UK Vote Means Sunak’s Offshore Oil and Gas Bill to Be Dropped
(Bloomberg) -- The calling of a snap national election means that UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s signature energy legislation that mandates annual North Sea oil-and-gas licensing rounds may never be adopted.
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The Offshore Petroleum Licensing Bill is currently waiting its final reading in the House of Lords, before any amendments are considered and the bill becomes law. However, Sunak’s call for a general election on July 4 will mean the dissolution of parliament later this month, sealing the fate of the oil-and-gas licensing bill.
One of the arguments put forward by the Conservative Party for the bill was that it would increase oil and gas supply, bolstering energy security and potentially lowering fossil fuel prices. However, North Sea resources are in decline and any new fields would take years to bring online.
Sunak faced criticism from climate activists over his decision to bring the bill to Parliament. The move was made despite the opposition of the government’s own adviser Climate Change Committee and some members of the his own Conservative party. Chris Skidmore, a former energy minister, resigned from parliament over Sunak’s decision.
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The snap election means Sunak will also have to drop other signature policies, including the anti-smoking plan and scrapping no-fault evictions. The government declined to comment, but the parliamentary order paper detailing Friday’s business did not mention the oil-and-gas licensing bill, indicating that it will not be dealt with before parliament finishes ahead of the election campaign.
--With assistance from Will Mathis.
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