Climate defenders gather at parliament to resist Tories’ ‘deadly’ new oil and gas bill

On Monday 22 January, campaign groups Fossil Free London, Just Stop Oil, Extinction Rebellion, Scientists for Extinction Rebellion, and their supporters staged a demonstration to resist the Offshore Petroleum Licensing Bill, which is having its second reading at the House of Commons:

The Offshore Petroleum Licensing Bill: a disaster

Members of the groups came together at Parliament Square with banners and placards to voice their outrage against the Bill, moving to the gates of Parliament where MPs enter to vote.

If passed, the Offshore Petroleum Licensing Bill will allow fossil fuel corporations to bid for new North Sea licences every year. The bill comes after the government and North Sea Transition Authorities already announced their plan to give out more than 100 production licences for new oil and gas in the North Sea.

Whilst the Conservative government justifies continued extraction of new North Sea oil and gas, claiming it’s cleaner than importing gas from outside the UK and will improve the country’s energy security, experts have refuted both claims.

The government has now also publicly admitted that any gas and oil extracted from the North Sea wouldn’t actually go to UK consumers; it would be sold in the international market.

Utter madness from the government

The government’s expansion plans for North Sea oil and gas comes as 2023 was marked as the hottest year ever recorded on Earth, smashing scientists predictions. Further too, the International Energy Agency stated back in 2021 that there can be new oil, gas or coal development if the world is to reach net zero by 2050; a target the UK government is legally bound to.

Energy secretary Clare Coutinho has admitted new North Sea oil and gas won’t bring down household energy bills. In fact, analysis by Uplift has shown that the development of the Rosebank oil field alone will cost the public £3.75bn in tax relief.

Joanna Warrington, spokesperson for Fossil Free London, said:

The UK Government’s Offshore Petroleum Licencing Bill is nothing short of deadly. Pressing ahead with fossil fuel expansion plans in the midst of climate breakdown just makes us less energy secure and fuels the UK’s freak floods as more of our coastal homes drop into the sea. The government is making the interests they serve plain – it’s oily millionaires burning our house down for profit.

Exposing the government’s “true priorities”

Pete Knapp of Scientists for Extinction Rebellion said:

New oil and gas will do nothing to bring down our energy bills, or help with our energy security as most of the oil will be sold on the world market. New oil and gas is also incompatible with keeping within 1.5C. The government is either scientifically illiterate, is playing political games with our futures, or just doesn’t care, but, most likely – all three.

After everyone agreed to transition away from fossil fuels at COP28 in December, what message is this sending to the rest of the world?

Kush Naker, a Just Stop Oil supporter and NHS GP said the Offshore Petroleum Licensing Bill:

shows us what the governments true priorities are, they are happy to sacrifice the lives of the British public just to maximise the oil company profits.

This government is addicted to oil, even though it is killing us. It’s like we have got cancer, but the government is still forcing us to smoke more cigarettes.

Many Tory MPs know they’ll be kicked out at the next election, so they’ve become even more unhinged. They’re using these last few months to rush through more bills to please their oily billionaire chums in a desperate hope they’ll be offered jobs once they lose their seats. It’s pure greed.

Feature image and additional images via Zoe Broughton