Ministers hold out against fracking despite pressure from Tory right

Government says shale gas wells will be closed by June deadline even as it commits to phasing out Russian oilThe UK's position on fracking has not changed and shale gas wells will be closed with concrete by the 30 June deadline despite pressure from the rightwing press and backbench Conservatives, according to a government spokesperson.On Tuesday Steve Baker, the MP for High Wycombe and a trustee of the climate sceptic thinktank Global Warming Policy Foundation, hosted the shale gas lobby along with MPs and journalists in the Houses of Parliament. The event took place as the government committed to phasing out imports of Russian oil by the end of the year, and reports in rightwing media suggested that fracking could be revived in the UK. Continue reading...