1. It’s dangerous
More fossil fuel licences take the UK further down a dark and dangerous path when it comes to the climate. Scientists, official bodies, and crossbench MPs from a parliamentary climate group are all warning against this bill. The government is facing political backlash from all sides.
Conservative MP Chris Skidmore has already resigned in protest at the oil and gas bill, saying: “I cannot vote for the bill. The future will judge harshly those that do”. Conservative COP26 president Alok Sharma has also publicly spoken out against it, and confirmed he will not vote for it in parliament.
2. It won’t help people who are struggling
The government has already admitted, on national television no less, that this bill won’t directly contribute to energy security. Renewable energy is a much more reliable way of ensuring good prices for consumers; the UK has the resources to produce an abundance of clean energy for domestic supply, while oil and gas is sold according to the rules of a volatile global market.
Further reliance on fossil fuels leaves us all exposed to global price shocks in an increasingly turbulent world. The government has also claimed domestically produced fossil fuels are less polluting. On closer examination, these claims are highly misleading. They can only be corroborated by the type of sleight of hand we know this government has truly mastered.
3. It’s all for show
Even if all the above weren’t true, the regulator has said they don’t need this bill as they issue licenses when they want to anyway. Just take that in for a second. We're living through both a climate and a cost-of-living crisis. And this government is spending time and resources on bolstering a polluting industry, which is making billions from both of these crises, and is so powerful that its regulator basically says it doesn’t need the government’s help.
In the David and Goliath-style battle to take on the fossil fuel industry and save the planet, this government seems to only be interested in standing on the giant’s back and pelting grenades at the good guys.
This is why we need grassroots demand and pressure for a plan to tackle the powerful fossil fuel industry head on. And in the meantime, we must fight this irresponsible oil and gas bill at every stage.
4. It’s cynical
So, if this bill is dangerous and probably unnecessary, why is the government bothering with it? Arguably, it’s so Rishi Sunak can use all our lives and futures as a political football ahead of the general election. Chris Skidmore himself even accused this government of playing politics with fossil fuel licensing.
Rishi Sunak would rather try to set up a false opposition between climate action and the cost of living ahead of the election than make sensible energy choices that will actually lower bills, as well as protect us and the billions in the global south highly at risk from the climate crisis worldwide.
Polling has shown that the public prefers renewable energy as a route to energy security, and that the climate crisis is high on the list of voters’ concerns. We need to make sure this political gamble fails by reminding MPs of this, and mobilising in the week and months to come. So if you can, please write to your MP now and tell them to vote down Rishi Sunak’s oil and gas bill on Monday.
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