Yorkshire MP hopeful hands in petition demanding ministers drop onshore wind ban

Sam Richards, a former advisor to Boris Johnson, yesterday handed a petition signed by almost 12,000 people calling on ministers to stop blocking the cheapest form of renewable energy.

The petition, organised by the campaign group Britain Remade, comes as the Government consults on whether it will drop its de-facto ban on onshore wind in place since 2015.

Mr Richards, who was born in Yorkshire, said: “As part of the campaign I’ve been to towns and cities up and down the country and people simply cannot understand why the cheapest form of energy is banned.

“The Government may be making noises about once again allowing new onshore turbines to be built, but much swifter and bolder action is required.”

It's understood that Mr Richards is looking to become the Conservative candidate for Selby North Yorkshire, following news that Nigel Adams will stand down as the constituency’s MP.

Also in the running for the Yorkshire seat, which has been held by the Tories since its creation in 2010 as Selby and Ainsty, is the former Financial Times journalist and director of the Onward think tank, Sebastian Payne, whose book Broken Heartlands chronicled the fall of Labour’s so-called Red Wall, in areas such as his native North East of England.

The political website Guido Fawkes reported this week that Andrew Lee, the local association treasurer and Hannah Galley, a consultant at Portland Communications are among 6 or 7 names on the shortlist for the candidacy.