by our parliamentary reporter @TrinderMatt

UNIONS warned that there must be “no get out of jail free card” for Britain’s energy bosses today as surging wholesale gas prices stoke a crisis in the sector.

Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng held fresh crisis talks with suppliers as a 250 per cent increase in wholesale gas prices during the Covid-19 pandemic has left firms battling to stay afloat and households facing spiralling bills.

Following the discussions, Mr Kwarteng said ministers were “looking at options to protect consumers” as some analysts predicted that most energy companies in Britain would not survive the crisis.