A halt to fracking called by the government has been branded an election stunt by Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn.
The suspension in the run-up to the 12 December poll came after scientific research raised fresh fears over the risk of earthquakes linked to the controversial method of extracting shale gas.
It marks a major U-turn by the Tories including Boris Johnson, who once hailed fracking as glorious news for humanity.
The moratorium comes after a report by the Oil and Gas Authority found it is not currently possible to accurately predict the likelihood of strength of earthquakes connected to fracking operations.
Fracking has provoked protests at sites across the country including Lancashire and Yorkshire, and the issue was expected to feature prominently campaigning for next month’s General Election.
Business Secretary Andrea Leadsom has made clear the ban was only in place until the science changes.
Mr Corbyn argued the prime minister could not be trusted over fracking.
On Twitter, he wrote: The Conservatives temporary pause of fracking is an election stunt to try and win a few votes.
Boris Johnson described fracking as glorious news for humanity. We cannot trust him. Labour would ban fracking. That’s real change.
Liberal Democrat Sir Ed Davey, a former energy secretary, has also demanded an immediate ban now.
He said: This belated, eve of election policy pause won’t distract voters from the Tories shocking record on the environment not least the prime minister’s, when he lobbied to relax air pollution laws.
As secretary of state in the coalition government back in 2013, Sir Ed said fracking was not the evil thing that some people try to make it out to be.
Mr Johnson had previously argued energy companies should leave no stone unturned, or unfracked and dismissed opponents views as ludicrous and mad denunciations.
However, he now says he has very considerable anxieties about fracking. Fracking supporters say the government’s new moratorium is an over-reaction.