20150718_YT

Source: YouTube

URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5Loq0EPqrc

Date: 18/07/2015

Event: Jeremy Corbyn: "basically we've got to use less - use less of everything"

Credit: Red Tref

People:

    • Andy Burnham: Labour MP for Leigh and leadership contender
    • Jeremy Corbyn: Labour MP for Islington North and leadership contender

[Published on 19 Jul 2015: Labour leadership hopefuls Andy Burnham and Jeremy Corbyn reply to question on fracking, renewables and climate change at Brighton hustings 18th July 2015.]

Woman's voice: Andy Burnham.

Andy Burnham: Well, here I have a difference with Yvette and Liz. To answer your question, I don't think it can be justified - there are so many unanswered questions about fracking. So, at the start of this leadership campaign, I said my policy would be a moratorium, a moratorium on fracking. And I don't know if it should ever be allowed, to be honest [audience applause] because I have licenses [?] in my own constituency - [inaudible] coal-mining area, I couldn't justify the ground being smashed in my area, I don't know what it will do. So how could I recommend it to the country?

Do you know, I think this is one of the issues that gets politics a bad name. Vested interests get - they push it into [?] Westminster, they push the issue on, and it leaves people at local level completely left behind. We need local decisions on fracking, if it is ever to go ahead, and more probably it can't be the right signal for the future, can it, to say we carry on going after fossil fuels, at a time when the government's cutting the subsidies for wind. Surely Labour environment policy, going forward, should be all about renewables - that's where our focus should be. The jobs of the future, putting all of our investment, our energy, into developing the most ambitious renewable strategy in the world. [Audience applause.]

Woman's voice: Thank you. Jeremy Corbyn.

Jeremy Corbyn: It's quite difficult to deal with the most fundamental issue facing all of us, in the remaining 58 seconds I've got, but I'll do my best. [Audience laughter.] First of all, on fracking I've looked at the evidence - the levels of groundwater pollution, surface pollution, surface damage are appalling. The benefits from it - so-called - are very, very limited. I applaud those people who have managed to successfully oppose fracking in Lancashire and Sussex and other places - I am opposed to fracking. Secondly, the question of energy supplies, basically we've got to use less - use less of everything -

Woman's voice in audience: Yes, absolutely.

Jeremy Corbyn: - and we've got to get that message across. We use less by being more efficient, we use less by better public transport, we use less by generating from green and renewable sources, and a great deal of employment will come from that. Globally, we don't allow the export of pollution by deregulation in other countries, we ensure global regulation to maintain those things.

Man's voice in audience: How?

Jeremy Corbyn: Finally, on the ecosystem and environment, we are going through a crisis, a crisis in the loss of habitat, crisis in the loss of bird [?] population -

Woman's voice: Time's up.

Jeremy Corbyn: - crisis in the loss of insect population. Protect the habitat as well as protecting the resources [?] [Audience applause.]

Woman's voice: Thank you.