Tory discontent is growing as the Levelling Up Secretary reportedly supports ending the ban on new onshore wind farms in England.

It has been reported that Michael Gove has privately backed Tory rebels who want the onshore wind ban lifted.

On Friday, ELN reported that former Prime Ministers Boris Johnson and Liz Truss backed a proposal that could lift the de facto ban on new onshore wind farms.

Former Levelling Up Secretary under Liz Truss’s administration, Simon Clarke, had previously tabled an amendment to the government’s Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill.

The amendment suggests that councils have the power to give the green light to onshore wind applications “for the purposes of installing new sites not previously used for generating wind energy and repowering existing onshore wind installations”.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is yet to decide whether to overturn the ban.

On Saturday, COP26 President Alok Sharma, tweeted: “Onshore wind is one of the cheapest forms of renewable power and will help to bolster the UK’s energy security.

“There are already 14GW of onshore installed across the country, including at the UK’s largest onshore wind farm in Whitelee, just outside Glasgow.

“I said in Parliament in July that where communities are positively welcoming of onshore in return for reduced bills, onshore should be kept on the table. So, I will support Simon Clarke’s Levelling Up Bill amendment to lift the ban on onshore and let local communities decide.”

ELN has approached Number 10 for comment.