Rishi Sunak Preparing For Embarrassing U-Turn Over Onshore Wind Ban

Rishi Sunak is preparing to perform a major U-turn by backing calls for more onshore wind farms.

The prime minister pledged to “scrap plans to relax the ban on onshore wind” when he was running to be Tory leader in July.

A tweet setting out his clear opposition to new developments is still on his Twitter feed. 

However, Downing Street this morning said the PM was keen to hear from both sides of the debate amid a mounting Tory rebellion.

Liz Truss and Boris Johnson have both signed an amendment in the name of former levelling up secretary Simon Clarke calling for the ban on new onshore wind farms to be lifted.

It also has the backing for Cop 26 president Alok Sharma and former Conservative chairman Jake Berry.

The PM’s official spokesperson said that Sunak believed the focus should be on more offshore wind – but hinted that he could be prepared to row back on his previously hardline approach.

He said: “We consider amendments as they’re put forward. We discuss with MPs on both sides of the position.

“The prime minister has talked at great length about his views on where the focus should be on renewables, where he is talking about building more wind turbines offshore in order to boost energy security and also the importance of ensuring communities support any action the government takes on renewables.

“So we will continue to have discussions as we would do normally.”

Business secretary Grant Shapps also hinted at a government climbdown this morning by insisting there would be more onshore wind farms in UK.

He told Sky News: “We already have quite a lot of onshore wind.

“There will be more over time, particularly where communities are in favour of it, and that is, I think, the key test for onshore wind – giving some benefit to communities locally.”