RUSHES: Sir Ed Davey press conference

Sir Ed Davey press conference; ENGLAND: London: INTSir Ed Davey MP (Liberal Democrats leader) question and answer session SOT Q: Given the pressures on energy supplies, will the Lib Dems be echoing calls from the Tories for new oil and gas drilling in the North Sea? And secondly, if I may, the Prime Minister yesterday said that the UK would pursue closer economic ties with the European Union. Do you think there can be any meaningful progress on this while we're out of the single market and the customs union?A: Well, on the North Sea, I mean, I keep hearing Kemi Badenoch talking about this. She says that we can get 2.5 billion extra in tax revenue and that will help cut bills. She's just lying. This is a desperate lie from the Conservatives because I think they're so desperate. Everyone knows that is nonsense. Indeed. They would not have enough any extra money to help people in the in the first few years of her policy. So I think that's quite outrageous that she's misleading British people. As you know, when I was Secretary of State for Energy, I issued lots of oil and gas exploration licences. So I've got a very strong track record on that. And I think you know, take Jackdaw for example, that had an explanation licence granted 20 - over 20 years ago. And it was the conservatives who failed on the production licences to get that, that gas field going. We're gonna need lots of oil and gas in the years to come. I think Jackdaw is an example where we, we, we could proceed. It's gonna pass all the tests and on, on Europe and what the Prime Minister said yesterday, you know, the prime minister's odd, he won the election with the Ming vase strategy. You know, if you remember, he wasn't going to say very much. And he's almost taken that into government. And on Europe in particular, I mean, he's been pretty timid and Ming Vase like on everything from social care to the economy on Europe, he's just like that. Because I agree with the premise of your question. U...