Greenpeace protesters flood British PM’s mansion

By Douglas Whitbread via SWNS

Climate activists on Thursday draped Rishi Sunak’s £2m ($2.5m) mansion in a giant black cloth after he controversially backed further drilling for oil and gas in the North Sea.

Campaigners used ladders to scale the prime minister's home, near Northallerton, England, after he said more fossil fuels would be extracted from UK waters.

After reaching the top of the building, the activists unfolded a huge 200 sq meter (2152ft) piece of oil-black fabric, covering a whole side of the luxury mansion.

At the same time, two activists unfurled a banner emblazoned with the words “Rishi Sunak - Oil Profits or Our Future?” across the grass in front of the property.

Sunak’s government has come under criticism for pushing ahead with plans to hand out around 100 new oil and gas licenses in the North Sea.

He has also indicated that he will approve drilling at Rosebank - the UK’s largest undeveloped oil field.

A Greenpeace spokesperson said the move flew in the face of multiple warnings from the government’s own climate advisers - as well as the International Energy Agency and the UN Secretary-General.

And they warned any new fossil fuel projects risk tipping the world into the danger zone above 1.5C of warming.

Commenting on the protest, Philip Evans, Greenpeace UK’s climate campaigner, said: “We desperately need our prime minister to be a climate leader, not a climate arsonist.

“Just as wildfires and floods wreck homes and lives around the world, Sunak is committing to a massive expansion of oil and gas drilling.

“He seems quite happy to hold a blowtorch to the planet if he can score a few political points by sowing division around climate in this country."

"This is cynical beyond belief.

“Sunak is even willing to peddle the old myth about new oil and gas helping ordinary people struggling with energy bills when he knows full well it’s not true."

“More North Sea drilling will only benefit oil giants who stand to make even more billions from it, partly thanks to a giant loophole in Sunak’s own windfall tax.

“The experts are clear - we can’t afford any new oil and gas, and the fossil fuel industry certainly doesn’t need another helping hand in destroying the climate.

“What we need is a clean, affordable energy system fit for the 21st century. It’s time for Sunak to choose between Big Oil’s profits or our future on a habitable planet.”

The decision to offer more drilling licenses was part of a series of climate policy row-backs following the Uxbridge by-election results.

And it comes amidst a summer of devastating wildfires, floods and heatwaves

July has seen the hottest three-week period ever recorded, the three hottest days on record, and the warmest ocean temperatures ever for this season.

Greenpeace campaigners are warning that any new oil and gas from the North Sea will do nothing for energy security or bills despite government rhetoric.

And they say the companies that own it will simply export it overseas, and any that is sold back to us will be done so at the international market price.