To The Grandmother Elizabeth...

Dear Editors,

Please find below, part two of an open letter to Her Majesty, The Queen, as the latest press release from Lancashire Nanas and residents against fracking from Lancashire. This press release is the second part of an action that will culminate in a peaceful presence at Buckingham Palace from 2pm on 27th September 2016.

*The Grandmother Elizabeth,

*Please note that we address you in this way, out of respect for what we consider to be your noblest role and highest obligation: to protect the young.

We recently contacted you about the plight of Lancashire residents who have used every democratic channel available to them in the fight to stop fracking coming to their communities. If you recall, our elected county councillors refused planning permission for two fracking sites in rural Fylde: Cuadrilla then appealed and the decision will now be made by the Secretary of State very soon. We appealed to you as our last democratic resource and asked you, 'What would you do Ma'am?'.

We understand how busy you are and so we thought we'd make it easier for you to meet with us by holding a tea party at the 'Grandmother's Memorial' outside Buckingham Palace. Like you, many of the Nanas are grandmothers, and are concerned for the future health and safety of their children and grandchildren should fracking go ahead. As well as being such a fitting memorial to a Queen and Grandmother, we believe that the symbolism of the Victoria Memorial represents mothers and grandmothers everywhere, who are fighting for their children's futures.

The monument represents Peace, Agriculture, Progress and Manufacture. Ours is an entirely peaceful movement; we need agricultural land for food production rather than fracking; to frack for fossil fuels is a retrospective step and we want to see progress in renewable energy, an industry that could revitalise Lancashire's proud manufacturing base. Also represented are Truth and Justice. We have been researching the truth about the shale gas industry for five years and have found it to be a dirty industry with far-reaching effects on health, the environment and the well-being of communities wherever it has been undertaken. 

Our local councils, from parish to borough to county, have all said 'No' to fracking. Yet, the government will more than likely say 'Yes'. Where is the justice in that Ma'am? To us, justice would be a ban on fracking in the UK and as we have proven that our voices are not heard in our democracy, we are beseeching you to call for the ban. 

Like you, we take our obligations very seriously and so cannot stop our course of action; we are standing between a dangerous industry and our children and it would be impossible for us to step aside and open them up to a risk like this. 

We would dearly like you to consider our plight and if you can, accept the report we have left for you. It is The Human Dimensions of Shale Gas Developments in Lancashire by Dr Anna Szolucha and it will tell you something of the impact this industry is already having on citizens here in the UK, even before it gets a foothold.

Of course, on the very top of your Great Grandmother's memorial is a bronze Winged Victory. How appropriate. Nothing less than Victory would be acceptable because we will not allow fracking to destroy our communities. As a mother and grandmother, please help us secure this victory by supporting us and ensuring a healthy future for all of our children and grandchildren.

We’ll be outside on 27 September 2016 from 2pm for a tea party and invite you to join us or send a message, although most will go home later in the day, some of us will linger for longer in case you get the chance to meet with us.

Yours faithfully,

Nanas & Residents from Lancashire

ENDS