Just Stop Oil demand Sheffield MPs 'promise to resign' if Labour does not cancel oil licences on gaining power

Just Stop Oil have demanded Sheffield Labour MPs and politicians promise to resign from the party if any potential Labour government fails to cancel oil licences granted by the Conservatives since 2021.

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Supporters of the protest group visited the offices of Olivia Blake MP, Louise Haigh MP and Labour Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Sheffield Central Abtisam Mohamed with a letter demanding they promise to resign from the Labour party within six months if, on gaining power, a potential Keir Starmer-led government fails to cancel the licences.

21-year-old Michael Landy, a local physics student, was among those delivering the letters. He said: "I refuse to stand by while the Labour Party joins the Tories in allowing a group of disgustingly rich people to profit from an industry that’s directly responsible for the climate crisis which will cause the collapse of ordered society, will destroy our ability to grow enough food and will cause the deaths of millions."

The letter reminded the politicians that in 1939 the entire UK economy, from agriculture to heavy industry, was transformed to support the war effort. 

The letter states: "Government didn’t sit on its hands, because action could have upset capital investments. It did what was needed in response to a threat to the nation state. They didn’t know if it would work, they didn’t know if it could be afforded, they just knew it needed to be done."

Just Stop Oil have argued this approach is now needed to tackle the climate crisis and demanded the cancellation of all oil and gas licenses as a "necessary first step". The group have agreed to end their "campaign of non-violent civil resistance when all Tory oil licences approved after 2021 are cancelled".

A spokesperson for the group said: "More oil and gas means instability, a never ending cost of living crisis and an end to the rule of law. Labour politicians must promise to resign from the party within six months if, on gaining power, they do not stop all Tory oil licences. Failure to do their duty to protect us would bring about the collapse of British society and kill millions.

"We will no longer tolerate a system that only benefits the super-rich. People all over the UK are coming together to protect our communities and take back power from a selfish...minority who only care about the profits of billionaires, whilst ordinary people are struggling to afford food for their children."