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 he could no longer continue as a Tory MP because of new legislation that he argues “clearly promotes the production of new oil and gas”.
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.”
The MP for Kingswood, in Gloucestershire, said that his decision to resign 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.”
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