Ed Miliband Vows Total UK Fracking Ban Amid Energy Cost Hikes

Ed Miliband, the UK's Energy and Climate Change Secretary, has pledged to introduce legislation to ban fracking permanently, responding to Reform UK's support for lifting the current moratorium and their lead in opinion polls. He criticized Reform UK and Nigel Farage, branding them as ideological extremists whose policies would increase energy bills and harm the environment, and vowed to send 'frackers packing' at the Labour Party conference. Despite the ban attempt, experts note that Miliband cannot legally bind future parliaments, meaning the ban could be repealed by subsequent governments, especially as the case for fracking grows stronger globally. A significant number of UK constituencies, including those of prominent MPs, lie within shale prospective areas, making the issue politically sensitive. Public opinion and local opposition have been largely against fracking, contributing to the 2019 moratorium, but there is no permanent legal ban yet. Miliband's push is part of Labour's broader commitment to Net Zero by 2050 and decarbonizing the electricity grid by 2030, contrasting Reform UK's opposition to these climate policies.