Today the Labour party decided to use Parliamentary time to help them with their next social media campaign. They did this by linking a vote on fracking to a confidence vote in the government. So any Conservative MP who voted with them against fracking would also have lost the whip and no longer been a Conservative MP.
If they had handled it differently many of us would have supported a genuine motion to ban shale gas extraction without public consent.
It is no secret that I do not support fracking. We are better off continuing to invest in renewable and nuclear energy sources and our north sea oil and gas industry.
I have been very clear that it is vital for people to be able to have the final say on any fracking in their local area. The Secretary of State made it clear today that this will happen and that the mechanism for local consent will be subject to a binding vote in Parliament.