Graham Stuart has announced that he is stepping down as energy minister.
Stuart has written to prime minister Rishi Sunak outlining his decision to resign from the government in order to focus on his East Yorkshire constituency of Beverley and Holderness. He joins a queue of Conservative ministers who have recently announced that they are stepping down from government.
Stuart, who has been energy minister since September 2022, writes that after eight years in government it is the “right time to stand down”.
Stuart, who was appointed energy minister by Sunak’s predecessor Liz Truss but retained the portfolio after she left Downing Street, oversaw last year’s publication of the ‘Powering Up Britain’ energy security strategy.
He also presided over last year’s Allocation Round 5 of the Contracts for Difference auction, which saw no offshore wind projects procured after the strike price was deemed by many to be too low.
In his letter to Sunak, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero’s second highest ranking minister highlighted his role in last month’s publication of the latest consultation on the review of electricity market arrangements.
Stuart also writes that he had been “delighted” to establish and chair the Net Zero Council, the Solar Taskforce and the Green Jobs Delivery Group.
Writing on social media, Stuart said: “It’s been an enormous joy and privilege to serve as a minister over most of the last eight years. I’m proud of all we have achieved as a government, not least being the first major economy to halve CO2 emissions.
“I look forward to supporting the PM from the backbenches.”