Sharma vows to rebel over Sunak’s North Sea oil and gas legislation
The TelegraphSir Alok Sharma has vowed to rebel against the Government in a vote on plans to boost oil and gas fields in the North Sea. The former Cop26 president hit out at the “smoke and mirrors” legislation to promote new drilling licences, arguing it would reinforce the “unfortunate perception” that the UK is “rowing back from climate action”. “No-one has ever denied that we will not need the oil and gas we are using today, but to seek to open up future new sources of fossil fuels, that will be sold on international markets and owned by foreign companies, will do nothing for our energy security.” Sir Alok, who headed the Cop26 climate summit in Glasgow in 2021, said the legislation “frankly changes nothing” because the North Sea Transition Authority “can already grant licences when they think it is necessary”. But he said it was still damaging because it reinforced the “unfortunate perception about the UK rowing back from climate action”, and as such he will not vote for it.
History of this topic
By-election triggered by Chris Skidmore as Tory climate rebel quits parliament
The Independent
Oil and gas licences to be sold every year under Rishi Sunak’s new law
The Telegraph
PM accused of ‘pandering’ to corporate interests over new oil and gas licences
The Independent
The UK once vowed to be a global climate leader. Now Rishi Sunak is stoking a culture war on green policies
CNN
The UK government cannot invest into North Sea oil while claiming global climate leadership
The Independent
‘That’s not my decision’: Alok Sharma swerves questions on Cambo oilfield as climate summit kicks off
The Independent
Government urged to stop new oil drilling in Surrey ahead of Cop26
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