WHEN BJ HINTS HE USES A BULLHORN
Boris Johnson hints at fracking return as he vows to 'take back control' of energyDavid Maddox- Politics Editor
© Getty PM Boris Johnson
In his spring conference speech yesterday, the Prime Minister made it clear that he is giving the green light to Britain using its gas and oil resources going forward with insiders suggesting that a U-turn to allow fracking is coming. He admitted that the policy of importing gas from places like Russia have undermined the UK's energy security.
It comes ahead of Chancellor Rishi Sunak's Spring Statement on Wednesday which is expected to focus on cost of living issues with a new energy policy also expected to be unveiled later in the week.
Mr Johnson said: "If we are going to deal with the particular cost families face on rising fuel costs, we must take the bold steps necessary to end our dependence on Putin's oil and gas. That is what we are doing. In the immortale phrase, it is time to take back control of our energy supplies.
"After years of short termism and hand to mouth solutions we are setting out a British energy security strategy and we will make better use of our own naturally occurring hydrocarbons rather than import them top dollar from abroad and put the money into Putin's bank account.
"That does not mean in any way that we are going to abandon our drive for a low carbon future, we are going to make some big bets on nuclear power, not just the big projects but small modular reactors.
He said his Government needs to do "everything we can to help people" through the mounting cost of living pressures as energy prices continue to spike.
The Prime Minister promised "colossal" investment in green energy and vowed to use the UK's fast coronavirus vaccine rollout as motivation to build more wind farms in a bid to produce alternative power forms.
He told the Conservative Party spring conference in Blackpool that Britain needed to protect itself from international energy price rises, which he said were currently being intentionally fuelled by Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Mr Johnson said Russian President Vladimir Putin was seeking to "weaken the collective will to resist" his attack on Kyiv by "pushing up the cost of living, hitting us at the pumps and in our fuel bills".
He added: "And so we must respond, and we've got to do everything we can to help people with their daily costs, help people with the cost of living."
The comments come only days before Chancellor Rishi Sunak is due to give his spring statement in the Commons on Wednesday.
The words also provide a hint that the Government is prepared to have a rethink on shale gas and fracking with exploration company Cuadrilla last week offered a 12 month reprieve from blocking up its two wells with concrete to allow for the issue to be reconsidered.
Conservative MPs had been critical of the Net Zero policy for pushing the country away from cheaper gas and forcing people to buy expensive non-carbon heating systems for their homes.
In his spring conference speech yesterday, the Prime Minister made it clear that he is giving the green light to Britain using its gas and oil resources going forward with insiders suggesting that a U-turn to allow fracking is coming. He admitted that the policy of importing gas from places like Russia have undermined the UK's energy security.
It comes ahead of Chancellor Rishi Sunak's Spring Statement on Wednesday which is expected to focus on cost of living issues with a new energy policy also expected to be unveiled later in the week.
Mr Johnson said: "If we are going to deal with the particular cost families face on rising fuel costs, we must take the bold steps necessary to end our dependence on Putin's oil and gas. That is what we are doing. In the immortale phrase, it is time to take back control of our energy supplies.
"After years of short termism and hand to mouth solutions we are setting out a British energy security strategy and we will make better use of our own naturally occurring hydrocarbons rather than import them top dollar from abroad and put the money into Putin's bank account.
"That does not mean in any way that we are going to abandon our drive for a low carbon future, we are going to make some big bets on nuclear power, not just the big projects but small modular reactors.
He said his Government needs to do "everything we can to help people" through the mounting cost of living pressures as energy prices continue to spike.
The Prime Minister promised "colossal" investment in green energy and vowed to use the UK's fast coronavirus vaccine rollout as motivation to build more wind farms in a bid to produce alternative power forms.
He told the Conservative Party spring conference in Blackpool that Britain needed to protect itself from international energy price rises, which he said were currently being intentionally fuelled by Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Mr Johnson said Russian President Vladimir Putin was seeking to "weaken the collective will to resist" his attack on Kyiv by "pushing up the cost of living, hitting us at the pumps and in our fuel bills".
He added: "And so we must respond, and we've got to do everything we can to help people with their daily costs, help people with the cost of living."
The comments come only days before Chancellor Rishi Sunak is due to give his spring statement in the Commons on Wednesday.
The words also provide a hint that the Government is prepared to have a rethink on shale gas and fracking with exploration company Cuadrilla last week offered a 12 month reprieve from blocking up its two wells with concrete to allow for the issue to be reconsidered.
Conservative MPs had been critical of the Net Zero policy for pushing the country away from cheaper gas and forcing people to buy expensive non-carbon heating systems for their homes.
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