East Midlands UKIP MEPs vote against high safety standards for offshore drilling
Originally published by East Midlands Liberal Democrats
East Midlands UKIP MEPs voted yesterday against measures that would put in place high safety standards across Europe for offshore oil and gas operations.
The new directive which was voted through the European parliament at yesterday's vote will ensure that all countries involved in offshore drilling now follow high safety and environmental standards, which will significantly help to prevent disastrous oil spills like that of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill in 2010.
It will bring standards across Europe in line with those already in place in the UK which has a very highly-regarded safety regime.
Bill Newton Dunn Liberal Democrat MEP for the East Midlands commented on yesterday's vote:
"This is extremely good news for both worker safety and for the environment which is why it is simply in-comprehendible that UKIP MEPs would vote against such an important measure."
"In the East Midlands we have an extremely important coastline in Lincolnshire- if an oil spill took place in nearby waters the potential damage would be disastrous, threatening our marine ecosystem, fisheries and coastal communities."
"UKIP East Midlands MEPs voting against high safety standards for offshore drilling is a vote against the safety and protection of their own coastline."