Parliament’s representative for Kingswood, in Gloucestershire, plans to quit over the Government’s proposed legislation allowing new oil and gas licences.
In a lengthy statement shared on X he said: “Next week the Government will be introducing the Offshore Petroleum Licensing Bill in the House of Commons.
“This Bill would in effect allow more frequent new oil and gas licences and the increased production of new fossil fuels in the North Sea. It is a Bill that I have already stated my opposition to, by not voting in the King’s Speech debate in protest at the Bill’s inclusion in the Government’s legislative programme.
“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.”
He 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, who had an 11,000 majority, added that his decision to resign the whip meant his constituents “deserve the right to elect a new Member of Parliament.”
He said: “I therefore will be standing down from Parliament as soon as possible.”
Rishi Sunak faces another by-election challenge following the announcement of Mr Skidmore’s resignation.
This will be one of several the Prime Minister is expected to face at the start of a general election year.
One Tory source said of the resignation: “[It is] self regarding claptrap from a man more interested in burnishing his credentials as an eco-lobbyist than his constituents.”
