Boris Johnson latest news: No 10 won’t rule out return of fracking in UK as energy prices soar

Boris Johnson rejects calls to rethink fuel bills help, as Starmer warns of price spike.mp4

Business secretary Kwasi Kwarteng has swerved a question from Labor on whether the government was considering the return of fracking in the UK.

It follows No 10 saying that Boris Johnson was looking at “all options” to boost the UK’s energy supply, despite the current ban on the controversial drilling of shale gas.

Pressed by MPs to give an answer on fracking, Mr Kwarteng read out a written ministerial statement from 2019.

“The government has always been clear that we will take a precautionary approach, and support shale gas exploration if it can be done in a safe and sustainable way.”

The minister added: “That remains our position and we will be evidence-based.”

Meanwhile, Ed Miliband has called on the government to maintain the ban on fracking “no ifs no buts”, warning it would take “decades to come on stream” and would not make a difference to the price paid by consumers.

The shadow secretary for climate change also urged the government to “end the effective moratorium on on-shore wind” and to “ramp up on our offshore wind.”

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Putin ‘contained in cage of his own making’, says Wallace

The defense secretary has described President Vladimir Putin as being “contained in a cage of his own making”.

When asked about potential threats from Russia elsewhere in Europe in the future, Ben Wallace told the Commons: “I think that is, I’m afraid the 60 million dollar question and I think we have to all be mature about how we work that out through analysis, through talking to people who understand it, there is no easy answer.

“Is he acting irrationally? Yes, he is – why would he have done this? Is he acting out of an ambition far beyond his perceived threat of NATO? Yes, he is – he’s written that himself, he’s made speeches about it. Does he take a view that there are a number of countries in Nato that don’t really belong in Nato? Yes, he does – that’s very dangerous for the West.”

(PA Wire)

Emily Atkinson9 March 2022 15:48

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Nigel Farage’s new group accuses Bolton Wanderers of ‘Moscow-style rebuke to free speech’

Nigel Farage’s new campaign group has accused a League One football club of a “Moscow-style rebuke to free speech” after it declined to host one of its rallies.

The former Brexit Party leader is campaigning against climate action and was hoping to host a political event at a Bolton hotel owned by the club.

But a statement issued by the Trotters on Monday said the rally was “not something the club and business wish to be associated with” and that it would be cancelled.

Our policy correspondent Jon Stone has the details:

Emily Atkinson9 March 2022 15:26

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UK branch of Gazprom ‘separate from parent’, says Cabinet minister

The UK arm of the majority Russian-owned energy company Gazprom is “separate from the parent”, the business secretary has said amid concern public organizations are “locked in” to contracts.

Labor MP Darren Jones said: “He will know that many local authorities, NHS trust and other public bodies are locked in to gas supply contracts with Gazprom.

“In order to get out of those the Government needs to bring forward legislation to amend the public procurement rules. Do you want that?”

Kwasi Kwarteng replied: “The position with respect to Gazprom is that it is not, the UK company is separate from the parent.

“But of course should anything happen to Gazprom, just as any other shipper or supplier of energy, we will take the appropriate steps if anything untoward should happen to that distributor and supplier.”

Emily Atkinson9 March 2022 15:09

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Emily Atkinson9 March 2022 15:00

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Kwarteng won’t say if fracking ban will remain

Business secretary Kwasi Kwarteng has swerved a question from Labor on whether the government was considering the return of fracking in the UK, writes Adam Forest.

It follows No 10 saying that Boris Johnson was looking at “all options” to boost the UK’s energy supply, despite the current ban on the controversial drilling of shale gas.

Ed Miliband, Labour’s shadow energy minister, asked: “Will he confirm that the moratorium on fracking that was put in place will remain in place, no ifs, not buts?”

Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng (Aaron Chown/PA)

(PA Wire)

The senior Labor figure added: “Fracking would not make any difference to the prices consumers pay, is dangerous and would take decades to come on stream.”

Pressed by MPs to give an answer on fracking, Mr Kwarteng read out a written ministerial statement from 2019.

“The government has always been clear that we will take a precautionary approach, and support shale gas exploration if it can be done in a safe and sustainable way.”

The minister added: “That remains our position and we will be evidence-based.”

Emily Atkinson9 March 2022 14:44

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Miliband calls on government to clarify its position on fracking

Ed Miliband has called on the government to maintain the moratorium against fracking “no ifs no buts”, warning it would take “decades to come on stream” and would not make a difference to the price paid by consumers.

The shadow secretary for climate change added said: “We know that (Vladimir) Putin’s war machine is being funded by oil and gas. That’s why it’s right for every country to do what it can to isolate the regime, and every company to do so.

“So we fully support the government’s decision to ban oil imports. It is a right and welcome step… We also support him in his decision to seek to find ways to rid ourselves of Russian gas imports.”

Ed Miliband (Nick Ansell/PA)

(PA Wire)

He warned the UK is “exposed” to increasing wholesale gas prices, saying: “The right lesson to learn is therefore surely that we have to go much further and much faster in developing home-grown zero-carbon power, including renewables and nuclear, which can free us of the whims of autocrats and dictators.”

He also urged the government to “end the effective moratorium on on-shore wind” and to “ramp up on our offshore wind.”

Emily Atkinson9 March 2022 14:35

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Watch: Boris Johnson claims ‘the Kremlin has singled out the UK’ for sanctions on Russia

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Emily Atkinson9 March 2022 14:26

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Task force on oil set up to aid phasing out of Russian imports

The government has set up a new task force on oil to support companies during this year to “find alternative supplies”, the business secretary has said.

Kwasi Kwarteng said: “Yesterday I set out that the UK is phasing out imports of Russian oil during the course of the year. This transition will give the market, it’ll give businesses and supply chains more than enough time to substitute Russian imports.

“Businesses should use this year to ensure as smooth a transition as possible so that consumers will not be affected.

“The government will work with companies through a new task force on oil to support them to make use of this period in finding alternative supplies.”

Emily Atkinson9 March 2022 14:20

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Lille visa center to be set up today, No 10 says

A Downing Street spokesperson said the new visa application center at Lille is being set up today and will start accepting appointments from tomorrow morning, writes Rob Merrick.

Priti Patel has been criticized for requiring refugees in Calais to make the 70-mile journey to Lille – rather than offering help to speed up applications in the Channel town.

Emily Atkinson9 March 2022 14:12