This week, Parliament is voting on the Conservative Government’s new push to expand oil and gas extraction from the North Sea.

This is a retrograde step, which has been attacked by experts, but also by several of the more sensible Tory MPs. We have already seen former COP26 President Alok Sharma come out against the move, and environmental heavyweight Chris Skidmore has triggered a by-election in protest at the plans.

It is incompatible to talk about tackling climate change, while also moving to issue new oil and gas licences every year. It would do nothing at all to reduce energy prices here in the UK, because 80 per cent of the oil and gas extracted would be sold overseas.

It would do nothing at all to increase the UK’s energy security, because we would not import any less oil and gas from overseas. All it would mean is that super-rich oil and gas giants get to drill for more polluting fossil fuels and sell them around the world. For example, Russian energy giant Gazprom made £39m from extracting gas in the North Sea last year – including in UK waters – and returned some of the profits to fund Russia’s barbaric war in Ukraine.

This is the exact opposite of what we need to be doing. Climate change presents a threat, but also an opportunity - an opportunity to pioneer the economy of the future. Investing in renewables not only produces more homegrown, cleaner, cheaper energy. It also creates a new wave of well-paid jobs that will last for decades and will support British innovation. You need look no further than renewable energy research at the University of Exeter to see that great British ideas exist – if only the Government would get behind them.

Back in 1911, the young Winston Churchill became First Lord of the Admiralty in a Liberal Government. Churchill took the fateful decision to shift the Royal Navy away from coal-powered ships. He embraced new oil-powered vessels, despite coal being plentiful here at home, whilst oil had to be imported. But Churchill didn’t see this as negative; he embraced innovation and new technology, rather than clinging on to the old. The equivalent today is seeking to lead the race to renewables, rather than clinging on in fear to the fuel of the last century.

I will be voting against this reckless Bill. Conservative Party managers need to stop seeking to appeal to the climate change sceptics on their benches and take the serious, long-term decisions that will prepare the UK to embrace the future – just as this great country has done in the past. I hope MPs from all parties will do the right thing for our planet, our children and our grandchildren.