Lib Dem leadership hopeful Jo Swinson has been accused of hypocrisy after accepting cash from a fracking businessman – then vowing to save the planet.

The East Dunbartonshire MP’s website boasts that she has “campaigned tirelessly to save our environment” and “took to the streets with Extinction Rebellion”.

One of her central taglines is to: “Build an economy that puts people and the planet first.”

But the Sunday Mail can reveal that Swinson accepted a £10,000 donation from Mark Petterson in July 2017 and another £4000 in January.

Petterson is a director of Warwick Energy Ltd – a firm with fracking licences across England.

In 2015, Swinson voted against a moratorium and a requirement for an environmental permit being granted for fracking.

She also rejected carrying out a review of the impact of the highly controversial technique on climate change, the environment, the economy, and health and safety.

A number of other proposals at Westminster designed to fight climate change and protect the environment were not supported by Swinson.

She voted in favour of cutting the subsidy for electricity generated via renewable or low-carbon methods and against ensuring the future of the payments in 2011. In 2013, Swinson, 39, voted against targets for the amount of carbon dioxide or other greenhouse gases produced per unit of electricity generated.

Meanwhile, in 2012, she voted against requiring the UK Green Investment Bank to explicitly support the target of reducing UK carbon emissions to 20 per cent of 1990 levels by 2050.

Swinson also refused to support the completion of a cycle path in her constituency of Milngavie after complaints from motorists.

Rona Mackay, SNP MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, said: “Jo Swinson has some brass neck. She’s waving a ‘save the planet’ flag in one hand while grabbing cash from fracking companies with the other.

“Just a few years ago, she voted against plans to block fracking in England. Voters will be right to question the credibility of her bid to become the next Lib Dem leader.

“The strength of feeling against fracking in Scotland is clear – this issue really ­matters to people and their communities. So it’s only right Ms Swinson issues a full explanation to her constituents.”

Swinson also voted with the Tories to sell England’s state-owned forests.

The Scottish ­Government has imposed a moratorium on fracking over environmental fears.

Mum-of-two Swinson is married to former Lib Dem MP Duncan Hames.

She was first elected as MP for East Dunbartonshire at the 2005 general election, aged 25. She lost the seat to the SNP’s John Nicolson in 2015 but regained it in 2017.

She was elected unopposed as deputy leader of the Lib Dems in June 2017.

Show more

­Swinson’s ­spokesman said: “Mark Petterson is a long-standing ­supporter of the party and all donations from him have been made in a ­personal capacity, rather than from any commercial entity.

“Jo is proud of the Lib Dems record on climate change while in coalition, including action under Ed Davey, the Lib Dem secretary of state for energy and climate change, that saw us become the world leader in offshore wind.”