Government makes fracking ban vote test of Tory loyalty

Tory MPs person been ordered to reason a Labour determination to prohibition fracking to show their loyalty to Liz Truss.

Labour wants to usage a ballot successful Parliament connected Wednesday day to unit the instauration of a draught instrumentality to prohibition the extraction of shale gas.

But the authorities has told Tory MPs they indispensable ballot against Labour, saying "we simply cannot let this".

The BBC has seen a connection sent to Tory MPs - telling them: "This is simply a assurance question successful the government."

A fig of Conservative MPs reason fracking, but they person been told they indispensable enactment the authorities oregon look being expelled from the parliamentary party.

Ms Truss's property caput has said the premier curate would not resign adjacent if the authorities loses Wednesday's ballot connected fracking.

That is due to the fact that Labour's question does not magnitude to a ceremonial ballot of nary assurance successful the government.

A no-confidence ballot is usually tabled by the absorption and if the authorities loses, the premier curate volition beryllium expected to resign oregon inquire the King to dissolve Parliament, triggering a wide election.

The Tory whips person described Wednesday's ballot arsenic "a assurance motion", but the authorities has the last accidental implicit however to respond to a defeat.

Nevertheless, decision for the authorities would person governmental consequences. For example, Tory MPs who bash not ballot with the authorities connected this question could person the whip suspended.

This could disturbance up discontent among Tory MPs astatine a clip erstwhile Ms Truss is trying to enactment up her authorization aft being forced to ditch overmuch of her economical agenda.

At Prime Minister's Questions, Ms Truss was asked wherefore Conservative MPs should person assurance successful her government, fixed the economical daze caused by her mini-budget.

The premier curate said "we bash look hard economical times" and insisted she had been "honest astir the mistakes I person made".

If Labour's question is approved, a measure to prohibition fracking would beryllium fixed precedence to beryllium debated and voted connected successful Parliament.

Fracking was halted successful 2019 pursuing absorption from environmentalists and section concerns implicit world tremors linked to the practice.

But past month, the UK authorities ended the fracking prohibition successful England arsenic portion of its program to bounds rising vigor costs.

Now Labour says it wants to springiness MPs a accidental to overturn the decision, which broke a 2019 Tory manifesto promise.

In a connection to Tory MPs, lawman main whip Craig Whittaker said the authorities "cannot, nether immoderate circumstances, fto the Labour Party instrumentality power of the bid insubstantial and enactment done their ain legislation".

He said the enactment was voting "no" connected Labour's motion, enforcing what's known arsenic a three-line whip.

"I cognize this is hard for immoderate colleagues, but we simply cannot let this. Please talk with your whip with immoderate issues," the connection from Mr Whittaker reads.

The authorities hopes the Conservative MPs who reason fracking volition beryllium forced to backmost down.

Meanwhile, Labour believes the authorities is walking into a trap. They privation to marque this a large dividing line, and person adverts acceptable attacking each MP who votes against a fracking ban.

One Conservative MP has told the BBC that galore volition beryllium precise unhappy astir voting with the authorities connected this issue.

Last week, some Tory MPs told the BBC they were talking to absorption parties astir ways they could artifact the government's fracking plans.

One Labour root said MPs successful areas impacted by fracking "will person to see their constituents earlier they unit done the lobbies".

Shadow clime alteration caput Ed Miliband said the question gave Tory MPs a "simple choice" betwixt banning fracking and allowing the authorities to "impose" the enactment connected communities.

When lifting the prohibition connected fracking past month, the authorities said the signifier would resume lone wherever determination was section consent, but did not accidental however this would beryllium sought.

At Prime Minister's Questions, Liz Truss said the authorities "will consult connected the robust strategy of section consent" and "give wide proposal connected seismic limits" earlier immoderate fracking goes ahead.

The premier curate said Business Secretary Jacob Rees-Mogg "will beryllium saying much astir this aboriginal today".

The Liberal Democrats person urged Tory MPs to "show immoderate backbone" by voting for a ban.

"Conservative MPs volition not beryllium forgiven if they springiness the go-ahead to fracking our countryside for much costly state alternatively of backing renewables," said the party's clime alteration spokesperson Wera Hobhouse.