Jenkyns: fracking would save money for taxpayers

Dame Andrea Jenkyns was voted in as the first mayor of Greater Lincolnshire on Thursday

The new mayor of Lincolnshire has said she will be meeting with a fracking company to discuss a business case to extract gas from underground in the county.

Dame Andrea Jenkyns said the move would "really save money for the Lincolnshire taxpayers".

She was speaking on the BBC's Politics North show after winning the contest to become the first mayor of Greater Lincolnshire on Thursday. Her party, Reform UK, will also take over the running of the county council from the Conservatives.

In response, the government said it planned to ban fracking to protect current and future generations and "the biggest risk" to energy security was "staying dependent on fossil fuel markets".

Dame Andrea was questioned about her position regarding Reform UK's plans to scrap the country's net zero target and impose a windfall tax on green energy companies.

Tim Iredale, the BBC's political editor for Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, put it to the mayor that this could cost jobs around the Humber estuary.

Dame Andrea said the three main parties had a "homogenized view" on net zero, and that there had been no scrutiny of the plans.

"I will be meeting with a fracking company after the gas find, and put a business argument [forward]," she added. "We should be doing that. That will really save money for the Lincolnshire taxpayers."

In February, a company claimed there was enough gas under an area near Gainsborough to supply the country's energy needs for seven years. However, opponents insist fracking – a technique used to capture a type of gas found deep underground in shale rock – risks water, air and noise pollution.

A government spokesperson told the BBC that it intended to "ban fracking for good and make Britain a clean energy superpower".

"Only by sprinting to clean power by 2030 can the UK take back control of its energy and protect consumers from spiralling energy costs," the spokesperson added.

From left: Tim Iredale, Andrea Jenkyns, Rachel Maskel and Keane Duncan

The Federation of Small Businesses in Lincolnshire has also warned that the net zero agenda should not be "thrown out with the bathwater" because it offered "enormous economic opportunity" in the county.

Keane Duncan, a Conservative councillor and cabinet member for north Yorkshire, and Rachel Maskel, the Labour MP for York, appeared on the programme alongside Dame Andrea.

Duncan said a windfall tax on energy would cost jobs and sacrifice investment. "It will also mean that people's energy bills are going to be higher," he added.

Maskel said it was time to "wake up to the climate challenges" and argued that "the real investment in growth and opportunity for our region sits in the energy sector".

'Hidden roles'

Dame Andrea was also asked on the programme about Reform UK's pledge to scrap diversity officers from local authorities.

Nigel Farage, the leader of the party, has said getting rid of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) officers is at the top of their agenda.

However, when asked by the BBC about such roles, Lincolnshire County Council said it did not have any staff doing those kinds of jobs.

Dame Andrea claimed the diversity roles had been "rebranded now as mentors".

"I think there's lots of these hidden roles, diversity hidden roles, which we need to uncover," she said.

"I'm a meritocrat, and I think this diversity extreme inclusion, it can actually divide people more.

"I'm neurodiverse myself, My son is, it's about creating the right conditions to make sure that people are attracted to these jobs.

"I just want competent people. So I think that we need to do away with roles like this."

Councillor Judith Matthews, of North Lincolnshire Council, appeared live on the programme. She was asked what she wanted Jenkyns to achieve in her role.

The Labour councillor said: "She needs to help the disabled people get back into work that have a lot of skills. And that can be done by working in collaboration with disability groups so that everybody has a fair chance at a good job."

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