Tory Keeps Schtum About Oil Investment During Parliamentary Climate Change Debate. Guess What Happened Next…

R2uAVsWy_400x400
on

Conservative MP Peter Lilley failed to disclose a financial interest in Asian oil company Tethys Petroleum during two parliamentary debates on the Climate Change Act and energy prices, profits and poverty.

The self-described ‘global lukewarmist’ is a non-executive director of Tethys Petroleum. He argues that because the company operates solely in Central Asia his position at the company is not relevant to discussions concerning the UK.

A report issued by the House of Commons Committee on Standards on 15 January 2015 stated that “Mr Lilley’s interest in Tethys Petroleum might reasonably be thought by others to have influenced his speeches in the two debates”.

Despite this, the committee did not find Lilley in breach of the code of conduct because it “was not clear at the time he considered the matter”. The report found that because Lilley’s firm does not work in the UK there was no direct financial conflict of interest.

Oil Interest

The decision was reached after a lengthy exchange between Lilley and the committee beginning in early 2014.

The original complaint regarding Lilley’s oil interest – for which he earns £47,000 a year – came after he made speeches in September and November 2013 attacking renewable energy and promoting fossil fuels.

Lilley has since updated his Register entry relating to Tethys Petroleum to make clear that it operates exclusively in Central Asia. The committee is now working to ensure more clarity on the code of conduct in the future.

@kylamandel

Photo: Policy Exchange via Wikimedia Commons

R2uAVsWy_400x400
Kyla is a freelance writer and editor with work appearing in the New York Times, National Geographic, HuffPost, Mother Jones, and Outside. She is also a member of the Society for Environmental Journalists.

Related Posts

Analysis
on

The province released new burdensome reclamation requirements for wind and solar projects — the latest performance in an elaborate political troll.

The province released new burdensome reclamation requirements for wind and solar projects — the latest performance in an elaborate political troll.
on

The government has been accused of making a “secret exchange deal” with fossil fuel firms to compensate for the tax hike.

The government has been accused of making a “secret exchange deal” with fossil fuel firms to compensate for the tax hike.
Analysis
on

A third of energy communities receiving subsidies from the Spanish government are managed by subsidiaries of oil giant Repsol, DeSmog review of official data finds.

A third of energy communities receiving subsidies from the Spanish government are managed by subsidiaries of oil giant Repsol, DeSmog review of official data finds.
Analysis
on

The 26 percent reduction the Alberta government recently bragged about happened almost entirely between 2012 and 2016.

The 26 percent reduction the Alberta government recently bragged about happened almost entirely between 2012 and 2016.