Ferrari feuds with minister for Tory U-turn on energy rationing

Graham Stuart refuses to rule out energy rationing this winter

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Nick Ferrari has slammed the Conservative climate minister for failing to deny the possibility of energy rationing this winter despite a previous promise from the Prime Minister that such a measure would never be put into place. Graham Stuart struggled to get a word in edgewise as a furious Mr Ferrari demanded he say there will be no rationing, only for the minister to stumble through an answer. Mr Ferrari accused the Tory Government of a “change in tone” as Britain looks set to be hit by blackouts this winter. 

Mr Ferrari said: “Can you rule out rationing this winter?” Mr Stuart said: “Erm, the National Grid, we get to do it independently, and they do their assessment. They’ve said it’s very unlikely.” 

Mr Ferrari interrupted: “So, you cannot rule it out? Bit of a change in tone, you know, minister. 

“The Tory candidate, now Prime Minister, Liz Truss told me at Wembley in August that she was ruling out rationing. 

“Here we are, I don’t know, seven, eight weeks on, another broken promise. You cannot rule it out, can you?” 

Mr Stuart said: “Well, I’m not sure that is entirely fair.” Mr Ferrari then interrupted again, saying: “Well, rule it out, minister.

“We’ll have no rationing, just say it now and we will all move on.” 

Mr Stuart said: “We are not planning to have that. It is not our intention to have that and we are doing everything possible to ensure that it does not happen.” 

Mr Ferrari said: “Well, you have changed your tune because Liz Truss told me it would not happen.” 

The National Grid highlighted three possible scenarios for how Britain’s electricity grid might cope with the worst global energy crisis for decades, with blackouts the worst case. 

In the other two scenarios, the operator hopes that by paying people to charge their electric cars at off-peak times, and firing up back-up coal plants, it can offset the risk of blackouts.

The lights, it is hoped, will stay on this winter unless the gas-fired power plants that produced 43 percent of Britain’s electricity over the last year cannot get enough gas to continue operating.

Prime Minister Ms Truss earlier sought to downplay concerns although stopped short of explicitly offering a guarantee of no blackouts.

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Ms Truss said during a visit to the Czech Republic: “What we’re clear about is that we do have a good supply of energy in the UK, we’re in a much better position than many other countries, but of course, there’s always more we can do, and that’s why I’m here working with our partners, making sure we do have a secure energy supply into the future.”

A Government spokesman added that they were addressing the “full range of scenarios” to ensure Britain was well-protected. 

He said: “The UK has a secure and diverse energy system. We have plans to protect households and businesses in the full range of scenarios this winter, in light of Russia’s illegal war in Ukraine.

“To strengthen this position further, we have put plans in place to secure supply and National Grid, working alongside energy suppliers and Ofgem, will launch a voluntary service to reward users who reduce demand at peak times.”

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