Blackpool, Fylde & Wyre TUC

Talk by Ken Cridland

Climate Justice related activities

  • Antifracking 2018-2019: Support was requested by community activists with a permanent anti-fracking site installed in Preston New Road, supported by local residents and some Councillors. The collaboration with the Trades Council goes all the way back to 2011. 

  • Ultimately 3 activists were imprisoned in Preston prison in 2018. Many trade union bodies supported the movement and protest at the prison which led to their release. In 2019, an earthquake took place and led to temporary halt to fracking.

  • COP26 - November 2021: A local protest was organised in Lytham Windmill which could be in danger from sea-level rising. 30 protesters attended but local publicity got good coverage.

  • Conservative conference in Blackpool - March 2022: Protest brought together NHS campaigners, antifracking campaigners and trade unionists. The TUC-called protest was cancelled but Blackpool kept the protest going. Lots of RMT workers also joined the march from the P&O ferries dispute.

  • COP27 North West protest in Blackpool - November 2022: This was at a time of many strikes by workers over pay which were supported by the Trades Councils. Three themes were brought together for a COP27 North West march: Climate Justice, Health Justice and Workers Justice. 

  • Blackpool was the North West location for the regional COP27 protest. Protesters gathered in front of Blackpool Tower before to march. About 800 protesters joined in. It was the biggest street protest in Blackpool for a long time. A rally in the town centre with speakers on workers, climate and health issues as well as a social evening with poetry. A film was created.

Blackpool TUC

  • 35 affiliated branches representing about 20,000 workers.

  • Pursuing interventions on health justice with local NHS trust and has met CEO

  • Invitation to local Labour Party branches and Green Party

  • Done interviews with researchers

  • Have ambition to do more on climate justice and a green revolution

  • Difficult to sustain momentum on climate issues and have stalled, need help and advice

  • BP currently trying a cable route between Blackpool and St Anne to link to the wind farm

Key points from Q&A and discussion

  • Was there any sympathy for fracking regarding potential jobs creation? GMB union held a conference in Blackpool and held a meeting with fracking company Cuadrilla but also Friends of the Earth for a hot debate. Arguments were made in favour of gas that were countered by the One Million Climate Jobs strategy. It is important to get a balance on the job issue and we need to bear in mind the idea of ‘no ban without a plan’ and pushing for justice for workers.

  • Climate Jobs campaign - important tool for the relationship between trade unions and antifracking campaigners. A pamphlet on Climate Jobs for Blackpool & the Fylde was also published showing how many jobs could be created in the local area to tackle the climate crisis. It could be an inspiration for other Trades Councils. Chris Baugh, former Assistant General Secretary from PCS has done a lot of work on this. Challenge of actually implementing this plan and how to go on next.

  • Question about the role of regional Mayors and regional climate justice plans? No Mayor for Blackpool/Lancashire as many different councils in cities, town and rural areas. Blackpool is its own unitary authority and the honorary mayor is a member of the Trades Council.

  • Local area economy and industry - Blackpool used to have a bit of industry but currently the main industry is the Leisure Industry and it is struggling. It is a deprived area with shorter life expectancy and poor health. In the Fylde & Wyre, there is the Heysham nuclear power station. The other big employer in the Fylde is BAE systems where we see similar tensions between workers and Palestine campaigners on arms exports and manufacturing. So far the Trades Council hasn’t got an anti-nuclear power position as it could be an essential part of the transition. This is another difficult debate to have with climate campaigners. BP has a major stake in the wind farm along the coast.

  • The nuclear debate is an important one and has questions around how quickly you can build new facilities and their costs. BP has dropped their green commitments but interestingly they are investing in wind farms. Local authorities and metro Mayors are a bit of a double-edged sword as they can attract extra funding and positive effects on transport and investment on green industries but there is a lack of democracy. 

Resources and links