Blackburn with Darwen Council to end contract with Gazprom

Blackburn with Darwen Council is one of several councils across England seeking to cut ties with Gazprom

Blackburn with Darwen Council will sever its ties with Russian energy giant Gazprom in the wake of the invasion of Ukraine, it has announced.

The council said it had "given notice" on a contract with the partly-state-owned firm, which covers a number of schools, and would find a new supplier.

The contract with Gazprom was worth £128,652 between 2018 and 2021.

The Labour-led council's leader Mohammed Khan also said the borough was ready to house Ukrainian refugees.

The authority is one of several councils across England who use the firm's gas to heat buildings and now seeking to cut ties with Gazprom.

Salford Mayor Paul Dennett has warned that doing so may be difficult, as without the firm being sanctioned, its right to bid for tenders was "enshrined" in UK regulations.

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Blackburn councillor Vicky McGurk, the executive member for finance, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service Gazprom was "not one of the council's main energy providers", but the authority did manage a contract with the firm "on behalf of some local schools".

"We have given notice of our intention to end this contract and we are looking at alternative gas providers," she said.

Conservative group leader councillor John Slater said that was "absolutely the correct decision", while Darwen East Liberal Democrat councillor Paul Browne said the council "obviously... can have nothing to do with [Russian President Vladimir] Putin and his cronies".

"I am sure the residents of the borough feel the same way," he added.

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