Tory minister named in party interference report resigns with attack on PM’s environmental ‘apathy’

Tory minister Zac Goldsmith has publicly clashed with Rishi Sunak after he resigned from government attacking the prime minister’s ‘apathy’ towards the environment.

Mr Sunak has accused the Tory peer of quitting rather than apologizing for his role in a campaign to undermine a parliamentary committee investigation into Boris Johnson.

But Lord Goldsmith hit out at No 10’s ‘misleading’ remarks and insisted he was ‘happy to apologise’ for his criticism of the Privileges Committee investigation which found Mr Johnson had lied to MPs about COVID lockdown breaking parties in Downing Street.

Mr Johnson’s close ally, who appointed him to the Lords, quit his environmental role, saying Mr Sunak was ‘just not interested’ in the issue.

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The day before, the conservative peer, an ex-MP, was punished by the privileges committee for tweeting his conclusion that the former Prime Minister lied to Parliament about parties.

In a letter published by Downing Street, it was revealed that Mr Sunak had asked him to apologize to the committee, but he refused.

Mr Sunak wrote the au pair: “You have been asked to apologize for your comments on the Privileges Committee as we felt they were incompatible with your position as Minister of the Crown. You have decided to pursue another course .”

The prime minister went on to say he was “proud of the record of this government and indeed of Zac in government in ensuring that we tackle climate change and protect our natural environment”.

Lord Goldsmith later claimed he was “pleased to apologize for sharing my views publicly”.

He added: “Number 10 asked me to acknowledge it and made it clear that there was no way I would be sacked if I did. I was – and am – happy to do so.”

In his resignation post on social media, Lord Goldsmith called their investigation a ‘kangaroo court’ and a ‘witch hunt’ – but Mr Sunak’s spokesman insisted that the prime minister still had faith in the minister.

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Just 24 hours after the comments emerged, Lord Goldsmith resigned from his post with a scathing resignation letter, taking aim at the current number 10 incumbent.

The Tory peer said it had been an “exhilarating experience” at work, praising the progress the UK has made in tackling climate change internationally – particularly when Mr Johnson was in office.

But Lord Goldsmith said he was ‘horrified’ by the government’s ‘abandonment’ of animal welfare policies, and that his efforts on environmental issues at home had ‘just stopped’ .

“More worryingly, the UK has visibly walked off the global stage and withdrawn our leadership on climate and nature,” he wrote in his resignation letter.

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Lord Goldsmith said the government had ‘effectively abandoned’ its ‘solemn’ pledge to spend £11.6bn of its aid budget on climate and environmental causes – calling it the ‘most important signal’ to suffering countries and to persuade other G7 countries to act – and had “not disclosed the broken promise” as the last year of spending will be after the next general election.

“Government climate apathy”

“Mr. Prime Minister, having been able to do so much before, I have even struggled to hold the line in recent months,” he wrote.

“The problem is not that the government is hostile to the environment, it is that you, our Prime Minister, are simply not interested. This signal, or lack thereof, has spread to Whitehall and has caused a sort of paralysis.”

The peer said it had been ‘a privilege’ to hold his post, ‘but this Government’s apathy in the face of the greatest challenge we have faced makes it untenable to continue in my current role’, so he resigned “with great reluctance…in order to focus my energy where it can be most useful”.

“The UK continues to play an important role”

In his response, the Prime Minister said: “We can be proud of the UK’s record as a global leader in net zero. We are going far beyond other countries and making tangible progress while lowering utility bills. This government is also committed to leaving the environment in better condition than we found it, as outlined in our Environmental Improvement Plan.”

Former Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries – who was also named in Thursday’s report for her ‘virulent attacks’ on the privileges committee – responded to the resignation on Twitter, saying the ‘record achievement’, the Lord Goldsmith’s “depth of knowledge” and “passion” were “incomparable”.

She added: “We have just lost the most capable environment minister that any government would be blessed and proud to have. This loss goes beyond party politics. It is huge.”

Labour’s shadow climate secretary Ed Miliband said: “Zac Goldsmith has exposed the truth about the utter failure and neglect of the Rishi Sunak government on the climate and nature crisis.

“It’s no wonder ministers are resigning from government because they are so ‘horrified’ by Rishi Sunak’s approach.”

The Liberal Democrats said Mr Sunak ‘should have had the courage’ to sack Lord Goldsmith after the report condemned his actions, saying the Prime Minister was ‘clearly too weak to control his own party’.