Liz Truss news – live: Fracking U-turn means communities ‘treated like guinea pigs’
Labour calls policy ‘dangerous experiment’
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The government’s decision to lift its fracking moratorium means that people living in rural areas will be treated “like guinea pigs”, critics have said.
On Thursday, business and energy secretary Jacob Rees-Mogg said the move would increase the country’s energy security and would drive down bills.
But politicians and environmental campaigners pointed out that ministers have yet to release evidence that drilling for shale gas is safe. They also said it was “nonsense” that fracking would drive down energy bills.
“That they choose to plough on regardless shows a callous disregard for our communities and countryside. From Surrey to Somerset, the government is treating people in rural areas like guinea pigs,” Liberal Democrat MP Wera Hobhouse said.
Speaking in the Commons, shadow climate change secretary Ed Miliband said the policy could lead to earthquakes, adding that people in counties like Lancashire and Dorset would be part of a “dangerous experiment”.
Addressing the U-turn directly, he said: "Let me tell the party opposite: we will hang this broken promise around their necks in every part of the country between now and the next general election."
Truss tells striking workers to ‘get back to work’
Liz Truss has said striking workers should “get back to work”, adding that she was still “committed” to introducing measures to curb industrial action.
Speaking in New York, the prime minister told reporters: “I would encourage rail workers to get back to work...I want to take a constructive approach with the unions, but I would tell them to get back to work.”
The government plans to bring in anti-strike legislation that would enforce a minimum level of service and raise the threshold for the number of workers who need to take part in strike ballots.
IFS criticises government over ‘mini budget'
The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) has hit out at the government’s economic plans, warning that its level of borrowing could be “unsustainable”.
IFS economist Ben Zaranko has more details here:
Government could allow higher ‘seismic limits’ at fracking sites, Jacob Rees-Mogg suggests
Energy secretary Jacob Rees-Mogg has suggested that ministers could allow higher “seismic limits” at fracking sites.
Earlier this week, Chris Cornelius, the founder of Cuadrilla, a fracking company, said the government’s support for it was a “political gesture”.
“I don’t think there is any chance of fracking in the UK in the near term,” he told The Guardian.
Some Britons doing ‘very limited amount of work’, says deputy PM
Deputy prime minister Therese Coffey has defended the move to cut benefits to part-time workers if they fail to look to do more hours.
She said the government wanted to get more claimants into work – as well as addressing “people doing a very limited amount of work”. The approach would help drive economic growth, the Tory frontbencher claimed.
She told LBC: “That is why we continue to extend the number of people who are currently on benefits about how we can help them find perhaps higher-paid work or about taking up more hours.”
“This is a combined approach in order to recognise that we want to improve the lives and prosperity of people in this country,” she added.
Government lifts moratorium on fracking
The government has lifted its moratorium on fracking in England, saying the move will increase the country’s energy security.
The new licensing round is expected to lead to over 100 new licences, the business department announced on Thursday
Business and energy secretary Jacob Rees-Mogg said: “In light of Putin’s illegal invasion of Ukraine and weaponisation of energy, strengthening our energy security is an absolute priority, and - as the prime minister said - we are going to ensure the UK is a net energy exporter by 2040.
“To get there we will need to explore all avenues available to us through solar, wind, oil and gas production - so it’s right that we’ve lifted the pause to realise any potential sources of domestic gas.”
Government lifts ban on fracking in push to grant 100 new licences
Government ends moratorium despite conceding need to ‘gather better data’ on safety
Inside Politics
My colleague Matt Mathers has a round-up of today’s major political stories:
Inside Politics: No rest for the wicked
Truss condemns Russia at UN gathering, health secretary to make NHS annoucement and Bank of England readies to raise interest rates, writes Matt Mathers
Coffey denies being ‘part-time’ health secretary
Liz Truss’ closest ally Therese Coffey has denied that she is only a part-time health secretary because of her role as deputy prime minister.
“I don’t think it will be a case of being part-time... We don’t have fixed working hours,” she told ITV.
“We continue to do what we do right across government in order to make sure we function effectively as a government and I’m looking forward to being part of that,” she said.
Labour rubbishes government’s ‘fantasy economics’ plans
Labour has condemned the government’s financial plans as “fantasy economics”, saying they pose a “threat” to British business.
Speaking in the Commons on Thursday morning, shadow business secretary Jonathan Reynolds asked his counterpart Jacob Rees-Mogg how ministers were going to pay for their proposals, which include tax cuts and a large increase in public spending.
“This government says it can cut taxes, increase spending, increase borrowing and magically pay for that through higher growth,” he said.
“It is a a threat to British businesses and the financial stability of this country,” he added.
In response, Mr Rees-Mogg argued that the government’s household bills support - estimated to cost in the region of £100bn - was an “immediate response to an extreme crisis that will benefit everybody”.
Speaker criticises Rees-Mogg for briefing media before Commons
Before this morning’s urgent question on energy bills, the speaker took business minister Jacob Rees-Mogg to task for announcing his proposals to the press before parliament.
Sir Lindsay Hoyle called on ministers to “do their utmost to ensure that this is the last time” the government briefed the media ahead of the Commons.
“All I would say is, I am not angry, I am so disappointed, and I hope that we will treat the House with the respect that it is due,” he said.
Mr Rees-Mogg said he was unaware a business statement could have been given on Wednesday as MPs took their oaths.
“Conversations would help overcome any of these difficulties,” the speaker said.
People to be £500 worse off despite government support, says IFS
The average person will be £500 worse off this year despite the government’s cost-of-living package, the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) has said.
IFS researcher Xiaowei Xu said people’s living standards would be adversely affected by soaring inflation.
“Even after the government is spending vast amounts of money to protect households from the rising cost of living, most households would still see their living standards fall this year compared to last year,” she said.
“In real terms we expect the median earner to be £500 worse off than they were last year, which is around a 3 per cent net cut in their income,” she added.
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