Conservative Party members are criticizing a fellow MP who resigned from Parliament over the government's fossil fuels policy, which has led to a by-election. The MP, who was previously responsible for overseeing the country's transition to net zero emissions, has been accused of trying to gain favor with the Labour Party and potential green industry supporters. His resignation has triggered a by-election in the Kingswood constituency, where he held a majority of 11,000 votes.

Government's Fossil Fuels Policy Sparks Resignation

Chris Skidmore, the former MP for Kingswood, formally quit Parliament this week after expressing his opposition to the government's plans to issue new oil and gas licenses. As the former energy minister who helped pass the UK's net zero commitment into law, Skidmore felt that supporting a bill promoting new oil and gas production would contradict his previous work on climate change.

Accusations of Buttering Up the Labour Party

One Tory MP accused Skidmore of trying to gain favor with the Labour Party and potential green industry paymasters by resigning and not declaring his interests. They claimed that Skidmore was pursuing personal interests and benefiting from the "green gravy train."

By-Election Challenges for Rishi Sunak

The resignations of Chris Skidmore and Peter Bone have triggered double by-election challenges, including one in Rishi Sunak's constituency. The by-elections will take place in mid-February, and Labour will be hoping to overturn Skidmore's 11,000-vote majority.

Skidmore's Future Plans

Despite leaving party politics behind, Skidmore has stated that he will continue to campaign on a cross-party basis to promote the goal of achieving net zero emissions by 2050.