It has come to light that one of the country’s leading gasoline distributors as well as an aviation consultant and recruiter donated to the campaign of the UK environment minister, who recently claimed that not all fossil fuels were the “spawn of the devil.”
In September, Rishi Sunak named Graham Stuart, the Beverley and Holderness-based Conservative MP, to the position of climate minister. He is the Commons lead for clean heat and is responsible for net zero strategy and low carbon generation.
With comments that a new wave of oil and gas licences are “helpful for the environment” and more recent statements that not all fossil fuels should be “viewed as the spawn of the devil,” Stuart has confused some during his brief term as climate minister.
Now it has come to light that JR Rix & Sons, a Hull-based company principally engaged in the distribution and sale of fuel, including heating oil, diesel, and gasoline, donated £10,000 to Stuart’s reelection campaign in 2019.
Rix Petroleum Rix Heating, which specialises in the delivery and upkeep of oil tanks and boilers, Rix Shipping, which runs a fleet of oil tankers, and Maritime Bunkering, one of the leading suppliers of marine fuels on the Humber estuary, are all part of the JR Rix & Sons group of businesses.
Rix said that in addition to the companies that concentrate on fossil fuels, it is also engaged in carbon measurement, the upkeep of offshore wind farms, and the development of low-energy lighting, solar power, and electric vehicle charging capabilities.
In addition, Bostonair, an aviation consultant located in Hull, gave Stuart a £2,000 contribution. Bostonair claimed that as 95% of its sales are from abroad markets, UK climate policy is unlikely to have an impact on its operations.
According to the government, Stuart officially disclosed the contributions for election costs in accordance with customary procedures.
The information, which is public record, was revealed not long after Stuart informed the all-party parliamentary group for the environment that he wholeheartedly supported the most recent round of oil and gas licencing as well as a new coalmine in Cumbria.
In support of the latter, Stuart stated that “rather than considering all fossil fuels as the spawn of the devil,” a more nuanced perspective on fossil fuels is necessary.
He stated he had “time for climate change sceptics” and didn’t think they should be “pushed out of the debate” in the same gathering.
He urged the UK to “redouble efforts to cut greenhouse gases” earlier in the speech and said that “climate change is a global issue and we will only succeed if we work together.”
JR Rix & Sons Ltd. has backed Graham Stuart MP on several occasions since he was originally elected as a well-liked and active east Yorkshire MP representing a district where many of our workers live, according to a company spokeswoman.
“The company also supports Graham Stuart’s position as minister of the environment. JR Rix & Sons Ltd., a varied group of businesses, strongly promotes low carbon HVO as a cleaner alternative to conventional hydrocarbon fuels and is heavily engaged in the renewable energy sector.
According to Rix, the company is a significant producer of vacation houses and lodges, which “provide customers the chance to have opulent holidays in the UK and reduce the carbon emissions caused by flying.”
JR Rix & Sons Ltd, a 150-year-old company that has thrived through innovation, will keep investing in renewable fuels and technology to help the UK achieve its net zero objective.
We decided to support Graham’s election campaign because of the excellent work he has done within his constituency, where our company is based, according to Mark Parkes, chief executive of Bostonair group, who also gave a personal donation of £2,000 to Stuart. Mark Parkes registered in January 2020.
With 27% of our head office employees having attended Beverley-area schools, he was heavily active in improving collaboration between local businesses and schools while serving on the education select committee, which is something we still value highly today.
He actively supported our ultimately unsuccessful efforts to keep what is known as an AUG Licence (a labour leasing licence for Germany), which was withdrawn at the end of the transition period after the UK’s decision to leave the EU, during his time in international trade.
“The minister publicly declared the donations for election costs in accordance with customary procedures,” a government spokesperson said.
There are established procedures in place to handle conflicts of interest, and ministers frequently accept gifts (some call them ‘bribes’) while serving as members of parliament.
They certainly do:
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