UK
Fresh by-election nightmare for Rishi Sunak as Tory MP vows to quit over oil drilling lawJacob Phillips
Fri, 5 January 2024
Former energy minister Chris Skidmore (PA Archive)
Rishi Sunak’s Government was plunged into fresh crisis on Friday as a Tory MP vowed to stand down "as soon as possible" over new legislation he argues “clearly promotes the production of new oil and gas”.
As the Prime Minister tried to kick start a Tory New Year recovery, he was hit by a bombshell announcement from former energy minister Chris Skidmore.
It means the Tories will have to defend two seats which could easily swing to Labour in upcoming by-elections.
Mr Skidmore, who said he will resign the Conservative whip, launched a scathing attack on Mr Sunak’s green credentials which have already been heavily criticised by former environment minister Lord Goldsmith.
A by-election will be held in his Kingswood constituency in Gloucestershire, providing another headache for Rishi Sunak.
The Tories are already gearing up for a by-election in Wellingborough after disgraced MP Peter Bone was unseated by voters in a recall petition.
Mr Skidmore, who led a Government review of net zero, said the "future will judge harshly" anyone who backs the Offshore Petroleum Licensing Bill due before the Commons on Monday.
In a lengthy statement posted on X, formerly Twitter, he said the bill "would in effect allow more frequent new oil and gas licences and the increased production of new fossil fuels in the North Sea".
The politician has previously opposed the bill and said he did not vote in the King's Speech debate to protest it being in the Government's legislative programme.
The former minister said: "As the former energy minister who signed the UK's net zero commitment by 2050 into law, I cannot vote for a Bill that clearly promotes the production of new oil and gas."
He went on: "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 added that his decision to resign the whip meant his constituents "deserve the right to elect a new Member of Parliament".
He said: "I therefore will be standing down from Parliament as soon as possible."
He confirmed to the PA news agency that he would quit "next week when Parliament is back", with the Commons still on its Christmas recess until Monday.
Responding to Mr Skidmore's post Lord Goldsmith wrote on X: "Well said Chris Skidmore the party will need to regroup after Sunak has crashed it against the rocks.
"Those who see themselves as part of that future should think very carefully about backing this nonsense policy."
Reacting to the news about Mr Skidmore's resignation Green Party co-leader Carla Denyer said: "As the world burns, the Tories turn in on themselves.
"The Government's green credentials are truly in tatters. The climate crisis is here and now and being experienced by people across the country, but the Prime Minister can't hold on to anyone who has any good intentions toward the environment."
Tory MP Chris Skidmore to quit over bill 'that promotes production of new oil and gas'
Sky News
Updated Fri, 5 January 2024
A former energy minister has said he will quit as a Conservative MP over new legislation "that promotes the production of new oil and gas".
Chris Skidmore has said he will resign when parliament returns next week over the Offshore Petroleum Licensing Bill.
The senior Tory had already announced his intention to stand down at the next general election, but bringing this forward will trigger a by-election in his Kingswood constituency in Gloucestershire.
That seat is being abolished at the election in constituency boundary changes, meaning whoever takes his place could be an MP only for a matter of months, with Rishi Sunak expected to go to the polls in the second half of this year.
Announcing his decision on social media, Mr Skidmore said: "The bill would in effect allow more frequent new oil and gas licences and the increased production of new fossil fuels in the North Sea.
"I can no longer stand by. The climate crisis that we face is too important to politicise or to ignore."
The Offshore Petroleum Licensing Bill will allow oil and gas companies to bid for new licences to drill for fossil fuels every year.
The government argues it is important for domestic energy production but it has been widely criticised by climate groups.
Mr Skidmore, who has been critical of his party's green record before, warned MPs who vote for the legislation that the future will judge them "harshly".
He said: "It is a tragedy that the UK has been allowed to lose its climate leadership, at a time when our businesses, industries, universities and civil society organisations are providing first-class leadership and expertise to so many across the world, inspiring change for the better.
"I cannot vote for the bill next week. The future will judge harshly those that do.
Read More:
When could the next general election be - and what factors will influence Rishi Sunak's decision?
"At a time when we should be committing to more climate action, we simply do not have any more time to waste promoting the future production of fossil fuels that is the ultimate cause of the environmental crisis that we are facing."
Mr Skidmore said he would resign the Conservative whip to make him an independent and quit as an MP "as soon as possible".
He confirmed to the PA news agency that he would quit "next week when Parliament is back", with the Commons still on its Christmas recess until Monday.
By-election headache
Mr Skidmore has been an MP since the Conservatives came to power in 2010. He has been a leading voice in the Tory party on climate issues and as energy minister under Boris Johnson, led the government's review into Net Zero.
He has held Kingswood since 2010, beating second-placed Labour by 11,220 votes at the last general election.
That margin is far smaller than in the last two by-election upsets Labour handed to the Tories, when a 24,664-vote majority was overturned in Mid Bedfordshire and 19,634 in Tamworth.
Sunak faces new by-election nightmare as senior Tory MP Chris Skidmore quits in net zero row
Adam Forrest
Fri, 5 January 2024
Rishi Sunak has been hit with another by-election as a senior Tory MP quits the party and his seat in protest over the PM’s climate failures.
Chris Skidmore – the former net zero tsar and former energy minister – has said he will resign the Conservative whip and stand down as an MP next week.
In a scathing exit statement he said he could no longer continue as a Tory or “condone” the government because the PM’s environmental stance is “wrong and will cause future harm”.
The MP for Kingswood, in Gloucestershire, said resigning the whip meant his constituents “deserve the right” to elect a new MP in a by-election. “I therefore will be standing down from parliament as soon as possible.”
Despite a Tory majority of 11,000, the struggle to hold off Labour will be a potentially demoralising struggle for Mr Sunak, as he seeks to build some momentum ahead of the 2024 general election.
Mr Skidmore later said that he would quit when the Commons returns from Christmas recess on Monday – setting up a contest in the blue wall seat in February or March.
While the area has been fertile ground for the Lib Dems, Labour came second in the seat in 2019 – so it would seem to provide Sir Keir Starmer’s party with an ideal opportunity to deliver a fresh blow to Mr Sunak.
The Conservatives lost a string of by-elections in 2023, with Labour overturning big majorities in Mid-Bedfordshire, Tamworth and Selby and Ainsty.
And the battle for Mr Skidmore’s seat is one of three by-elections the Tory party could lose in the early months of 2024.
Peter Bone’s Wellingborough seat will soon see a contest after the Tory MP was removed in a recall petition following his suspension for upheld sexual misconduct claims.
And Scott Benton’s Blackpool South seat could also be up for grabs after his 35-day suspension over a sting which exposed him offering to lobby for gambling investors.
Mr Sunak’s proposed energy bill – to be introduced in the Commons next week – will allow new fossil fuel extraction licences in the North Sea.
The bill would mandate that licences for oil and gas projects in the North Sea are awarded annually, and was seen as a challenge to Labour, which said it would ban new exploration licences to focus on renewables.
In a statement posted on X Mr Skidmore said: “As the former energy minister who signed the UK’s net zero commitment by 2050 into law, I cannot vote for a bill that clearly promotes the production of new oil and gas.
“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.”
Labour’s campaign leader Pat McFadden said Mr Skidmore’s exit showed that Mr Sunak was “too weak” to lead his party or the country for much longer. The Lib Dems called his exit an “embarrassing mess” which showed a government in chaos.
Rishi Sunak with King Charles at the Cop28 summit in Dubai (PA)
The PM was heavily criticised by campaigners, opponents and green Tories over his July announcement of around 100 new oil and gas licences. Mr Skidmore said the move was the “wrong decision at precisely the wrong time”.
Mr Sunak also faced a backlash from Tory environmentalists after backtracking on more key government climate pledges to reach net zero in September.
In the wake of a surprise by-election victory in Uxbridge over the London mayor’s Ulez charging scheme, the Tory leader also attacked climate “zealots” and said he was on the side of motorists.
The PM then announced that the 2030 ban on the sale of petrol and diesel cars – and gas boilers – would be pushed back to 2035.
Former minister Zac Goldsmith – who quit in June with a swipe at Mr Sunak’s “apathy” toward climate change – said the moves were reprehensible and had “destroyed UK credibility on climate change”.
Boris Johnson also condemned his successor – warning that Mr Sunak was in danger of losing “ambition for this country”, and arguing that businesses were desperate for clear net zero commitments.
Mr Sunak was also accused of “shrinking and retreating” on the climate crisis at the Cop28 summit, as he was condemned for spending more time flying to Dubai than at the conference itself.
The PM insisted that the UK government can still “stand tall” and remain a leader on climate change – despite his own rollback of net zero ambitions at home.
Sky News
Updated Fri, 5 January 2024
A former energy minister has said he will quit as a Conservative MP over new legislation "that promotes the production of new oil and gas".
Chris Skidmore has said he will resign when parliament returns next week over the Offshore Petroleum Licensing Bill.
The senior Tory had already announced his intention to stand down at the next general election, but bringing this forward will trigger a by-election in his Kingswood constituency in Gloucestershire.
That seat is being abolished at the election in constituency boundary changes, meaning whoever takes his place could be an MP only for a matter of months, with Rishi Sunak expected to go to the polls in the second half of this year.
Announcing his decision on social media, Mr Skidmore said: "The bill would in effect allow more frequent new oil and gas licences and the increased production of new fossil fuels in the North Sea.
"I can no longer stand by. The climate crisis that we face is too important to politicise or to ignore."
The Offshore Petroleum Licensing Bill will allow oil and gas companies to bid for new licences to drill for fossil fuels every year.
The government argues it is important for domestic energy production but it has been widely criticised by climate groups.
Mr Skidmore, who has been critical of his party's green record before, warned MPs who vote for the legislation that the future will judge them "harshly".
He said: "It is a tragedy that the UK has been allowed to lose its climate leadership, at a time when our businesses, industries, universities and civil society organisations are providing first-class leadership and expertise to so many across the world, inspiring change for the better.
"I cannot vote for the bill next week. The future will judge harshly those that do.
Read More:
When could the next general election be - and what factors will influence Rishi Sunak's decision?
"At a time when we should be committing to more climate action, we simply do not have any more time to waste promoting the future production of fossil fuels that is the ultimate cause of the environmental crisis that we are facing."
Mr Skidmore said he would resign the Conservative whip to make him an independent and quit as an MP "as soon as possible".
He confirmed to the PA news agency that he would quit "next week when Parliament is back", with the Commons still on its Christmas recess until Monday.
By-election headache
Mr Skidmore has been an MP since the Conservatives came to power in 2010. He has been a leading voice in the Tory party on climate issues and as energy minister under Boris Johnson, led the government's review into Net Zero.
He has held Kingswood since 2010, beating second-placed Labour by 11,220 votes at the last general election.
That margin is far smaller than in the last two by-election upsets Labour handed to the Tories, when a 24,664-vote majority was overturned in Mid Bedfordshire and 19,634 in Tamworth.
Sunak faces new by-election nightmare as senior Tory MP Chris Skidmore quits in net zero row
Adam Forrest
Fri, 5 January 2024
Rishi Sunak has been hit with another by-election as a senior Tory MP quits the party and his seat in protest over the PM’s climate failures.
Chris Skidmore – the former net zero tsar and former energy minister – has said he will resign the Conservative whip and stand down as an MP next week.
In a scathing exit statement he said he could no longer continue as a Tory or “condone” the government because the PM’s environmental stance is “wrong and will cause future harm”.
The MP for Kingswood, in Gloucestershire, said resigning the whip meant his constituents “deserve the right” to elect a new MP in a by-election. “I therefore will be standing down from parliament as soon as possible.”
Despite a Tory majority of 11,000, the struggle to hold off Labour will be a potentially demoralising struggle for Mr Sunak, as he seeks to build some momentum ahead of the 2024 general election.
Mr Skidmore later said that he would quit when the Commons returns from Christmas recess on Monday – setting up a contest in the blue wall seat in February or March.
While the area has been fertile ground for the Lib Dems, Labour came second in the seat in 2019 – so it would seem to provide Sir Keir Starmer’s party with an ideal opportunity to deliver a fresh blow to Mr Sunak.
The Conservatives lost a string of by-elections in 2023, with Labour overturning big majorities in Mid-Bedfordshire, Tamworth and Selby and Ainsty.
And the battle for Mr Skidmore’s seat is one of three by-elections the Tory party could lose in the early months of 2024.
Peter Bone’s Wellingborough seat will soon see a contest after the Tory MP was removed in a recall petition following his suspension for upheld sexual misconduct claims.
And Scott Benton’s Blackpool South seat could also be up for grabs after his 35-day suspension over a sting which exposed him offering to lobby for gambling investors.
Mr Sunak’s proposed energy bill – to be introduced in the Commons next week – will allow new fossil fuel extraction licences in the North Sea.
The bill would mandate that licences for oil and gas projects in the North Sea are awarded annually, and was seen as a challenge to Labour, which said it would ban new exploration licences to focus on renewables.
In a statement posted on X Mr Skidmore said: “As the former energy minister who signed the UK’s net zero commitment by 2050 into law, I cannot vote for a bill that clearly promotes the production of new oil and gas.
“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.”
Labour’s campaign leader Pat McFadden said Mr Skidmore’s exit showed that Mr Sunak was “too weak” to lead his party or the country for much longer. The Lib Dems called his exit an “embarrassing mess” which showed a government in chaos.
Rishi Sunak with King Charles at the Cop28 summit in Dubai (PA)
The PM was heavily criticised by campaigners, opponents and green Tories over his July announcement of around 100 new oil and gas licences. Mr Skidmore said the move was the “wrong decision at precisely the wrong time”.
Mr Sunak also faced a backlash from Tory environmentalists after backtracking on more key government climate pledges to reach net zero in September.
In the wake of a surprise by-election victory in Uxbridge over the London mayor’s Ulez charging scheme, the Tory leader also attacked climate “zealots” and said he was on the side of motorists.
The PM then announced that the 2030 ban on the sale of petrol and diesel cars – and gas boilers – would be pushed back to 2035.
Former minister Zac Goldsmith – who quit in June with a swipe at Mr Sunak’s “apathy” toward climate change – said the moves were reprehensible and had “destroyed UK credibility on climate change”.
Boris Johnson also condemned his successor – warning that Mr Sunak was in danger of losing “ambition for this country”, and arguing that businesses were desperate for clear net zero commitments.
Mr Sunak was also accused of “shrinking and retreating” on the climate crisis at the Cop28 summit, as he was condemned for spending more time flying to Dubai than at the conference itself.
The PM insisted that the UK government can still “stand tall” and remain a leader on climate change – despite his own rollback of net zero ambitions at home.
No comments:
Post a Comment