London Defender

The Daily Mirror of the Great Britain

Andrew Neil warns gas prices ‘likely to pump up’ as Nord Stream 2 suspended – ‘Not wrong’

Andrew Neil, 72, issued his warning on social media yesterday evening following Berlin’s decision to suspend approval of the Gazaprom-backed pipeline. Mr Neil, who left his role as GB News chairman just three months after the channel’s launch in September, made the comments following reports that gas prices in the United Kingdom and European Union have risen by 17 percent since Germany’s move.

Taking to social media, the former editor of the Sunday Times wrote: “Germany has suspended approval of Nord Stream 2.

“Which is not necessarily wrong.

“But it is likely to pump up gas prices further.”

The post by Mr Neil, who still serves as chairman of the Spectator magazine, was made after the German regulator argued “it would only be possible to certify an operator of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline if that operator was organised in a legal form under German law.”

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According to the UK’s national broadcaster, the regulator added German approval to the 760-mile pipeline would remain suspended until “the main assets and human resources” had been transferred from the Swiss-based Nord Stream 2 parent company into the hands of a German subsidiary, which owns and operates the German part of the pipeline.

Following this, the subsidiary must fulfil the German Energy Industry Act’s requirements of an independent transmission operator.

The move will cause further delay to Gazaprom’s £8.4billion pipeline, which was reportedly completed in September.

Mr Neil, who has 1.2million followers on Twitter, received a reply from fellow Scotsmen and former Labour MP George Galloway, 67.

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The Brexit-backing ex-MP, who unsuccessfully attempted to stage a political comeback in the 2021 Scottish Parliament Election and subsequent Batley & Spen by-election, responded by saying: “10 percent and rising.”

Mr Galloway, who continues to write for state-run media outlet Russia Today, added: “Turns out it’s Germany not Russia using gas-supply for political ends.”

But Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson, 57, warned last week there was now a choice “between mainlining ever more Russian hydrocarbons in giant new pipelines and sticking up for Ukraine and championing the cause of peace and stability.”

Tensions between the Kremlin and the West have continued to grow in recent months with reports indicating Russia has stationed nearly 100,000 troops on its border with Ukraine.

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Moscow has also been dragged into the migrant crisis between Belarus and the European Union.

A spokesman connected with Vladimir Putin, 69, voiced support for Belarus’ dictator Alexander Lukashenko, 67, by saying: “We have no doubt here that the Belarusian migration services are taking all necessary measures to keep the situation in the legal field.”

Moscow’s Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, 45, even tried to pin the border blame on Britain.

She said: “Britain bears a clear historical responsibility for everything that has happened in the region since – the deaths of Iraqis, the destruction of Iraqi statehood, the endless flows of refugees, the emergence of ISIS, the humanitarian disasters in this part of the world.”