Rishi Sunak was attacked by another by-election This comes after a senior Conservative Party member resigned from his party and his seat in protest at the Prime Minister’s failures on climate change.
Chris Skidmore – former net zero The tsar and former energy minister said he would resign as a member of the Conservative party next week and resign as an MP.
In a scathing resignation statement, he said: he could no longer continue as a Conservative Or they „tolerate“ the government because the prime minister’s stance on the environment is „wrong and will cause future harm.“
The councilor for Kingswood, Gloucestershire, said resigning as an MP would mean voters „have the right“ to elect a new member in a by-election. “Therefore, I intend to resign from Congress as soon as possible.”
Hard to stop despite Conservative majority of 11,000 labor The fight could be demoralizing for Mr Sunak as he looks to build momentum heading into 2024. election.
Mr. Skidmore later said on Monday that he intended to resign once the House returned from its Christmas recess and hold a contest in the blue wall seats in February or March.
The region has been fertile ground for the Lib Dems, but with Labor coming second in seats in 2019, it appears to be the perfect opportunity for Sir Keir Starmer’s party to deal another blow to Mr Sunak. is.
Chris Skidmore led the government’s net zero review in 2022
(PA archive)
of conservatives Labor lost large majorities in Mid-Bedfordshire, Tamworth, Selby and Ainsty in a series of by-elections in 2023.
And the fight for Mr Skidmore’s seat is one of three by-elections that the Conservatives could lose in the early months of 2024.
Peter Bourne’s Wellingborough seat will soon be contested after the Tory councilor was removed from office on a recall petition after being suspended for upholding allegations of sexual misconduct. Become.
And the Blackpool South seat of Scott Benton, who was suspended for 35 days in a sting that revealed he had offered to lobby gambling investors, could also be up for grabs.
Mr Sunak’s proposed energy bill, due to be introduced in the Commons next week, would allow new fossil fuel drilling permits in the North Sea.
The bill would require licenses to be awarded annually for oil and gas projects in the North Sea and was seen as a challenge to Labor, which had said it would ban new exploration licenses to focus on renewable energy.
In a statement published in X, Skidmore said: “As a former energy secretary who signed into law the UK’s net zero by 2050 commitment, I cannot vote in favor of legislation that explicitly promotes new oil and gas production.
“Failure to act, not just speak out, would be to accept an unsustainable status quo. I therefore resign as party whip and, in return, stand free from any party political allegiance.” I intend to become one.”
Labour’s campaign leader Pat McFadden said Mr Skidmore’s resignation showed Mr Sunak was „too weak“ to lead the party or the country for much longer. The Liberal Democratic Party called his departure an „embarrassing mess“ that showed the government was in disarray.
Rishi Sunak and King Charles at the Cop28 Summit in Dubai
(Pennsylvania)
The Prime Minister was heavily criticized by campaigners, opposition parties and the Green Conservatives for announcing around 100 new oil and gas licenses in July. Skidmore said the move was „just the wrong decision at the wrong time.“
Mr Sunak also faced a backlash from Tory environmentalists. Roll back on more important government climate commitments It is expected to reach net zero in September.
The Tory leader also attacked climate change „fanatics“ and said he was on the side of motorists, following a surprise victory in the Uxbridge by-election against the Mayor of London’s Ures charging scheme. Ta.
The Prime Minister then announced that the 2030 ban on the sale of gasoline and diesel cars and gas boilers would be postponed to 2035.
Former minister Zac Goldsmith – resigned in June after criticizing Mr Sunak’s „indifference“. climate change – said these moves were condemnable and had “destroyed the UK’s credibility on climate change”.
boris johnson He also slammed his successor, warning that Mr Sunak was at risk of losing his „ambition for this country“ and claiming businesses were desperate for clear net-zero commitments.
Mr Sunak was also accused of „withering away and backing down“ on the climate crisis at the Cop28 summit, and was accused of spending more time flying to Dubai than the meeting itself.
The Prime Minister insisted the UK government could still „stand firm“ and remain a leader on climate change, despite its own rollback on net zero ambitions at home.