Hunt condemns ‘bitterly disappointing’ plan for gas drilling in Surrey constituency

JEREMY HUNT has hit out at the Government’s decision to approve gas drilling in his rural Surrey constituency, a day after he turned against Boris Johnson in a confidence vote.

The decision, announced by housing minister Stuart Andrew on Tuesday, allows UK Oil & Gas to explore a site at Loxley near Dunsfold for three years.

Michael Gove, the Levelling Up Secretary, recused himself from the decision, as his constituency is in a nearby part of Surrey.

The move comes despite long-standing opposition from Mr Hunt, the Conservative MP for South West Surrey, who described the approval as “bitterly disappointing and wrong both economically and environmentally”.

“Many members of the public are no longer giving us the benefit of the doubt,” he said. “That makes it much harder to deliver the radical and transformative reforms we need in many areas.”

Mr Hunt was a contender in the final two of the last Tory leadership race, and is now widely expected to run again if Mr Johnson is forced from office by his own MPS.

In a letter to Mr Gove, he wrote that the project “will create enormous disruption

[The project] will create enormous disruption and environmental damage for little economic benefit’

and environmental damage for little, if any, economic benefit”.

The move has also raised eyebrows for its timing little more than a day after Mr Hunt turned against the Prime Minister, declaring that the Tories were on course to lose the next election under his leadership and that he would “vote for change” in a no confidence ballot.

Writing for his local newspaper, the Farnham Herald, Mr Hunt yesterday said he had “rebelled only a handful of times” but had “done his duty” by voting against Mr Johnson in Monday’s confidence vote. A government source said it was “a bit suspicious” that the decision came just after he attacked Mr Johnson. The source added: “It’s entirely possible that this is a coincidence, but I can see Gove enjoying approving this particular application after Jeremy tried so hard to get it rejected.”

A government spokesman insisted that Mr Gove was not involved in approving the application.

UK Oil & Gas, which welcomed the decision, has estimated that the site could hold 43billion cubic metres of gas, and the drilling will allow it to determine the extent of the reserves.

Stephen Sanderson, the company’s chief executive, said: “We look forward to moving the Loxley project forwards and to working constructively with the local community.”