Michael Gove could green light the first UK coalmine in a generation as soon as Wednesday, in a move likely to open up new dividing lines among Conservatives. A number of high-profile Tories have previously spoken out against the plans for a new mine outside Whitehaven in Cumbria, including former cabinet ministers Kwasi Kwarteng, Alok Sharma, Robert Buckland and Tobias Ellwood.
When he was prime minister, Boris Johnson said: “I’m not in favour of more coal, let’s be absolutely clear,” but he added that the decision was being made by an independent public inquiry. Kwarteng said as business secretary that there were “very compelling reasons” not to open the mine. Government sources have been tight-lipped on the decision itself but several MPs said they believed there was a likelihood the mine would be approved. Gove announced on Tuesday he would accept demands from rebels who had tabled an amendment to loosen planning restrictions on new onshore windfarms, a decision which has drawn a backlash from another wing of the party. Other MPs who have spoken out against plans for the mine include Rother Valley’s Alex Stafford and Penrith and the Border’s Neil Hudson, veteran MPs Philip Dunne and Sir Roger Gale, as well as Chris Skidmore, who is conducting a review of net zero for the government. But at least 31 MPs from the party’s Northern Research Group signed a letter last year demanding the mine go ahead, including Trudy Harrison, Mark Jenkinson, Simon Fell and John Stevenson. A number are believed to have lobbied Rishi Sunak over the course of the last few weeks urging the project to go ahead. The division in the party means the decision by Gove after receiving the recommendations from the public inquiry is likely to spark a significant backlash. It would be the first new mine to be opened in 30 years and has been under development by West Cumbria Mining since 2014. The mine is intended to provide coking coal for use in the steel-making industry rather than coal for power and has been subject to a public inquiry since September 2021. Green MP Caroline Lucas said approving the mine would be “a climate crime against humanity – and such a reckless desire to dig up our dirty fossil-fuel past will be challenged every step of the way”. Labour has been openly opposed to the opening of the mine. A party source said: “We’re clear the proposed coalmine won’t benefit British steel producers, won’t improve our energy security, won’t provide sustainable jobs and would be a disaster for the climate.” The decision on the mine has been delayed for more than two years after having been initially approved in 2020. Plans were halted after international criticism in advance of the UK’s presidency of the Cop26 UN climate talks in 2021. Sharma, whose presidency of Cop26 ended last month, told the Observer over the weekend that approval would be a “backwards step” for the UK. “Over the past three years the UK has sought to persuade other nations to consign coal to history, because we are fighting to limit global warming to 1.5C and coal is the most polluting energy source,” Sharma said. “A decision to open a new coalmine would send completely the wrong message and be an own goal. This proposed new mine will have no impact on reducing energy bills or ensuring our energy security.” A final decision on the mine was delayed again during the Tory leadership contest and again when the UK handed over the presidency of the Cop climate talks to Egypt last month.