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Rishi Sunak has been hit with another nightmare by-election, as a senior Tory MP announce he was quitting the party and his seat in protest over the PM’s climate failures.
Chris Skidmore – the former net zero tsar and ex-energy minister – has said he will resign the Conservative whip and stand down as an MP “as soon as possible”.
He said his beliefs meant could no longer continue as a Tory MP, because Mr Sunak’s new legislation “clearly promotes the production of new oil and gas”.
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. Mr Skidmore added: “I therefore will be standing down from parliament as soon as possible.”
Mr Sunak’s proposed bill – to be introduced in the Commons next week – will allow new fossil fuel extraction licences in the North Sea.
In a lengthy statement posted on X, formerly Twitter, 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.”
The Tory environmentalist 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.”
More follows on this breaking story…
