Fracking, Cameron, and the Crimea!

British Prime Minister David Cameron has gone on record this week to state that the Crimea crisis should serve as wake up call to those nations heavily dependent on Russian oil and gas, and hopes that fracking of shale gas moves to the top of the European political agenda.  The PM also believes the Crimean situation should remind Britons that it is their duty to support fracking.

Some of the regions of England which are believed to contain the biggest reserves of shale gas are northern regions, which in an economic sense are not achieving their full potential in a country dominated by London and the South-East.  Fracking is an example as to why more legislative power is needed in northern regions.  There are of course other reasons why English regions need greater powers to correct a democratic deficit.

The Ukrainian crisis has no easy answers.  The United Nations General Assembly has this week proclaimed the recent Crimean Referendum to be illegal.  Indeed the referendum ballot paper not giving Crimeans the option of remaining a part of the Ukraine, is more than concerning.  But that said, I believe it is still so obvious looking in from the outside that there is still a clear majority of Crimeans who do wish to rejoin Russia, their natural homeland.

I believe the Ukrainian crisis is in it's early days.  For me, it looks at present that it is not in the EU's interest to absorb Ukraine in it's current form, especially eastern Ukraine.  Any solution will need to find a formula that will not only embrace the self-determination of Crimea and maybe other regions in the east of Ukraine, but which also enables minority peoples such as the Crimean Tatars to be given resettlement options in Western Ukraine.  A solution will also need to enable the US and the EU to be able to save face.

There could well be some good arguments for fracking that prove to offer on balance more benefits than negatives.  However in a South-East dominated England, it needs to be highlighted that it is those regions potentially rich in shale gas reserves (such as Northern English regions) that will most feel the benefits and negatives of fracking.  Ultimately, these regions need the devolution of more legislative powers to not only correct a democratic and economic deficit, but also give citizens the confidence that fracking regulations are being tailored to their interests.  DAVID CAMERON MUST NOT BE ALLOWED TO GET AWAY WITH USING THE SITUATION IN THE  CRIMEAN PENINSULA AND THE UKRAINE TO WIDEN THAT DEMOCRATIC AND ECONOMIC DEFICIT FURTHER!