Mr Rees-Mogg, the former Brexit opportunity and efficiency minister, has been given a major promotion to business secretary in the new prime minister’s first cabinet. The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said the task of finding opportunities for Brexit would be “addressed across all services”. Taking on the role of Boris Johnson in February, Rees-Mogg spent six months trying to persuade his colleagues to ditch EU regulations and launch attacks on the civil service for working from home. His office listed scrapping Brussels-era vacuum cleaner regulations as one of the “most interesting” ways to use the UK’s Brexit “freedoms” after asking tabloid readers for ideas. However, Mr Rees-Mogg succeeded in putting EU rules and regulations on the agenda for the recent Tory leadership battle between Ms Truss and rival Rishi Sunak. Ms Truss has promised to scrap thousands of EU laws that remain on the UK statute book by the end of 2023 – despite warnings of “chaos” and disruption from lawyers, business leaders and union bosses. Green campaigners have reacted angrily to Mr Rees-Mogg’s appointment as business and energy secretary, where he will also be responsible for climate. Mr Rees-Mogg has previously played down the earthquake risk from fracking and stressed the need for oil companies to be able to maintain profits and drill more “to get every last drop out of the North Sea”. . He has also warned against “climate alarmism” and said he wants his constituents to have cheap energy “not me to have windmills”. Scottish First Minister and SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon also questioned Mrs Truss’s decision to give Rees-Mogg such a critical role. “Any Prime Minister who puts Jacob Rees-Mogg in charge of energy – and therefore, by definition, responsible for some of the big decisions that will guide the UK’s response to the climate emergency – must have a big question mark over her . crisis.” His appointment to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (Beis) comes as Britons face devastating energy bills caused by high gas prices in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The Prime Minister, Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng and Mr Rees-Mogg are working to finalize a multi-billion package to freeze household gas and electricity bills, with some estimates the package could cost more than £100 billion . A government source confirmed the plan is to freeze annual household energy bills at around £2,500. It is based on the current cap of £1,971 – plus the £400 universal handout announced under Boris Johnson’s government. Ms Truss is expected to present her plan as she opens a general debate on UK energy costs on Thursday and Mr Rees-Mogg will close it.
