Tory rebellion over onshore wind could lead to election defeat, says Rees-Mogg

Words by ITV News Deputy Political Editor Anushka Asthana and Westminster Producer Jack Abbey

Jacob Rees-Mogg has warned that "disunited parties do not win elections" as rebels threatened to defeat the government over the question of onshore wind.

The Somerset MP made the comments after 35 Tory MPs signed up to an amendment - led by Simon Clarke and including former PMs Boris Johnson and Liz Truss - that would lift the de-facto ban on onshore wind across England.

Despite supporting the idea of lifting the ban when he was business secretary under Liz Truss, Mr Rees-Mogg said he believed it was wrong to vote against the government now.

"There are sometimes major constituency or constitutional issues on which MPs may feel the need to rebel. But we should not be voting against the government on it's day-to-day business," he told ITV News.

Warning that these rebellions could lead to an election defeat in 2024, Mr Rees-Mogg said he would paraphrase what the politician Lord Melbourne said in 1841. "On the question of onshore wind it does not matter whether we have it or not - what matters is that we all say the same."

It came as Conservative whips began talking to MPs about a possible compromise on both onshore wind - and other issues around housing targets, which has also attracted a large possible rebellion.

MP Simon Clarke told ITV News Deputy Political Editor Anushka Asthana: "I'm delighted that we are now at 35 names on the order paper and there are more MPs pledged privately. I very much hope we will avoid a vote and the government will find a way to make this happen."

But he added: "The parliamentary maths is clear for all to see."

Some in government have claimed that the amendment is less about onshore wind and more about opposition to Rishi Sunak, pointing out that a number of signatories were sacked by Mr Sunak or replaced by him. One MP called it a "Boris plot to destabilise the government".

But Mr Clarke has been pushing for more onshore wind and making the argument for more growth for years - and some of the MPs who have signed backed Mr Sunak in the Tory leadership race.

The new Business Secretary Grant Shapps, has hinted that the government is open to pushing ahead with onshore wind by saying there is no disagreement on this issue. He said that the important question was local consent.

At the moment the rules are so strict in England that one person objecting to a windfarm can block it. That means an effective ban is in place. Clarke's amendment suggests changing the rules to lift the de-facto ban - although while retaining fairly strong rules around consent. The changes would let local authorities make a final decision - but without allowing an appeal on that decision.

A spokesperson for the National Infrastructure Commission argued that onshore wind - along with other sources of renewable energy - must contribute towards the UK meeting its net zero goal.

They said: "Onshore wind is one of the cheapest sources of electricity there is and it enjoys broad public support."

Sources added that discussions were ongoing on both amendments - and that ministers hoped to reach a compromise that would be.

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