Ex-Tory energy minister Chris Skidmore resigns amid disagreement with Sunak's oil and gas stance

As MPs gear up for a vote on the contentious Offshore Petroleum Licensing Bill, Chris Skidmore, the former Conservative energy minister, resigns ahead of a looming by-election.

Skidmore, the architect of the UK's commitment to net zero emissions by 2050, is departing in objection to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's policy on expanding the UK's North Sea oil and gas extraction.

Asserting that Sunak's approach will be detrimental to the future, Skidmore is stepping down due to his inability to endorse a government he believes is on a harmful path.

His departure will prompt a by-election in the Kingswood constituency, a historically Conservative region since 2005 when Labour last claimed the seat.

Skidmore has publicly opposed Sunak's strategy, particularly the proposed annual North Sea oil and gas licensing, which Parliament will soon vote on. He believes that backing such fossil fuel development goes against the urgent need for climate action.

Once an energy minister under Theresa May, Skidmore's recent review highlighted the economic opportunities of transitioning to net zero. Despite his efforts, he consistently disagreed with Sunak's environmental policies and diluted targets for electric vehicles and home heating.

Labour's Shadow Energy Secretary Ed Miliband praised Skidmore's resignation decision. The debate on North Sea oil and gas extraction continues within the Conservative ranks, with Alok Sharma, MP and former COP26 president, criticizing the policy as inconsistent with international commitments and a distraction from renewable energy goals.

The government defends the policy as beneficial for UK energy security and the oil and gas sector, while opponents like anti-fossil fuel campaigner Robbie MacPherson dismiss it as a political ploy.