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Tory rebels are plotting with Labour to bring fresh humiliation on Liz Truss today. Sir Keir Starmer’s party will this afternoon force a vote in the House of Commons which looks to derail the Prime Minister’s plans for fracking.
If a majority of MPs back the Labour motion it would force the Government to have a binding vote on whether fracking should be allowed to go ahead.
Many Tory MPs were left furious last month when ministers announced plans to lift the moratorium on shale gas extraction.
The Conservative manifesto at the last election promised fracking would not take place until more research had been carried out.
A series of earth tremors in 2019 sparked concerns as to whether fracking was safe.
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Ms Truss has suggested fracking should be allowed to go ahead if there was “local consent”.
But some Tories fear their local communities will be pressured into accepting the shale gas extraction.
Conservative MPs backing Labour to ban fracking would heap fresh pressure on the beleaguered Prime Minister.
Labour’s Ed Miliband said ahead of the debate: “Today, Conservative MPs have a simple choice: do they break the manifesto commitments they made to their constituents and allow the Government to impose expensive, unsafe fracking on communities that do not want it, or will they support Labour’s ban on fracking once and for all?
“Labour is standing up to Liz Truss’s unjust charter for earthquakes, including her plans to outsource decisions about local consent to fracking companies, because fracking would make no difference to energy prices, and would risk the health of local communities, nature, and water supplies.
“Every Conservative MP who opposes fracking must now put country over party and support Labour’s ban on fracking.”
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A spokesperson for the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy said: “In light of Putin’s illegal invasion of Ukraine and weaponisation of energy, the Government is taking steps to increase home-grown sources of energy, reduce the UK’s reliance of foreign imports and explore all possible options to boost domestic energy security.
“The Government has lifted the moratorium on UK shale gas production, enabling developers to seek planning permission where there is local support.”
Tory rebels’ plans to back Labour come as some backbenchers are also claimed to be working with Sir Keir’s party to try and oust Ms Truss from office.
Last night the Labour leader claimed some Tory MPs believed it would be best for the country if Labour took over.
He told the BBC: “Quite a lot of them are saying, behind the scenes, we do think a change of government to Labour might be a good idea, but it wouldn’t be good for our party. That is the wrong way round.”
He told Tory MPs to instead put “their country first”.
At the same time, one Labour MP told The Telegraph: “Tories are speaking to us saying ‘this is a complete nightmare and there is no way out’.
“We are being asked ‘can’t you do something about her?’”
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