TORIES have hit out at a fellow MP who resigned over the Government’s fossil fuels policy, triggering a by-election.
One accused the former net zero tsar of “buttering up” the Labour Party in order to ingratiate himself with potential “green industry paymasters”.
The Government formally triggered the contests to replace him and Peter Bone yesterday, meaning Rishi Sunak faces a double by-election challenge in mid-February.
Chris Skidmore, the former MP for Kingswood, formally quit Parliament this week after announcing he was resigning the Tory whip over the Government’s plans to mandate the issuing of new oil and gas licences.
A Tory MP told the Sun: “I think what he is doing is entirely venal and inappropriate for an MP, buttering up the Labour Party in order to ingratiate himself with existing or potential green industry paymasters and not declaring his interests in the green gravy train.”
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At the time of announcing his resignation, Mr Skidmore said in a statement: “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.”
Mr Skidmore holds an 11,000 majority, which Labour will be hoping to overturn in a by-election.
Mr Skidmore said he has left party politics behind and that he plans to continue campaigning on a cross-party basis to promote net zero.