Sharma: I will rebel in vote on oil and gas

SIR 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 vote was set to be held yesterday evening, but was postponed after other business – including a statement about the Horizon Post Office scandal – overran. It will be heard within the next two weeks, MPS were told.

The Tory MP for Reading West 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”. Tory disquiet over the plans is growing after Chris Skidmore, former energy minister, said he was resigning the whip and stepping down as an MP in protest.

Mr Skidmore said “the future will judge harshly” anyone who backs the Offshore Petroleum Licensing Bill, which was due before the Commons yesterday. MPS voted for the first time on the Bill, which would mandate annual licensing rounds for new oil and gas drilling in the North Sea if passed.

Sir Alok, who headed the 2021 Cop26 climate summit, said the legislation “frankly changes nothing”, but warned it was still damaging because it reinforced the “unfortunate perception about the UK rowing back from climate action”.

He did not specify whether he would abstain or vote against.

Sir Alok told the BBC: “It is actually a smoke and mirrors Bill, which frankly changes nothing. The North Sea Transition Authority, which is the body that actually grants oil and gas licences, can already grant licences when they think it is necessary.”

Asked whether Rishi Sunak agreed with Sir Alok, the Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “No, we need oil and gas for decades to come, even when we reach net zero in 2050, there is data from the independent Climate Change Committee which shows that.”