The government’s decision to lift the moratorium on fracking means people living in rural areas will be treated “like guinea pigs”, critics have said. On Thursday, Business and Energy Minister Jacob Rees-Mogg said the move would increase the country’s energy security and reduce bills. But politicians and environmental campaigners pointed out that ministers have yet to issue evidence that drilling for shale gas is safe. They also said it was “nonsense” that fracking would lower energy bills. “That they choose to plow regardless shows a callous disregard for our communities and our countryside. From Surrey to Somerset, the government is treating people in rural areas like guinea pigs,” said Lib Dem MP Wera Hobhouse. Speaking in the Commons, shadow climate change secretary Ed Miliband said the policy could lead to earthquakes, adding that people in counties such as Lancashire and Dorset would be part of a “dangerous experiment”. Addressing the reversal directly, he said: “Let me say to his party opposite: we will hang this broken promise around their necks in every part of the country between now and the next general election.”
Basic points
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Angry Tory MPs oppose end to fracking ban
Mark Menzies, Tory MP for Fylde in Lancashire, told Rees-Mogg there was “nothing funny” about his constituents’ concerns. He said Ms Truss was “absolutely clear” that fracking would require local consent. The “red wall” Tory backer said the government would have to outline how local consent would be given if Mrs Truss remained “a woman of her word, a woman we can believe”. Mark Fletcher, Tory MP for Bolsover, also shared the irritation. “Local consensus plans don’t seem to wash. It seems to be going back to local communities being bought off rather than having a vote,” he said – challenging the minister to say whether residents would get a vote. Mr Rees-Mogg did not answer directly, saying only the companies would have a responsibility “to develop packages that make shale gas extraction attractive to local communities”. Mr Fletcher was seen shaking his head. Adam Forrest September 22, 2022 12:40 p.m 1663845624
Labor calls Rees-Mogg’s fracking claim “nonsense”.
Business Secretary Jacob Rees-Mogg has justified the government’s lifting of the fracking moratorium by saying it is “more environmentally friendly” to use “our own fuel sources” than to import them from elsewhere. He also suggested fracking would help reduce bills, a claim Labor dismissed as “nonsense”. Addressing Mr Rees-Mogg in the Commons, shadow climate change secretary Ed Miliband added that the government had not provided any evidence that fracking could be done safely. Rory Sullivan22 September 2022 12:20 1663844424
The Royal College of GPs is speaking out against Coffey’s NHS policies
The Royal College of GPs (RCGP) said Therese Coffey should be asking its members how to fix the industry’s problems. Instead, the health minister decided to introduce new guidelines, requiring GPs to see patients for non-urgent appointments within two weeks. This risks further exacerbating the crisis in general practice, the RCGP warned. “Cutting down a struggling service with more expectations, without a plan for how to deliver them, will only serve to add to the intense workload and workforce pressures facing our doctors and teams,” said Professor Martin Marshall , the organization’s president. . He added that it would have “minimal impact” on patient care. Rory Sullivan22 September 2022 12:00 1663843224
Government’s NHS design ‘deaf’, says BMA chairman
Therese Coffey’s NHS plans will “make no tangible difference” to patient care, the president of the British Medical Association has warned. Dr Farah Jameel said it was “good to see” a health minister acknowledging the problem with general practice, but added that the government’s policies included “a new set of ill-advised non-deliverable targets”. Under the proposals, GPs are expected to see patients within two weeks. However, Dr Jameel stressed that this did not address the root cause of the problem – the workforce crisis. “The aim of GPs now offering appointments within two weeks is just another addition to a culture that highlights a government approach when it comes to those who provide the service on the ground,” he said. Rory Sullivan22 September 2022 11:40 1663842024
Politicians and campaigners criticize the government for lifting the fracking moratorium
Politicians and environmental campaigners have said the government’s lifting of the fracking moratorium shows a “frank disregard for our communities and our countryside”. Danny Gross, campaigner at Friends of the Earth, said the announcement would “shock local communities” and put their safety at risk. “The reality is that fracking will have a negligible impact on energy bills while sending more climate-changing emissions into the atmosphere. No wonder it’s one of the least popular forms of energy production,” he said. “The government needs to listen to the science and develop an energy strategy fit for the future, not one stuck in the failures of the past. This means investing in insulation and the UK’s vast resources of cheap, clean and popular renewable energy.” Meanwhile, Liberal Democrat environment spokeswoman Wera Hobhouse said fracking was potentially dangerous. “The government’s own experts have refused to say that fracking is safe,” he said. “That they choose to plow regardless shows a callous disregard for our communities and our countryside. From Surrey to Somerset, the government is treating people in rural areas like guinea pigs. “The Conservatives’ obsession with fracking reveals that they don’t actually believe climate change is happening and are unwilling to take the urgent action that is needed.” “If people suffer from polluted water and dangerous earthquakes, this decision will prove unforgivable,” he added. Rory Sullivan22 September 2022 11:20 1663840824
People will be £500 worse off despite government support, says IFS
The average person will be £500 worse off this year despite the Government’s cost of living package, the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) has said. IFS researcher Xiaowei Xu said people’s living standards will be adversely affected by the spike in inflation. “Even with the government spending huge sums to protect households from rising living costs, most households would still see their living standards fall this year compared to last year,” he said. “In real terms, we expect the average earner to be £500 worse off than they were last year, which is around a net reduction of 3 per cent in their income,” he added. Rory Sullivan22 September 2022 11:00 1663839601
The Speaker criticizes Rees-Mogg for briefing the media before the Commons
Ahead of this morning’s urgent question on the energy bills, the speaker took business minister Jacob Rees-Mogg to announce his proposals to the press before parliament. Sir Lindsay Hoyle called on ministers to “do everything they can to ensure this is the last time” the government told the media ahead of the Commons. “All I would say is, I’m not angry, I’m just so disappointed and I hope we treat the House with the respect it deserves,” he said. Mr Rees-Mogg said he was not aware a business statement could have been given on Wednesday as MPs were sworn in. “Talks would help overcome any of these difficulties,” the speaker said. Rory Sullivan September 22, 2022 10:40 am 1663838754
Labor rejects government’s ‘fantasy finance’ plans.
Labor has slammed the government’s economic plans as “economic fantasy”, saying they pose a “threat” to British businesses. Speaking in the Commons on Thursday morning, shadow business secretary Jonathan Reynolds asked his counterpart Jacob Rees-Mogg how ministers would pay for their proposals, which include tax cuts and a big increase in public spending. “This government says it can cut taxes, increase spending, increase borrowing and magically pay for it through higher growth,” he said. “It is a threat to British business and the economic stability of this country,” he added. In response, Mr Rees-Mogg argued that the Government’s support for household bills – estimated to cost around £100 billion – was an “immediate response to an extreme crisis that will benefit everyone”. Rory Sullivan22 September 2022 10:25 1663837801
Coffey denies he is a “part-time” health minister.
Liz Truss’s closest ally Therese Coffey has denied she is only a part-time health minister because of her role as deputy prime minister. “I don’t think it will be the case of part-time … We don’t have fixed working hours,” he told ITV. “We’re continuing to do what we’re doing right across government to make sure we’re running effectively as a government, and I’m looking forward to being a part of that,” he said. Rory Sullivan22 September 2022 10:10 am 1663837201
Inside Politics
My colleague Matt Mathers has a roundup of today’s top political stories:
Inside Politics: No Rest for the Wicked
Truss condemns Russia at UN gathering, Health Secretary to make NHS announcement and Bank of England poised to hike rates, writes Matt Mathers Rory Sullivan22 September 2022 10:00
