BORIS Johnson yesterday shook the tin in the desert for more oil – as back home a Cabinet row about fracking exploded.
The Prime Minister urged Gulf leaders to increase crude oil experts to “help people at the gas pumps” in Britain.
His plea to try to drive down the global price of crude oil came as he prepared to give Brits a stark warning this weekend that the war in Ukraine risks years of economic hardship.
Mr Johnson will give two set piece speeches on Friday and Saturday – one in Scotland and one in the heart of the Red Wall – to warn that the cost of living crisis is only going to get worse.
Last night an ally said his address to the Conservative’s Spring Conference in Blackpool would be “a massive reality check” as inflation risks double digits by the end of the year with energy bills devastating households budgets.
But the PM believes the quickest and easiest way to lower the cost of filling up your car and heating your home is to drive down global energy prices that have rocketed after cutting out Russian oil and gas.
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Yesterday Mr Johnson met controversial Saudi leader Mohammed bin Salman, with critics slamming the fact the oil-rich kingdom executed three criminals during his whistlestop one day visit.
Speaking after the desert chinwag, the PM said: “I raised human rights, as I’m sure you would expect. But we also talked about what we can do to stabilise oil prices, to fight inflation, to help consumers, to help people at the gas pumps, at the petrol pumps.”
He added: “There’s an interest for Saudi Arabia, for all oil-producing and exporting countries, in making sure that the global economy is not damaged by the current spikes.”
Back home Mr Johnson’s top team bickered over restarting fracking the UK.
Jacob Rees Mogg told a meeting of ministers that there can be “no stone unturned” to solve our energy crisis.
But hours later Michael Gove took aim in public saying the baffling ban must stay.
The big beast told green Tories at the Conservative Environment Network he was “not at all convinced” that fracking is the way forward.
