Could the ban on fracking be lifted? Drilling advocate Jacob Rees-Mogg takes charge of energy policy [Video]

Fracking critics lashed out today after an advocate of the controversial gas extraction method was placed in charge of the UK’;s energy strategy.

New Business Secretary Jacob Rees-Mogg will be in charge of the energy and climate brief after being promoted by Liz Truss.

Ministers halted fracking in England at the end of November 2019 following a series of confrontations between shale gas companies and communities who say the process is disruptive and dangerous, causing earth tremors.

But Mr Rees-Mogg has previously played down the seismic risk and called for it to be allowed to restart at a Cabinet meeting in February.

He has also warned against ‘climate alarmism’ and said he wants his constituents to have cheap energy ‘rather more than I would like them to have windmills’.

In her campaign to become Prime Minister, Ms Truss said in an interview: ‘I support exploring fracking in parts of the United Kingdom where that can …