The BBC’s climate editor Justin Rowlatt lost his cool interviewing Boris this morning, as he tried pointing out the discrepancy between the PM’s words on phasing out coal and the UK building a new coal mine. Rowlatt ended up yelling at Boris:

“…at the same time as not ruling out a new coal mine in Britain – a new coal mine in Britain! We started the industrial revolution, we should close the mines!”

He did manage to stop himself just short of overtly calling the PM a hypocrite at one point, so one headache avoided for the BBC…

Incidentally the proposed coal mine is not for energy production – which would be against the government’s Net Zero policy – it is for steel production. If the coking coal produced isn’t extracted in the UK it will have to be imported – generating far more pollution. Likewise, if steel is not manufactured in the UK it will need to be imported – generating far more pollution. The UK coal plant will also be far more environmentally sensitive than the alternative. If Britain is to level up and remain an industrial manufacturer, it is an essential resource…

UPDATE: A co-conspirator rightly points out that Justin Rowlatt’s sister, Cordelia, is a twice-arrested Insulate Britain activist whose name even appears on a National Highways injunction for her repeated protests. Surprise, surprise.