and future generations. The biggest risk to our energy security is staying dependent on fossil-fuel markets, and only by sprinting to clean power by 2030 can the UK take back control of its energy and protect consumers from spiraling energy costs.”
But for Reform UK, the argument is about energy security and economic opportunity. With 92 percent of its funding reportedly coming from fossil fuel corporations, as The Guardian noted, critics accuse the party of prioritizing industry profits over public health and the environment. Supporters, however, see a chance to revive local economies, create jobs, and lower bills at a time when many are struggling to make ends meet.
The fracking debate is, in many ways, a microcosm of Britain’s broader energy crossroads. As the world races toward clean energy, the temptation to tap into “hundreds of billions of energy treasure” beneath the countryside remains strong for some. The choice facing voters could not be starker: a return to controversial fossil fuel extraction, or a sprint toward a greener, cleaner future. With the next election on the horizon and public opinion deeply divided, the battle over Britain’s energy destiny is far from settled.
As the political winds shift and the stakes grow ever higher, one thing is clear: the fracking question is back—louder, more urgent, and more divisive than ever.
