Campaigners concerned about Steve Baker’s views on climate change held a vigil outside his office to mark the delivery of 55,000 leaflets through residents’ doors - as the MP says he would allow shale gas to be extracted "from under his home" if there was any. 

‘Steve Baker Watch’ was set up by Wycombe residents who say they are “alarmed” at the MP’s views on climate change and felt “compelled” to counter his “misleading, inaccurate” claims.

They have regularly been holding ‘vigils’ outside his Wycombe constituency office, but their latest gathering, on April 22, marked the completion of 55,000 leaflets that have been mailed to residents living in the area.

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The leaflet says Steve Baker Watch wants their MP to champion renewable energy like wind and solar, to focus on insulating homes to reduce heating demand and cut gas imports and to campaign against subsidies to fossil fuel companies.

But the chair of Wycombe Conservatives, Dr Richard Peters, has branded the campaign “vicious”, urging them to engage in “constructive discussion” about climate change concerns instead of “personal attacks”.

Gemma Rogers, who is an NHS worker who lives in Wycombe and started Steve Baker Watch, said: “I visited vulnerable people in their homes every day – the sort of people worst affected by rising bills.

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“Steve Baker claims to be by their side, but if so, why didn’t he vote for a school meal extension for struggling families during the pandemic even though food poverty rates in High Wycombe are some of the highest in England?

“Why does he say we should re-start fracking for shale gas instead of taking up cheap, clean, renewable options?”

Kelly Simpson, from Steve Baker Watch, who attended the vigil on April 22, said: “We hope Steve Baker has seen our leaflet so he can fully understand how worried we are about the way he keeps pushing dirty, dangerous and expensive fossil fuel solutions to our energy problems and undermines support for clean, cheap renewable energy.

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“We understand Steve wants to please his fossil fuel friends, but fracking won’t help pay our huge energy bills.”

Andrew Lewin, a Labour Party member, sent an open letter to the MP expressing his concern about Mr Baker’s public support for fracking and how it would affect people living in the county.

He asked him if he supported fracking in Buckinghamshire and urged him to answer why he considered fracking to be a “green” way to extract energy.

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Mr Baker responded: “As far as I am aware, there are no shale gas resources in Buckinghamshire. If there were, I would certainly take a lead and approve of extraction from under my home, which I am extremely confident suffers more seismic events from the adjacent train line than it ever would from shale gas extraction.

“Secondly, I am aware of a drill design which can extract shale gas without fracking. It shows promise and I wish those involved in it well.”