Liz Truss, we support fracking too – that’s why we know it can’t work for Britain

‘In Lancashire, we learned that the shale formations are heavily faulted and compartmentalised. Learning how to recover this gas will take time.’ A worker at the Cuadrilla fracking site in Preston New Road, Lancashire. Photograph: Danny Lawson/PA

In one of her first acts as prime minister, Liz Truss pledged to lift the ban on fracking in England, with the aim of opening up access to Britain’s copious onshore natural gas resources.

You would imagine that we, as the founder and former public affairs director of Cuadrilla Resources, an oil and gas exploration company, would welcome this news. Although we are no longer involved with Cuadrilla, we believe this news is positive. But it is misleading to imply that the announcement will lead to meaningful supply of new gas in the UK in the foreseeable future. And we believe there are other more practicable steps that could be taken to produce significant energy in a timely manner. Here’s why.