How Bad Is Sunak's Stance On Oil & Gas? One Of His Former Ministers Just Resigned As Tory MP

A former Conservative minister has announced he is resigning as an MP in protest at the party’s dash for oil and gas, setting up an awkward vote for the prime minister on the issue on Monday and an even more difficult byelection within weeks. Chris Skidmore, a leading voice within the Tory party on green issues, said on Friday he would resign from parliament as soon as it returns next week over Rishi Sunak’s bill to allow new oil and gas licences to be issued.

Skidmore called the bill a “tragedy”, accusing the prime minister of being committed to a course of action that is “wrong and will cause future harm”. His resignation in Kingswood will trigger at least the eighth byelection in a year, with Labour looking to chalk up another victory in a seat with an 11,000 majority.

Skidmore said in his resignation statement: “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.” He 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.”

Skidmore was the energy minister who signed into law the former prime minister Theresa May’s net zero by 2050 pledge. More recently he led the government’s net zero review, which was published in September 2022. He has been critical of this government before, and previously told the Guardian the Conservative party was heading in a “very dark direction” around misinformation and climate change.

EDIT

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2024/jan/05/chris-skidmore-resigns-conservative-whip-over-sunaks-oil-and-gas-licence-plan