Britain is “not a nanny state” and households will not be told to use less energy this winter, the climate minister has confirmed.
A £15million information campaign urging the public to conserve energy was backed by Jacob Rees-Mogg, and could have saved households around £300. It was then reported overnight to have been rejected by Liz Truss in the face of backing from her Business Secretary.
However, Graham Stuart insisted there was no “highly-developed campaign which we were passionately devoted to” and stressed the need for “the right messaging” in the months ahead.
“Technically, a general campaign about reducing energy would probably make no difference to our energy security. So, that would be a good reason not to do it,” Mr Stuart told LBC.
“We’re also hesitant to tell people what they should do when we’re not a nanny-state government. What we are prepared to do is talk to the big energy users and talk to consumers with smart technology about rewarding them for reducing energy at the peak times.”
Speaking to Times Radio, he added: “There is not enormous use in telling people to use less energy when it makes no difference to our national security.”
Follow the latest updates below.
09:53 AM
‘The coalition encompasses almost everyone’
The Labour Party, obviously. The Liberal Democrats, of course, as well as the Scottish Nationalists, and anyone who has ever visited north London, writes Matthew Lynn.
Liz Truss didn’t quite get around to including Jamie Oliver, Peppa Pig, and that guy who used to be in One Direction who isn’t Harry Styles among the supporters of the Anti-Growth Coalition in her speech to the Conservative Party conference yesterday.
And yet, for all the flak she received, the only real flaw in her analysis was this: the coalition she is taking on is far, far mightier than anyone seems yet to have realised.
The AGC, as it should probably be known, has now been defined as the enemy of Truss’s administration, and overcoming it her overriding mission.
Why the Anti-Growth Coalition is bigger than you think
09:37 AM
‘We will take no lessons from Labour’
The possibility of blackouts this winter is a “direct result” of Tory energy policy, Ed Miliband has claimed.
Mr Miliband, a former Labour leader and the party’s current shadow climate and net zero secretary, said successive governments “banning onshore wind, stalling on energy efficiency and failing on nuclear” had led to “higher bills and reliance on imports”.
But Greg Hands, a former Tory energy and climate change minister, accused the opposition of “nonsense”.
“On nuclear, it was Labour who in 1997 said they ‘could see no economic case for new nuclear power stations’, which set the UK back a generation,” Mr Hands said.
“On energy efficiency, Ed and Labour left office in 2010 with only an appalling 14 per cent of UK homes being rated in the top brackets (A-C) for energy efficiency – now that figure is 46 per cent and rising. There is still much to do here – but we will take no lessons from Labour.”
09:27 AM
‘New air of positivity’ on Brexit creates ‘flicker of optimism’
Ireland’s Foreign Affairs Minister has said a new “era of positivity” has created a “flicker of optimism” about finding a resolution to the Northern Ireland Protocol issues.
Simon Coveney said relationships were changing and there were efforts on both sides to improve trust in Dublin and London on a “very difficult” issue to resolve.
It came after Steve Baker apologised to the European Union for “not always behaving” during Brexit negotiations.
Speaking on Irish broadcaster RTE Radio 1’s Morning Ireland programme, Mr Coveney said: “There is certainly a new era of positivity and I think that has created a flicker of optimism.”
He said only “time will tell” whether an agreement can be reached, adding: “There’s a lot of warm language at the moment. I don’t think we should get carried away with that.
Gareth Davies, our Breaking News Editor, has the latest
09:20 AM
Senior Tory questions ‘too interventionist’ logic
Simon Hoare – the Tory chairman of the Northern Ireland committee, who has already emerged as a critical voice on the backbenches during the Truss administration – appeared to add to calls for an energy campaign.
Mr Hoare retweeted a post that reads: “We are using vast amounts of taxpayers’ money to pay for energy bills this winter, but the argument for not launching a public energy saving campaign is because it is too interventionist?”
09:10 AM
Yes to an energy campaign… but no to the price tag
Maria Caulfield, the Tory MP for Lewes, suggested an energy-saving campaign would not be worth the money.
Ms Caulfield said: “I’m all for an energy saving campaign this winter but do we need to spend £15 million to do that?
“The PM is right to question if this is the best use of taxpayers’ money.”
09:01 AM
Tory MP: I’m fully behind an energy-saving campaign
A former Tory minister has broken ranks after the Government decided against a public information campaign on saving energy amid the cost-of-living crisis.
Guy Opperman, who was the pensions minister until his departure from the frontbench last month, said he was “fully behind” the idea, which the climate minister said in the past hour would be reminiscent of a “nanny state”.
“The obvious reductions pursued by France, Germany and others in the public sector are no public buildings warmer than 19C, turn off overnight lighting of buildings and adverts etc, turn off hot water for hand washing and public spaces,” he wrote on Twitter.
“All basic but simple stuff to help supply issues. This is not nanny state. It is preserving supply, saving money for everyone, and encouraging localism. The example of Germany, which is in a massive energy crisis, way worse than the UK, is worth following.”
08:46 AM
Energy campaign ‘would probably make no difference’
The Government is not “nanny state” and will not press ahead with a reported public information drive on using energy this winter, a minister has insisted.
Here is what Graham Stuart had to say on LBC as he warned such a campaign risked Britons learning the “wrong lessons”:
Technically, a general campaign about reducing energy would probably make no difference to our energy security. So, that would be a good reason not to do it.
We’re also hesitant to tell people what they should do when we’re not a nanny-state government. What we are prepared to do is talk to the big energy users and talk to consumers with smart technology about rewarding them for reducing energy at the peak times.
The danger is if you had a sort of general ‘use less energy’ message that the wrong lessons would be taken on board by people.
08:34 AM
Doreen Lawrence and Prince Harry among those taking legal action against Daily Mail publisher
Lawyers for Doreen Lawrence have accused the Daily Mail of “abhorrent criminal activity”after launching a legal claim against the newspaper which campaigned to bring her son’s killers to justice, Robert Mendick and Phoebe Southworth report.
Baroness Lawrence has lodged a High Court claim along with Prince Harry, Sir Elton John and other celebrities over allegations that Associated Newspapers engaged in “unlawful acts” including hiring private detectives to place secret listening devices inside people’s cars and homes.
Last night, the publishers dismissed the allegations as “preposterous smears” and an “orchestrated attempt” to drag the Mail into the phone-hacking scandal that has engulfed rival tabloids. It said there was “no credible evidence” to back up the allegations.
Read more: Associated Newspapers dismisses ‘preposterous smears’
08:22 AM
Revealed: The Brexiteers and Tory donors due to get peerages
Brexit-backing Conservatives who supported Boris Johnson will be appointed to the House of Lords within days to reduce the chances of Tory legislation being defeated.
The Telegraph can reveal the full list of political peerages that is on the brink of being announced by Downing Street, subject to last-minute tweaks.
There are 15 Conservatives on the current list to become new peers, more than all the other political parties combined. Labour is due to get just eight new Lords.
Ben Riley-Smith, our Political Editor, has the full list
08:17 AM
Nadhim Zahawi ‘sorry’ for turmoil that followed mini-Budget
Nadhim Zahawi has apologised on Question Time for the economic turmoil that followed the Government’s mini budget.
The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster was forced to make the apology after clashing with Talk TV presenter Piers Morgan last night:
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08:12 AM
‘We plan for all eventualities’
Energy rationing and blackouts are “not our expectation at all”, Graham Stuart said this morning.
He emphasised that ministers plan for “all eventualities”, but asked about the prospect of rationing or three-hour blackouts, he told Sky: “We don’t expect that to occur, that’s not our expectation at all.
“The public should be confident we have a very strong and diverse supply, that we’ve taken all the steps to look after our needs this winter, and of course we’ve been and – the Prime Minister’s been really focused on this – [which] is making sure that we aren’t in as vulnerable a position ever again in future.”
08:03 AM
Government won’t say ‘switch things off for the national need’
Households’ energy use “doesn’t make any difference” to national energy security apart from at peak time, the climate minister has argued.
Graham Stuart said there were “good reasons” why people may want to take measures such as having a shower instead of a bath “because it cuts their energy bills”.
“Most of the time, except in peak [time] because of the nature of our energy system, it doesn’t make any difference to our energy security,” he told Sky News.
“It’s different in Germany, it’s different in Holland. The last thing you want to do is tell someone ‘switch things off for the national need’ when it makes no difference to the national security position.
“That’s why you’ve got to look at these things in the round and make sure you get the messages in the most nuanced and subtle and effective way possible.”
07:59 AM
Good morning
Dominic Penna here, the Telegraph’s Political Reporter, guiding you through all of today’s latest news and developments.
There were reports overnight a £15million public information campaign on saving energy, supported by Jacob Rees-Mogg, had been blocked at the insistence of Downing Street.
However Graham Stuart, the climate minister, has dismissed the idea of a “highly-developed” plan this morning, while confirming Britons would not be told to use less energy in the coming months.
