Former Conservative minister Chris Skidmore has declared his resignation as a Member of Parliament, expressing strong opposition to the government’s proposal for increased North Sea oil and gas licencing.
The move comes ahead of a crucial parliamentary vote and is poised to trigger the eighth byelection in a year.
Skidmore, a prominent voice within the Conservative party on environmental issues, specifically criticised Prime Minister Rishi Sunak‘s bill, labelling it a “tragedy.”
In his resignation letter, Mr Skidmore said: “This bill would in effect allow more frequent new oil and gas licences and the increased production of new fossil fuels in the North Sea.”
Chris Skidmore added: “I can also no longer condone nor continue to support a government that is committed to a course of action that I know is wrong and will cause future harm.
“To fail to act, rather than merely speak out, is to tolerate a status quo that cannot be sustained. I am therefore resigning my party whip and instead intend to be free from any party-political allegiance.”
Mr Skidmore was the Energy Minister who signed into law the former prime minister Theresa May’s net zero by 2050 pledge.
More recently Chris Skidmore led the government’s Net Zero Review.
In his letter, Mr Skidmore said: “The bill that will be debated next week achieves nothing apart from to send a global signal that the UK is rowing ever further back from its climate commitments.
“We cannot expect other countries to phase out their fossil fuels when at the same time we continue to issue new licences or to open new oil fields.”
Energy Live News has contacted the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero for comment.
