The Conservative Party has voiced its dissatisfaction with a fellow MP who stepped down over the government’s fossil fuels policy, resulting in a by-election. The former net zero tsar has been accused of trying to curry favor with the Labour Party to gain support from potential “green industry paymasters.”
The government has officially initiated the process to find replacements for both the departing MP and Peter Bone. As a result, Rishi Sunak is now facing the challenge of a double by-election in mid-February.
Chris Skidmore, the former MP for Kingswood, recently resigned from Parliament after announcing his decision to relinquish the Tory whip due to the government’s plans to require the issuance of new oil and gas licenses. Displeased with his actions, a Tory MP told The Sun, “I think what he is doing is entirely venal and inappropriate for an MP, buttering up the Labour Party in order to ingratiate himself with existing or potential green industry paymasters and not declaring his interests in the green gravy train.”
Upon announcing his resignation, Skidmore stated, “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.”
Skidmore, who holds an 11,000 majority, will face a challenge from Labour in the upcoming by-election. Despite leaving party politics behind, he has expressed his intention to continue advocating for net zero on a cross-party basis.
For more information on Chris Skidmore, click here.
Credit: AFP
Credit: PA
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