@bp_plc has announced its North Sea oil and gas production business is up for sale I don't blame it. The tax regime in the North Sea is punitive But once it exits the North Sea, BP will have very few operations in the UK and might decide to move out altogether, possibly giving up its London listing Yesterday @shell announced impressive results but as expected there has been a pile-on with people accusing it of destroying the climate and profiteering Oil companies are not destroying the planet. They don't burn much oil and gas themselves. It's the people using oil and gas that are responsible for emissions But of course it's more convenient to blame oil companies than to actually stop using oil and gas. We would have to replace not just fuel but fertiliser, plastics (including those used in electrical and electronic equipment), lubricants for machinery including electric cars and wind turbines, and medicines and medical equipment Few people realise that most medications are made out of oil I don't blame BP for leaving the North Sea and I wouldn't blame it for leaving the UK altogether, taking its contribution to the Treasury with it @AndyBurnham @Miatsf @mgshanks @ClaireCoutinho @AndrewBowie_MP @griffitha @NJ_Timothy @TiceRichard @DavidGHFrost @mattwridley @cmackinlay @Iromg @AllisonPearson @MerrynSW @EdConwaySky @mattotele @jonathan_leake @afneil @energygovuk @hmtreasury cityam.com/bp-quits-north-se…