Drilling down into the subtext of yesterday’s Surrey Hills gas site announcement, politicos might infer an additional motivation for the decision by the government. Minister Stuart Andrew has overruled the local Tory-run council to approve gas drilling on the edge of Surrey Hills, with three years of exploratory drilling now set to commence. The government’s announcement comes despite outspoken opposition from the local South West Surrey Tory MP… would-be leadership challenger, Jeremy Hunt. Groundbreaking revenge…

UPDATE:  Hunt has written to Michael Gove to protest that “the decision to allow drilling at Dunsfold is bitterly disappointing and wrong both economically and environmentally”.