UK Conservative MP quits over government's oil, gas license plan

By Burak Bir

LONDON (AA) - Chris Skidmore, a Conservative member of the UK parliament, announced his resignation Friday in protest of the government's energy plans.

The former energy minister said he could not continue as an MP ahead of a vote on a bill Monday to guarantee annual oil and gas licensing rounds.

Calling the bill a "tragedy," he accused Prime Minister Rishi Sunak of being committed to a course that is "wrong and will cause future harm."

"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," he wrote in a lengthy letter on X.

Skidmore was the minister when he signed into law former Prime Minister Theresa May’s net zero target by 2050.

"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," he said.

"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," he added.

Sunak announced Sept. 21 a series of changes to the country’s key net-zero carbon emission targets, including delaying a ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars, while also backing new oil and gas exploration in the North Sea.

The government has since faced a wide range of criticism from many about a "huge U-turn" and "losing climate action leadership.”