Rishi Sunak has pledged to stand by Conservative manifesto in his first Prime Minister’s questions by bringing back the fracking ban which Liz Truss had previously lifted.
The new Prime Minister promised to keep to the Conservative party’s manifesto which placed a moratorium on fracking until further research was conducted.
Under Truss’s leadership the ban was lifted with a view to introduce fracking to potentially ease energy supplies and costs in the UK. However, this would prove to be fatal for the then PM as Labour tabled an opposition day motion last Wednesday, which sought an emergency draft law to ban fracking.
Tory whips then made this a vote of confidence in the government, forcing ministers to vote for it or be suspended from the Conservative party. There were even allegations of bullying from Conservative MPs. The vote ultimately failed, bringing down Truss’s regime as she resigned the next day.
Despite Sunak bringing back the fracking ban, the plans are not completely quashed. Sunak has previously expressed support for fracking during the previous leadership debate and even voted against a Labour motion to ban fracking last week.
Labour has expressed doubts over the Conservatives plans to ban fracking completely as shadow climate and net zero secretary Ed Miliband said:
“Whatever their latest position, the truth is that the Tories have shown that they cannot be trusted on the issue of fracking. The only way to guarantee that fracking will be banned for good is to elect a Labour government.”
Although environmental groups, such as Friends of the Earth, welcomed the decision stating it was a “fantastic victory for common sense”.
