Energy policy has become more high profile of late. In a highly regulated and economically critical sector, political attention is inevitable.
More than that, tensions between political parties about the future of energy (and more specifically electricity) have characterised rows between Conservative and Liberal Democrat parts of the Coalition.
Whilst all the parties have been criticised by environmental groups– see today’s joint report on the state of the parties green credentials – it is the Liberal Democrats who have a motion to their party conference about green growth and the economy. It leave them with big choices to make.
The decisions they take could have a bearing on what position the party takes in Coalition discussions and so shape UK policy, it could also shape their future. Last year Nick Clegg and the party identified green issues as important to the electoral offer, distinguishing them from the Conservatives.
Greenpeace asked Populus to poll voters on their views about the Lib Dem stances and potential stances in the run-up to the next election. Because of their motion to conference coming up, we also identified how much appeal the different policy stances would have to the ‘defectors’; people who voted Lib Dem in 2010 but whose express voting intention has now changed. A few things are noteworthy in the results:
On fracking the data is decidedly mixed, but it appears the issue angers those who are already alienated by the party:
- 61% of Lib Dem defectors think the Lib Dems support for shale has damaged the party’s green credentials (with 4% believing it has strengthened the party’s green credentials)
- 38 % of those still intend to vote Lib Dem say it has damaged the party’s green credentials, 19% say it has strengthened them.
On commitment to renewable energy:
- 49% of Lib Dem ‘defectors’ would be more likely to vote for the party if it pledged to support an energy system based 100% on renewables. Compared with 13% who would be less likely to.
- If there is a view that Lib Dems are in competition for votes with Labour, it is important to note that 37% of Labour voters would be more likely to vote for the party if it pledged to 100% renewables. Compared with 11% of those Labour voters who’d be less likely to.
- Even amongst Tory voters, traditionally seen as more hostile to renewable energy, 27% would be more likely to vote for the Lib Dems if it pledged to support 100% renewables system, and 23% who’d be less likely to.
What is clear from this data is that the electoral offer of the Lib Dems is in danger of being clouded, at least in the minds of voters, by support for fracking and not being wholeheartedly behind renewable, for example by support for nuclear power.
