THE SNP should “apologise” to West Dunbartonshire constituents for breaking elections promises on “fracking”, Labour MSP Jackie Baillie says.

SNP members abstained from a vote to support an “outright ban” on fracking on June 1. The Labour amendment at Holyrood was supported by the Greens and Lib Dems. Conservatives opposed the motion.

An SNP press release from January 2015 criticising Labour for abstaining from a fracking vote in the House of Commons was removed from the party's website.

“This country has had enough of MPs abstaining, whether its on fracking or anything else,” SNP MP Martin Docherty said in February 2015 to the Dumbarton Reporter.

Stuart McMillan, the former West of Scotland MSP currently representing Greenock and Inverclyde MSP, told the Dumbarton Reporter in February 2015 that the moratorium is “one huge step towards the outright ban we are all looking for.”

Speaking to the Post in December 2014, Gil Paterson MSP said Labour MPs “disgracefully” abstained from a vote on fracking in the House of Commons.

Baillie said it was “deeply cynical” of the SNP to hide from their own “broken promises."

“It will take more than the SNP pressing the ‘delete’ button to make people forget about their rhetoric on fracking.”

“The SNP should apologise to local people for saying one thing about fracking before the election and the complete opposite once they get into parliament.

“Local SNP councillors, candidates and even our local MP attended demonstrations against fracking and wore anti-fracking badges on the campaign trail. Now once the elections are out of the way they can’t even make up their mind whether or not to support an outright ban on fracking.”

Gil Paterson said he criticised former West Dunbartonshire MP Gemma Doyle because “she abstained from giving Scotland the powers to fully ban fracking.”

“Right now, we control planning but not licensing and only through full powers under devolution or being independent would we be able to completely ban it."

Paterson said he is “completely opposed” to fracking and it could do “enormous damage” to public health and the environment.

Despite his strong feelings, he supports a “cautious” and “evidence-based approach" to a ban.

Martin Docherty MP said he remains 100 per cent against fracking but does not support a ban. He said: “In order to ensure that a permanent ban cannot be overturned by [multinational] energy companies through the court system, the Scottish Government is currently gathering the scientific evidence they need to justify a permanent ban.”

The argument that the Scottish Government cannot ban fracking at the moment has been rejected by the Greens. Ross Greer, Green MSP for West of Scotland, criticised the SNPs “increasingly convoluted” legal arguments.

“There is clearly enough evidence to ban fracking immediately and the Scottish Parliament has the power to do it.,” Greer said.

“Given the number of SNP candidates, now MSPs, who declared their personal opposition to fracking during the campaign, it’s clear that there is enough evidence available to make an informed decision so why further delay?”