Anti oil activists suspend disruptive protest and give the UK government ultimatum
Environmental activists have paused disruptive protests and given the government an ultimatum to stop looking for new fossil fuels.
Campaigners from Just Stop Oil read a letter outside Number 10 Downing Street, saying the UK government was being given an “opportunity” to halt its search for new energy sources.
This comes after the group launched direct action across the country, mounting oil tankers and even gluing themselves to the government department for energy.
The letter said campaigners would pause actions until 25 April “to give you the opportunity to make a statement on behalf of the government that it will immediately halt all future licensing and consents for the exploration, development and production of fossil fuels in the UK.
“If you do not fulfil your duty to the people we will be left with no choice but to escalate our campaign of civil resistance.”
Its campaign caused mass disruption across the country from 1 April, targeting 10 oil terminals, with reports of disruption at the pump, with London deliveries of energy down 44 per cent.
The UK has looked to shore up its energy security amid the war in Ukraine, with Kwasi Kwarteng, the secretary of state for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, backing the exploration of new oil and gas, as well as nuclear and fracking.
Earlier in the month, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said nuclear was “coming home”.