29/01/2014 - Mid Sussex Labour, Fracking and a Packed Public Meeting
At Hassocks on 22 January we were delighted to help our Labour colleagues in Hurstpierpoint and Hassocks to organise a highly successful public debate on fracking, including Alan Rew and our leading May 2014 Euro Elections candidate Anneliese Dodds as two of the speakers. For we've been highlighting this crucial issue for some time.
Especially since May 2013, when Balcombe resident Alan Rew, our County Council candidate in Worth Forest, successfully drew attention to fracking and beat the Green and Lib Dem candidates, Mid Sussex Labour Party has been closely involved.
We have raised important questions about the environment and public health, as well as the policing of the protests and its cost to local people.
We've listened to residents and publicised Labour's national policy - much stricter safeguards, with 12 months monitoring, before allowing exploratory drilling or fracking - published letters in the media, and raised concerns about policing at Balcombe with the Police and Crime Commissioner. Then we leafleted every delegate at the 2013 Party Conference in Brighton, to keep fracking and sustainable energy sources high on Labour's agenda.
Read the Mid Sussex Times online account of the public debate.