FRACK BACK
Fracking WILL continue in massive energy boost as MPs vote to restart Britain
FRACKING is set to continue in the UK in a massive energy boost to cash-strapped Brits following a crunch vote in Parliament on Wednesday night.
Labour had looked to use a vote in Parliament to force the introduction of a draft law to ban fracking.
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But the motion was defeated by 326 votes to 230, with a majority of 96.
However, in a blow for embattled Prime Minister Liz Truss, rumours came out immediately afterwards that the Government's Chief Whip Wendy Morton and her Deputy Chief Whip had both resigned.
This followed a letter from the Chief Whip issued to all Conservative MPs to vote down the motion, calling it a vote of confidence in the government.
Shadow Commons leader Thangam Debbonaire raised a point of order immediately after the vote, saying there were "very strong rumours" Morton had resigned.
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Deputy speaker Dame Eleanor Laing replied that she had "not been given any such information".
Ahead of the showdown in the Commons, the government had set out how crucial the vote was, both to Britain's energy security and to the future of the government.
Labour MPs claim they saw Tory members being "physically manhandled" and bullied into the voting lobby, and called for an investigation into what happened.
MP Lloyd Russell-Moyle said: "Just seen Tory whips manhandling a crying Tory MP into their lobby for fracking."
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The former Energy Minister Chris Skidmore was among those who came out against the government ahead of tonight's vote.
"As the former Energy Minister who signed Net Zero into law, for the sake of our environment and climate, I cannot personally vote tonight to support fracking and undermine the pledges I made at the 2019 General Election," he tweeted.
"I am prepared to face the consequences of my decision."
In an eventful day in Westminster, Home Secretary Suella Braverman resigned, becoming the second minister to leave their post in as many weeks following the sacking of Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng.
It comes as...
- Liz Truss' premiership hangs in the balance after a number of senior Tories resign or are fired in a tumultuous day in Westminster
- Sacked Suella Braverman savages Truss with barbs over ‘pretending we haven’t made mistakes’ & ‘broken pledges’ and is replaced as Home Secretary by Grant Shapps
- Tory MPs claimed Chief Whip Wendy Morton and Deputy Chief Whip Craig Whittaker sensationally resigned amid chaotic scenes during a crunch Commons vote
- Fracking WILL continue in massive energy boost as MPs vote to restart Britain in make-or-break vote for No 10
- Truss says insists she WON’T quit at PMQs and says ‘I’m a fighter’ – and commits to triple lock pensions
It comes less than a month after ministers tore up the ban on fracking, issuing 100 new oil and gas drilling licences.
Jacob Rees-Mogg announced the lifting of the moratorium on shale gas extraction following the energy crisis triggered by Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, is the recovering of gas and oil from shale rock.
It involves drilling into the earth and directing a high-pressure mix of water, sand and chemicals at a layer of rock to release the gas inside.
Wells can be drilled vertically or horizontally in order to release the gas.
It is hoped that allowing fracking could help make Britain more energy self-sufficient, and end our reliance on fossil fuels from tyrants such as Vladimir Putin.
Fracking was halted in the UK in 2019 following opposition from some local groups and concerns from the Oil and Gas Authority.
But in April this year, the government announced that "all options" were on the table to help boost the UK's domestic energy supply.
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Then-Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng asked the British Geological Survey to consider any changes to the science around fracking.
The decision to lift the ban on fracking was first announced by Liz Truss in September as part of a broader package of measures to tackle energy prices.
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