Boris Johnson urged to resist Tory pressure on fracking as PM ‘opens door to rethink’

Boosting renewables ‘quickest way to end dependence on Russian gas’, say campaigners

Boris Johnson’s government has been urged to close the door on fracking forever, amid reports that Downing Street is considering a rethink on the controversial energy resource.

Mr Johnson has announced a UK ban on Russian oil imports, but is facing calls from Tory MPs’ to end the moratorium on hydraulic fracturing of gas in Britain.

Ministers are considering handing over two Cuadrilla fracking sites in Lancashire to the Royal Geographical Society for research, rather than allow them to be concreted over as planned, according to reports.

The prime minister has “opened the door” on the return to fracking by asking his ministers to explore whether it can help diversify the country’s energy supply, according to The Telegraph.

Former cabinet minister Lord Frost – who has campaigned for the current fracking ban to be reversed – said it was a “sensible first step” from the government amid concerns over soaring energy costs from the crisis.

But green campaigners urged the government to resist pressure from Tory MPs and end dependence on all forms of gas.

Greenpeace UK’s head of energy Rosie Rogers: “Trying to restart fracking now would only mean wasting more time when we have little. It will take many years to develop and if it ever gets produced, it will be sold to the highest bidder on the international market, with no impact on our energy bills.”

She added: “UK government should work on an emergency plan to free our country from gas dependence. This would protect households from soaring bills, tackle the climate crisis and weaken Putin’s hand.”

Jamie Peters, Friends of the Earth’s acting campaigns director, said: “Fracking is not the answer to the energy crisis, and would do little to slash soaring bills ... It is polluting, disruptive and deeply unpopular across the country.”

A moratorium was imposed on fracking in November 2019 after it caused two minor earthquakes in Lancashire.

Last month, energy company Cuadrilla said the UK government’s Oil and Gas Authority had ordered the two shale wells in Lancashire to be filled and abandoned.

Speaking in the Commons on Wednesday, business and energy minister Kwasi Kwarteng appeared to soften his previous criticism of fracking – saying government remained committed to supporting shale gas exploration “if it can be done in a safe and sustainable way”.

The minister told MPs: “In conversation with my right honourable friend the prime minister, we were clear that it didn’t necessarily make any sense to concrete over the wells, we’re still in conversations about that.

“Our position on the moratorium has already been the same, if it can be done in a safe and sustainable way, the government is open to the idea of fracking.”

Mr Johnson’s spokesperson told reporters earlier on Wednesday: “Everybody would expect the prime minister to look at all options.”

Ed Miliband, Labour’s shadow minister for climate, said fracking was “a false answer to our national energy needs and there is no public support for it. It is an outdated, dangerous and expensive and has a disastrous impact on the environment”.

Mr Kwarteng said the move to phase out Russian oil products by the end of the year will “ensure a smooth transition so that consumers will not be affected”.

US president Joe Biden ordered a ban on Russian oil imports, while the EU was also expected to announce a phasing out.

The Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy department (BEIS) and No 10 are yet to comment on reports about a reconsideration of fracking policy.