Reclaim the Power!
Date: 13 August 2014
Fracking is just one example of how the corporate grip on power is getting stronger in the UK. Therefore the World Development Movement will be at Reclaim the Power camp in Blackpool this weekend to resist fracking and to link up with other movements against the corporate power grab.
Reclaim the Power is not just about stopping fracking in the UK. It is about challenging a political system that puts corporate profits before people and the planet.
Recent events in Lancashire, where Reclaim the Power will take place this weekend, have shown all too clearly how corporate power is on the rise in the UK. Even though the local community have handed in 14,000 objections to proposed fracking permissions, they still seem likely to go through.
Why is that? One reason is that links between politicians and fracking companies are growing ever closer. It was recently revealed that at least three Lancashire councillors have received money from companies associated with fracking companies. Another nine local councillors belong to groups that have been given cash.
This reflects a national tendency. Our fracking web of power from last year showed close links between, for instance, fracking company Cuadrilla and the government. Likewise our fossil fuel web of power revealed that a third of government ministers have links to the fossil fuel sector or the financial sector that bankrolls it.
What is worse is that the EU and the US are currently negotiating a trade deal known as the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). TTIP could undermine UK environmental regulation, and what is left of our democratic structures, to pave the way for a US-style fracking boom in the UK. WDM will be running a workshop at Reclaim the Power about how we can defeat TTIP.
Resistance to fracking is growing in the UK. A recent poll shows that only 24 percent of Brits support fracking – a decline of 5 percent since March. People are resisting fracking across the UK with occupations and protests. And there’s a lot to fight for: Our environment, our health, and our democracy. If we keep up the fight, I’m in no doubt that we can reclaim the power from the corporate grip.
Join us at Reclaim the Power!
