Principal flops on meeting with anti-fossil fuel students group, subs in ex-BP oil giant

PRINCIPAL Ed Byrne has cancelled a meeting with anti-fossil fuel campaign group only to be replaced by his vice principal — an ex-BP oil giant.

In the slightly rogue move by King’s, grassroots student group KCL Fossil Free were told earlier this week that their meeting, scheduled to take place this afternoon, would now be with research and innovation VP Chris Motterhead.

It’s unclear whether the replacement with Mottershead, who has had more than 30 years experience in the oil and gas company BP, was deliberate or not.

The campaigners will be marching across Waterloo bridge to deliver a 1,100-strong petition to King’s calling for them to divest in the fossil fuel industry.

It’s estimated that the College invests more than £8m in oil, gas and petroleum companies.

A spokesperson from King’s College London said they would comment once they had seen the petition.

You can read the petition here.