Prime minister Boris Johnson has disregarded calls to introduce a windfall tax on energy firms to help ease the spike in gas prices across the UK.
Addressing the Commons today, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer warned household energy bills could increase by a further £1000 in October, following £700 jump in April.
He called on Mr Johnson to introduce a one-off tax on energy companies, but the prime minister said it would push prices up higher.
In response, the leader of the Opposition asked Mr Johnson why he was instead choosing to stick by the same “failed” energy policy that plunged the UK into a crisis and allowed gas prices to “rocket”.
Boris Johnson replied saying Britain was shifting its focus to independent energy supplies, “maximising renewables” and nuclear energy.
He said the government will lay out a plan in the coming days to meet the “long term impacts of the spike in energy costs” and to “undo decisions made” by previous governments.
Kwarteng won’t say if fracking ban will remain
Business secretary Kwasi Kwarteng has swerved a question from Labour on whether the government was considering the return of fracking in the UK, writes Adam Forrest.
It follows No 10 saying that Boris Johnson was looking at “all options” to boost the UK’s energy supply, despite the current ban on the controversial drilling of shale gas.
Ed Miliband, Labour’s shadow energy minister, asked: “Will he confirm that the moratorium on fracking that was put in place will remain in place, no ifs, not buts?”
Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng (Aaron Chown/PA)
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The senior Labour figure added: “Fracking would not make any difference to the prices consumers pay, is dangerous and would take decades to come on stream.”
Pressed by MPs to give an answer on fracking, Mr Kwarteng read out a written ministerial statement from 2019.
“The government has always been clear that we will take a precautionary approach, and support shale gas exploration if it can be done in a safe and sustainable way.”
The minister added: “That remains our position and we will be evidence-based.”
Miliband calls on government to clarify its position on fracking
Ed Miliband has called on the government to maintain the moratorium against fracking “no ifs no buts”, waring it would take “decades to come on stream” and would not make a difference to price the price paid by consumers.
The shadow secretary for climate change added said: “We know that (Vladimir) Putin’s war machine is being funded by oil and gas. That’s why it’s right for every country to do what it can to isolate the regime, and every company to do so.
“So we fully support the government’s decision to ban oil imports. It is a right and welcome step… We also support him in his decision to seek to find ways to rid ourselves of Russian gas imports.”
Ed Miliband (Nick Ansell/PA)
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He warned the UK is “exposed” to increasing wholesale gas prices, saying: “The right lesson to learn is therefore surely that we have to go much further and much faster in developing home-grown zero-carbon power, including renewables and nuclear, which can free us of the whims of autocrats and dictators.”
He also urged the government to “end the effective moratorium on on-shore wind” and to “ramp up on our offshore wind.”
Watch: Boris Johnson claims ‘the Kremlin has singled out the UK’ for sanctions on Russia
Taskforce on oil set up to aid phasing out of Russian imports
The government has set up a new taskforce on oil to support companies during this year to “find alternative supplies”, the business secretary has said.
Kwasi Kwarteng said: “Yesterday I set out that the UK is phasing out imports of Russian oil during the course of the year. This transition will give the market, it’ll give businesses and supply chains more than enough time to substitute Russian imports.
“Businesses should use this year to ensure as smooth a transition as possible so that consumers will not be affected.
“The government will work with companies through a new taskforce on oil to support them to make use of this period in finding alternative supplies.”
Lille visa centre to be set up today, No 10 says
A Downing Street spokesperson said the new visa application centre at Lille is being set up today and will start accepting appointments from tomorrow morning, writes Rob Merrick.
Priti Patel has been criticised for requiring refugees in Calais to make the 70-mile journey to Lille – rather than offering help to speed up applications in the Channel town.
Labour opposes return of fracking
Labour said it did not support lifting the ban on fracking to help the UK diverge from Russian energy, arguing it would not solve the energy issues Britain faces.
A spokesman for leader Sir Keir Starmer said: “We’ve spoken out against fracking – it is clear it is not something that has public support and we don’t see it as a solution to the current problem.”
The spokesman also said the party did not back drilling exploration for more North Sea gas sites.
He said the party supported more onshore wind developments.
Putin has singled out UK for leading on global sanctions, PM claims
Vladimir Putin has “singled out” the UK as the global leader on sanctions imposed on Russia over the invasion of Ukraine, Boris Johnson has said. Adam Forrest reports:
Starmer to visit UK Nato troops in Estonia
Labour says a trip by leader Sir Keir Starmer and shadow defence secretary John Healey to visit British troops serving in Estonia as part of Nato’s Enhanced Forward Presence was about reaffirming the party’s “unshakeable commitment to Nato”.
A spokesman for the party told reporters: “Labour has been clear in our support for the security of Nato allies, particularly in the face of Russian aggression in Ukraine.
“Labour’s view is that we should bolster and enforce our Nato allies, especially on the eastern flank, and the Government has our full support in the work it has been doing to do that.”
Mr Healey said: “The Labour leader and I fly out tonight to Tallinn to reassure Estonia of the united UK determination to defend their security and to thank our British forces deployed there from the Royal Tank Regiment and the Royal Welsh Battlegroup.”
PM ‘has full faith’ in Priti Patel
Boris Johnson has “full faith” in Priti Patel despite widespread criticism over the handling of visas for Ukrainians fleeing the Russian invasion.
Asked whether Mr Johnson had lost faith in the Home Secretary’s ability to handle the issue, a spokesman for the Prime Minister said: “No, that’s not correct. The PM has full faith in both the Home Secretary and the Levelling-Up Secretary.
“As we’ve said, this is a cross-Government effort to help the Ukrainians who are fleeing a war zone.”
UK considers giving missiles to Ukraine
Britain is considering donating Starstreak high-velocity anti-air missiles to Ukraine to help the country defend its skies, Ben Wallace has announced.
The missiles were designed to “provide close air defence against conventional air threats such as fixed-wing fighters and late unmasking helicopter targets”. Ashley Cowburn reports:
