News & Articles

Some published articles and blog posts from Tommy Sheppard MP

Environment

Public Consultation on Fracking - My Response

Friday, 24 March 2017

Tommy Sheppard

Policy My work for you in Edinburgh East

Public Consultation on Fracking - My Response

The Scottish Government is in the process of consulting the public on unconventional oil and gas. I would encourage everyone to take part. If you have any concerns about fracking in Scotland then now is the time to voice them.

Long before I stood for election I was opposed to fracking so I thought it might be useful to share my answers to the consultation questions. These are my views – no doubt you will have your own. Even if you don’t agree with me I would encourage you to make your views heard.

Continue reading

10006 Hits

Tags:

Environment Fracking

10006 Hits

0 Comments

UCG Moratorium Announced

Thursday, 08 October 2015

Tommy Sheppard

Policy

UCG Moratorium Announced

The Scottish Government has today put in place a moratorium on underground coal gasification (UCG) in Scotland. The following press release was issued by the SNP.

SNP WELCOME OFFSHORE UCG MORATORIUM

Continue reading

2862 Hits

Tags:

UCG Environment

2862 Hits

0 Comments

Fracking and UCG: My Thoughts

Wednesday, 30 September 2015

Tommy Sheppard

Policy

Fracking and UCG: My Thoughts

Prior to the election, a number of people asked me to clarify my position on fracking, something I was happy to do. I first got involved in politics in the late seventies through campaigning against nuclear power and ever since I’ve been an advocate of renewable energy. So, I guess that even when I first discovered what the term “fracking” meant (and realising that it wasn’t the ubiquitous expletive from the sci-fi series Battlestar Galactica – of which I am a fan) I felt in my water it was a bad thing.

But I spent a bit of time reading up on the subject as I didn’t want to be accused of making a kneejerk response to the debate. And the more I read the more I concluded my initial instincts were correct.

Continue reading

7779 Hits

Tags:

Fracking Environment

Recent comment in this post

Guest — mary mcInroy

When is your next meeting with the forth and friends of the earth in Portobello? Thanks

Monday, 12 October 2015 17:36

7779 Hits

1 Comment

Tommy's Blog Articles

Tommy Sheppard

31 January 2020

Leave a light on for Scotland

Media

Dear fellow Europeans I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. The UK is leaving the European Union later tonight. I’ve resisted it every step of the way but now it is really happening. Please know that this is not what the people who live in this great city want. Boris Johnson does not act in our name. We are being dragged out of Europe against our will. And we are determined that this will not be the end of the...

Tommy Sheppard

29 January 2020

The refugee crisis in Samos

With everything that goes on at Westminster it can be very easy to get caught up in the day to day minutiae of debates and votes. Sometimes we need a reminder of the bigger picture. I got that last week when I met with one of my constituents, Gica, who spent time volunteering in Samos last year.Gica volunteered with refugees and the situation she described is appalling. And worsening. The refugee ...

Tommy Sheppard

23 January 2020

The English left have nothing to fear from Scottish independence

Media

This week Politico reported that Number Ten are set to launch a pro-union offensive north of the border. Last week leadership contender Lisa Nandy provoked fierce criticism by saying Labour should learn from Spain’s attempts to defeat Catalan independence campaigners.Both approaches from different parts of the British political mainstream have in common a denial of the express views of voters in S...

Tommy Sheppard

03 January 2020

A tale of two elections

Media

Is it just me or does last month’s election already seem a long time ago? That last week in parliament was a pretty turgid affair. Self-congratulation by the tea-room Tories was matched by remorse and recrimination as Labour losers cleared lockers and desks. And then it was Christmas. There was no settling of the dust, no clarity on what the election results actually meant.That starts now. Not for...

Tommy Sheppard

13 September 2019

Boris Johnson set to be accountable to MPs for four of 82 days as PM

Media

At two minutes past ten on Wednesday morning I was sitting in court number one just behind St Giles on the Royal Mile. A minute later Lord Carloway announced the unanimous decision by the appeal court judges that the British government had acted illegally in proroguing parliament. There was an audible intake of breath as the decision hit.I was pleased to join my colleague Joanna Cherry QC, and ot...