Liz Truss is now dealing with a significant Tory revolt over fracking as top backbenchers made it clear they would sooner be expelled from the party than approve more drilling.
Labour is attempting to outlaw the technology that has been connected to earthquakes using today’s Opposition Day discussion in an effort to sway Conservatives who are upset about it possibly returning to their district.
The Government retaliated by stating that the vote tonight is a “move of confidence” in the Prime Minister’s leadership.
She would typically be expected to resign or ask the King to dissolve Parliament, which would lead to a general election, but a No. 10 source stated she would not be retiring.
Craig Whittaker, the deputy chief whip for the Conservative Party, also informed lawmakers that the vote is a “100% hard” three-line whip. It implies that if they do not support the Government, dozens of Conservatives who are opposed to fracking risk being expelled from the parliamentary party.
The MPs who are most opposed to the technology, however, have not been deterred by the threat.
Chris Skidmore, a former energy minister, said today that he was ready to “face the consequences” of opposing the administration.
He wrote, “As the former energy minister who signed Net Zero into law, I personally cannot vote tonight to promote fracking and contradict the promises I made at the 2019 General Election.”
And Guildford MP Angela Richardson echoed his sentiments by responding, “Ditto.”
Fracking was stopped in 2019 because to concerns about earthquakes and tremors, and the Tory 2919 election platform called for a ban on further drilling.
However, Liz Truss, who will take office the next month, authorized a restart that would improve energy security and was backed by Business secretary Jacob Rees-Mogg.
She has made an effort to reassure MPs who have expressed concerns that a “robust” mechanism would be used to ensure that local populations gave their permission before fracking began.
But according to Conservative MP William Wragg, he has “lodged” Sir Graham Brady with a letter of disapproval for the prime minister.
In response to the fracking resolution, the vice-chairman of the 1922 committee of backbench MPs said that although he would like to vote with Labour, doing so would result in his breaking the whip.
He warned the lawmakers, “I would lose the whip if I voted like I would want.”
I would no longer serve as the 1922 committee’s vice chair. I would resign from my position as the chair of one of the House’s select committees.
And in fact, as a result of that, my letter to my honorable friend, the member for Altrincham and Sale West, would be rejected, therefore I want to keep that letter with him.
According to Labour insiders, the Tories have fallen for their trap and are developing web advertisements to target every MP who supports approving the contentious shale gas extraction.
The opposition day discussion motion would provide Commons time for a Bill permanently outlawing fracking if it were to pass.
In a letter to Tory lawmakers, Mr. Whittaker stated: “This is not a motion on fracking.”
This motion is one of confidence in the government.
“We cannot, under any circumstances, allow the Labour Party to seize the initiative and pass their own legislation as well as any other pieces of legislation they choose.”
We are voting NO, and I’ll say it again: this is a strict three-line whip with no retracted slips.
A three-line whip was added to the government proposal that favored approving fracking in locations where local agreement is presumed to have been provided.
Mr. Whittaker responded, “I realize this is tough for some of my colleagues, but we just cannot accept this.”
In Fylde, Lancashire, where fracking may occur, Tory MP Mark Menzies wanted assurances that local communities would have the “ultimate say.”
‘Assure me that local consent will be assessed independently and honestly,’ he requested from Ms. Truss, adding that fracking corporations won’t have any participation in the process of determining if there is community support.
Prior to any fracking, the Prime Minister assured him, “We would consult on a rigorous system of local permission and offer clear guidance on seismic limits and safety.”
“All of the relevant persons,” including “the regional mayors, the local governments, and parishes, as well as the views of those directly impacted,” will be taken into account throughout the consultation.
Labour has “overplayed their hand on this occasion,” according to Conservative MP Steve Double, who represents the St Austell and Newquay district in Cornwall.
Whatever your stance on fracking may be, he told BBC News, “Conservative MPs shouldn’t be voting to give the Labour Party control of the order paper.”
However, Thangam Debbonaire, the leader of the opposition in the Commons, stated: “The implication of making this a confidence vote is that the Prime Minister will resign and the government would collapse if the Government loses the motion on fracking.”
The Tories desperately need to affirm that this is the case.
The Prime Minister’s decision to withdraw a fracking prohibition put in place in 2019 due to earthquake fears violates a Tory manifesto commitment to keep the moratorium in place until science “categorically” demonstrates its safety.
Ms. Truss has stated that the action is required to eliminate energy dependency on Vladimir Putin’s Russia in light of the conflict in Ukraine.
But Tory MPs in regions where fracking may take place have reacted furiously, and they worry that the approval might make it much tougher for them to win re-election given the party’s dismal ratings.
Fracking, which employs high-pressure liquid to liberate gas from shale formations, was put on hold following a series of earthquakes at the sole shale wells in the UK near Preston New Road, Lancashire, in 2019.
Although northern England may have shale deposits, fracking companies may also try to dig in southern regions where gas may be present.