Some Conservative MPs have been informed by the BBC that they are currently in negotiations with opposition parties to stop the government’s plans for fracking.
MPs have not yet been given the opportunity to vote on the government’s promise to lift the ban on hydraulic fracking in England.
Labour wants to force a vote, but some Tory MPs told the BBC that they also want this.
After opposition from environmentalists and local concerns about earth tremors, Fracking was stopped in 2019.
The shares of companies that could start fracking have shot up this year, but they fell sharply today according to reports. IGas Energy fell 10% to 47.6p but is still up 180% in the past 12 months. Egdon Resources dropped 15% to 4.05p.
The government lifted the ban in England last month as part of its plan for limiting rising energy costs.
Jacob Rees Mogg, Business Secretary to the BBC, said that there are “any number” of ways MPs could vote on fracking.
He stated that the government does not have to vote. There are backbench debates on business, and there are opposition debates. And there are amendments.
Several Conservatives said to the BBC that they had spoken with opposition parties about the best way to get the government to alter its plans.
Another Labour source confirmed that they had spoken with some backbench Conservative MPs willing to collaborate on “opposing Fracking”.
Some Conservatives stated that they believe that dozens of their colleagues raised concerns with No 10, and the prime minister, about her plans for fracking to be reinstated in areas where there is “local consent”.
Some have made public arguments, while others have done so privately.
Others argue that the plans are contrary to the 2019 Conservative manifesto promise to keep the ban on fracking in place unless science has changed to prove it safe.
Fracking was banned in the past when it caused seismic events or earthquakes beyond a certain threshold.
Rees-Mogg stated that it was in the national interest to tolerate a greater degree of risk and disruption from fracking, given the desire to increase domestic energy production after Russia’s invasion.
Cross-party MPs that oppose fracking are searching for a parliamentary mechanism to force MPs into a formal vote. This could be used to persuade government officials to alter their plans.
Opposition parties and Tory rebels are considering an amendment to future energy planning bills. This would block fracking, which MPs could vote for or against.
This amendment could be passed if enough Tory MPs vote with the opposition parties.
Given the large number of Tory MPs who publicly and privately oppose fracking, many have spoken out to the BBC that they believe the government might eventually view this as just one more fight after weeks of internal conflict within the Tory party about the government’s economic plans.
