Sussex versus shale – a tale of anti-politics and middle class anxiety

George Osborne believes in shale; this week’s tax cut announcement was another clear profession of his faith. But plenty of people and some powerful groups stand in his way. Least among all of these are residents’ organisations in rural England. I’ve written about one such campaign in this week’s edition of the Spectator.

I found a perfect storm of predominantly middle class anxiety and anti-politics. What might concern Osborne and the proponents of shale is that their project is seen as being highly political, even elite. This is an age of profound anti-political sentiment, which gives the campaigners an appeal that spreads far beyond the standard environmental concerns about shale and fracking; and it can unite disparate groups across the country.

At root, though, this is about people’s money and quality of life. Principally, it’s about protecting equity in their houses. These are determined people who think that they have much more to lose than they can possibly gain from shale; after all, if you can afford to pay your energy bill now, your head won’t be turned by a having few quid taken off your monthly direct debit.