Alok Sharma condemns government’s oil and gas bill as vote passes first hurdle

Former Cop26 president abstains from vote saying bill breaks UK's promise to phase out fossil fuels

Alok Sharma has said the government's oil and gas bill going through the Commons will not cut household energy costs or create jobs and instead will break the UK's promise to phase out fossil fuels.

The government's offshore petroleum licensing bill passed its second reading on Monday night with 293 votes to 211 against. No Conservative MPs voted against it, and Sharma - the former business secretary who served as president of the Cop26 climate talks - abstained. The legislation would place the North Sea Transition Authority under a duty to run annual applications for new offshore oil and gas licences.