Brexit Day (no 3) + 2 - The "stop bad things while people are watching" election

The Preston New Road site, visualised

At the top of the hour the news bulletin told us "The government has halted all fracking operations in England". Not that there are many. And it turned out to be not exactly a ban - "After reviewing the [Oil and Gas Authority] report into recent seismic activity at Preston New Road, it is clear that we cannot rule out future unacceptable impacts on the local community. For this reason, I have concluded that we should put a moratorium on fracking in England with immediate effect," said Industry Secretary Andrea Leadsom.

Asked about her decision by Mishal Husain on the Today programme, Leadsom used words of regret - "this a great opportunity for the UK" but didn't sound all that disappointed. Almost as if the moratorium wasn't designed to last very long. She volunteered "and we have acted on their report within a couple of days".

"In the run-up to an election," we might add.

Husain went on to ask about the Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC) report on "the threat posed to this country by Russia", as Dominic Grieve put it on Thursday. Leadsom didn't seem to have any good answers on the subject, not even briefed answers. "I'm not aware that there is any hold up with that report" was an easy opening, then she descended quickly into generalities. "... at all times select committees make reports and the government prepares a response and there's nothing peculiar about the time that takes...".

The ISC is not a select committee. It's established under its own law, which specifies the selection of its members and their privileged access to secret information. Select committees publish their own reports, and government responses sometimes appear months later. Government certainly can't hold up publication of a select committee report. It can delay this one, precisely because it's different.

Grieve has told us about the seven months or more since his committee's report was completed, and that it's been vetted to death by spooks and civil servants. All it needs is the final OK from Downing St. They've had their ten days, and Johnson's mouthpieces can't tell us what's holding it up.

Leadsom told us several times that she knew nothing about this report, but she "wouldn't accept that it's been held up". Not an answer. Especially when she went on to say "I completely recognise that, in the run-up to a general election Dominic Grieve might be calling for [publication] but nevertheless the fact is that many select committee reports are produced and the government has to respond properly. It can't respond in haste..."

Funny that "in the run-up to an election" government couldn't "act on their report within a couple of days".

Former attorney general Dominic Grieve calls for a report into alleged Russian interference to be published before the general election, and says Number 10's justification for not releasing it is "completely and totally untrue. It's a lie"

Read more: https://t.co/a8StmgpFRo pic.twitter.com/i6kIsEwaA3

— Sky News Politics (@SkyNewsPolitics) November 2, 2019

When they knock on the door... 

Is this really the best the Conservative party can do?

Here’s a game both for the media and people at home

This is Tory general election brief for candidates - and here’s the page with suggested answers to qs

Why not read along with candidates when they deliver preprepared lines? Surprise them by pre-empting what they’ll say next! pic.twitter.com/uuu4QAHnQq

— Sam Coates Sky (@SamCoatesSky) November 2, 2019

More news of those Brexit riots

Always on the button, the Sheffield Star reports "Confusion as NO ONE turns up for 'huge' pro Brexit demo in Doncaster".