Rishi Sunak is struggling to find a compromise on allowing onshore wind power amid a growing backbench Conservative backbench rebellion, although No 10 continues to fear a backlash from MPs who oppose wind turbines.
The reversal of support for onshore wind projects would be in direct contradiction to Sunak’s pledge during his leadership campaign, but Downing Street has tried to frame it as government policy.
The government all but confirmed on Monday that restrictions on onshore wind would be changed in the face of the rebellion, but the row has left Sunak sandwiched between two wings of the party – with a growing number of MPs also using the equalization bill to try to put the brakes on development.
The Guardian understands that former chief whip Wendy Morton signed the amendment, which brings the total number of potential rebels to 34 – which would evaporate Sunak’s majority.
Labor is also tabling a new strengthened amendment on onshore wind, highlighting the limitations of the Conservative rebel amendment, which was drawn up by former cabinet minister Simon Clarke and backed by at least 30 MPs, including Boris Johnson and Liz Truss.
Labour’s full amendment, tabled on Monday night and seen by the Guardian, would remove heavy planning restrictions that effectively ban new onshore wind in England, but also require local authorities to proactively identify renewable energy opportunities, including generation of onshore wind energy.
Labor will support Clarke’s amendment – putting Sunak at risk of defeat in the House of Commons – but said it was not enough to ensure real growth in onshore wind.
Matthew Pennycook, the shadow housing minister, said: “Rishi Sunak is now being dragged into an inevitable backbench turnaround and while it’s better than nothing, the Clarke amendment still leaves Britain limping along in the renewables race.
“Because while it ends the ban, it imposes a uniquely restrictive planning regime for onshore wind that risks blocking sensible schemes, keeping bills high and missing out on the next generation of high-skilled jobs.” Under this government we are forced to move only at the pace of the slowest backbench Tory.”
Clark is understood to have told backbench Conservatives that his amendment was also a “community consent” safeguard against a future Labor government likely to make it easier for local authorities to build wind farms.
“His argument is either we do it or Labor does it in the future, without that lock,” said one supporter MP.
On Monday, Business and Energy Secretary Grant Shapps said there would be more onshore wind projects “where communities support it”, which would mean the end of a de facto block on such projects since 2014 under planning rules.
Shapps told Sky News: “We’ve got quite a bit of onshore wind already. There will be more over time, especially as communities support it. I think that’s the key test for onshore wind: does it benefit communities at the local level? That has always been the principle for us, for quite some time now.”
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Asked again if it was a forced change of position, Shapps said: “No, that’s what we’ve been saying all along. Rishi Sunak said last week that when it happens on land, there should be local agreement.’
Shapps said incorrectly that Sunak had “always” argued that onshore wind could happen by local consent, adding: “To represent it as some massive gulf is completely false.”
Number 10 has pulled out a planned vote on the bill this week in the face of a backlash against housing targets – which is separately putting the government under pressure. The added problem of the Clark amendment means the bill is likely to be further delayed.
Labour’s amendment, which Conservative rebels are unlikely to support, has been drawn up with the Green Alliance and the Town and Country Planning Association, which have also made suggestions to Clark about gaps in his amendment.
Chris Venables, head of policy at the Green Alliance, said of the Clarke amendment: “It is not perfect as it is a campaign amendment. The second part should introduce measures to ensure that the planning system really moves it forward.
A new poll on Monday by the Compassion in Politics think tank found that 72% of Conservative voters support building more wind farms. Overall, when asked which energy source they would prefer to see increased in the UK, three quarters said they would support onshore wind power.
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