The energy and net zero minister, Graham Stuart, has resigned from the government.

The MP for Beverley and Holderness, representing the area around the West Newton exploration sites, said he wanted to focus on local issues after serving as a minister for the past eight years.

Mr Stuart said in his resignation letter “we have achieved a lot in driving the energy transition”.

He said the UK was the first major economy to halve its carbon emissions and later this year would close its last coal-fired power station.

He said he would continue serving his constituents, where he had a majority of more than 20,000 at the 2019 election. He said he looked forward “to fighting and winning the seat later this year”.

In March 2022, before becoming an energy minister, Mr Stuart wrote an online article titled “Please speak out against fracking”.

But in October 2022, as a minister under Liz Truss, he told the Environmental Audit Committee that developing UK shale gas would be good for the environment, the economy and jobs.

A week later, in a chaotic debate on fracking, he added to the confusion by telling MPs it was not a confidence vote, contradicting earlier advice from Conservative whips.

The following day, Liz Truss resigned as prime minister.

Mr Stuart has been replaced by Justin Tomlinson, a former deputy Conservative Party chairman and work and pensions minister. He has represented North Swindon since 2010. .

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