Public support for UK nuclear and shale gas falls to new low

Long-running government survey drops usual polling showing support for renewable energy, for first time

British public support for nuclear power and shale gas has fallen to its lowest ever level in a long-running official government survey, which has also briefly ceased polling showing widespread public support for renewable energy.

Nuclear and fracking for shale gas are key planks of the Conservative government's energy policy, but the polling published on Tuesday shows just one in five people now support shale gas and one in three support nuclear.