London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Tuesday, Oct 21, 2025

Michael Gove ‘not convinced’ by case for more fracking in UK

Michael Gove ‘not convinced’ by case for more fracking in UK

Levelling up secretary calls for more onshore wind as ministers explore case for reversing fracking ban

Michael Gove has said he is “not convinced” by the case for more fracking in the UK, opening up a cabinet split after Boris Johnson ordered a rethink and Jacob Rees-Mogg backed reversing the moratorium.

Gove, the levelling up secretary, made the comments at an environment reception, where he also spoke of the need for more onshore wind power.

Onshore wind is blocked in many cases by planning restraints as the rules make it easy for communities to object. But Gove’s brief now encompasses planning, raising the possibility he could use reforms of the system to make it easier for onshore wind projects to gain permission.

Casting Vladimir Putin in the role of a “pusher” of oil and gas fuelling an addiction to hydrocarbons in the west, Gove told the reception: “The only way you can wean yourself off the addiction is to diversify the sources of energy we have. The only way to diversify our sources of energy is if we ensure that we continue to invest in renewables, onshore and offshore wind, solar power and also look at the potential of hydrogen in the future, if we allow nuclear to be part of the mix and recognise that hydrocarbons have a role to play but a diminishing one over time.”

Ministers are exploring the case for reversing the ban on fracking after No 10 ordered a new energy strategy amid soaring prices and the global move to reduce dependence on Russian oil and gas. The UK is phasing out Russian oil by the end of the year and looking to cut out gas as well.

However, the Guardian revealed this week that very few MPs said they would be happy with a fracking site in their own constituency. When asked if they would support fracking in their seats, only five of the 138 MPs said they would. Forty-one said they would be against it, while the rest did not reply, or declined to comment.

There is also still uncertainty over the fracking wells owned by the oil and gas production company Cuadrilla, which is planning to concrete them over within weeks.

Johnson has told the business secretary, Kwasi Kwarteng, that it does “not make sense” to seal its shale gas wells. His spokesperson also opened the door to a shift in the UK’s position last week, saying that “all options” would be considered before the forthcoming energy strategy was completed.

However, no moves have yet been made to reverse a notice issued by the Oil and Gas Authority (OGA) that both wells must be plugged with cement by the end of June. The government has instead indicated to Cuadrilla that it is welcome to apply for an extension to keep the wells open.

Before last week, the government had repeatedly insisted there was no case for fracking. Greg Hands, a business minister, also struck a negative note in the House of Commons on Tuesday, saying: “Even if the pause were lifted, there are unlikely to be sufficient quantities of gas available to address the high prices affecting all of western Europe and it would certainly have no effect on prices in the near term.”

In contrast, Jacob Rees-Mogg, the minister for Brexit opportunities, had also signalled support for a change in policy in cabinet and in public.

On his Moggcast podcast, he called shale gas “very clean” and appeared to dismiss concerns about tremors caused by drilling. He said: “Some of the seismic effects are ones that can only be measured with sophisticated equipment. Others are equivalent to a bus passing by your house, assuming there’s a pavement in between you and the house. And as I say, it’s not the San Francisco earthquake.”

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
This Is How the 'Heist of the Century' Was Carried Out at the Louvre in Seven Minutes: France Humiliated as Crown with 2,000 Diamonds Vanishes
China Warns UK of ‘Consequences’ After Delay to London Embassy Approval
France’s Wealthy Shift Billions to Luxembourg and Switzerland Amid Tax and Political Turmoil
"Sniper Position": Observation Post Targeting 'Air Force One' Found Before Trump’s Arrival in Florida
Shouting Match at the White House: 'Trump Cursed, Threw Maps, and Told Zelensky – "Putin Will Destroy You"'
Windows’ Own ‘Siri’ Has Arrived: You Can Now Talk to Your Computer
Thailand and Singapore Investigate Cambodian-Based Prince Group as U.S. and U.K. Sanctions Unfold
‘No Kings’ Protests Inflate Numbers — But History Shows Nations Collapse Without Strong Executive Power
Chinese Tech Giants Halt Stablecoin Launches After Beijing’s Regulatory Intervention
Manhattan Jury Holds BNP Paribas Liable for Enabling Sudanese Government Abuses
Trump Orders Immediate Release of Former Congressman George Santos After Commuting Prison Sentence
S&P Downgrades France’s Credit Rating, Citing Soaring Debt and Political Instability
Ofcom Rules BBC’s Gaza Documentary ‘Materially Misleading’ Over Narrator’s Hamas Ties
Diane Keaton’s Cause of Death Revealed as Pneumonia, Family Confirms
Former Lostprophets Frontman Ian Watkins Stabbed to Death in British Prison
"The Tsunami Is Coming, and It’s Massive": The World’s Richest Man Unveils a New AI Vision
Outsider, Heroine, Trailblazer: Diane Keaton Was Always a Little Strange — and Forever One of a Kind
Dramatic Development in the Death of 'Mango' Founder: Billionaire's Son Suspected of Murder
Two Years of Darkness: The Harrowing Testimonies of Israeli Hostages Emerging From Gaza Captivity
EU Moves to Use Frozen Russian Assets to Buy U.S. Weapons for Ukraine
Europe Emerges as the Biggest Casualty in U.S.-China Rare Earth Rivalry
HSBC Confronts Strategic Crossroads as NAB Seeks Only Retail Arm in Australia Exit
U.S. Chamber Sues Trump Over $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee
Shenzhen Expo Spotlights China’s Quantum Step in Semiconductor Self-Reliance
China Accelerates to the Forefront in Global Nuclear Fusion Race
Yachts, Private Jets, and a Picasso Painting: Exposed as 'One of the Largest Frauds in History'
Australia’s Wedgetail Spies Aid NATO Response as Russian MiGs Breach Estonian Airspace
McGowan Urges Chalmers to Cut Spending Over Tax Hike to Close $20 Billion Budget Gap
Victoria Orders Review of Transgender Prison Placement Amid Safety Concerns for Female Inmates
U.S. Treasury Mobilises New $20 Billion Debt Facility to Stabilise Argentina
French Business Leaders Decry Budget as Macron’s Pro-Enterprise Promise Undermined
Trump Claims Modi Pledged India Would End Russian Oil Imports Amid U.S. Tariff Pressure
Surging AI Startup Valuations Fuel Bubble Concerns Among Top Investors
Australian Punter Archie Wilson Tears Up During Nebraska Press Conference, Sparking Conversation on Male Vulnerability
Australia Confirms U.S. Access to Upgraded Submarine Shipyard Under AUKUS Deal
“Firepower” Promised for Ukraine as NATO Ministers Meet — But U.S. Tomahawks Remain Undecided
Brands Confront New Dilemma as Extremists Adopt Fashion Labels
The Sydney Sweeney and Jeans Storm: “The Outcome Surpassed Our Wildest Dreams”
Erika Kirk Delivers Moving Tribute at White House as Trump Awards Charlie Presidential Medal of Freedom
British Food Influencer ‘Big John’ Detained in Australia After Visa Dispute
ScamBodia: The Chinese Fraud Empire Shielded by Cambodia’s Ruling Elite
French PM Suspends Macron’s Pension Reform Until After 2027 in Bid to Stabilize Government
Orange, Bouygues and Free Make €17 Billion Bid for Drahi’s Altice France Telecom Assets
Dutch Government Seizes Chipmaker After U.S. Presses for Removal of Chinese CEO
Bessent Accuses China of Dragging Down Global Economy Amid New Trade Curbs
U.S. Revokes Visas of Foreign Nationals Who ‘Celebrated’ Charlie Kirk’s Assassination
AI and Cybersecurity at Forefront as GITEX Global 2025 Kicks Off in Dubai
DJI Loses Appeal to Remove Pentagon’s ‘Chinese Military Company’ Label
EU Deploys New Biometric Entry/Exit System: What Non-EU Travelers Must Know
Australian Prime Minister’s Private Number Exposed Through AI Contact Scraper
×