A former senior councillor in Wokingham and candidate in last weeks’s elections avoided accusations of hypocrisy by resigning from an oil company.
Cllr Katrin Harding served as the Executive Member for Environment and Climate Emergency, but lost her seat in the election on Thursday, May 7.
She stated on her former councillor’s profile page: “Since 2016 I’ve worked in carbon trading business development – gaining a deep understanding of global policies and technologies to address climate change.”
But cllr Harding not only worked for the oil giant but held a large quota of shares in the company too.
Katrin Harding joined a BP graduate scheme shortly after leaving university with a Maths degree, hoping to work in the solar and wind business.
Speaking to Liz Allen on the podcast Electric Evolution, she said: “Very very quickly I thought ‘Wow – the energy industry is fantastic’”.
She was inspired by the technical, political, environmental and economic implications of the energy industry, saying: “Everything’s in there and we all use it every day.”
She began in the treasury function of the energy giant, learning about the cash flows of a multinational energy giant.
She said: “It’s quite something.”
Later she spent a year on crude oil operations, “moving ships of crude oil around South Africa, the middle east and so on”.
She said: “It’s very interesting learning about these systems that underpin our existence in the old system. I want to change this, but unless you understand where we’re coming from, how d’you know where to start? ”
“Let’s not pretend our existing systems are brilliant.
Speaking at the election count on Friday, May 8, cllr Harding confirmed she no longer worked for BP. She said:
“I left there in February 2025 and I’ve reduced my shareholding to under the threshold of 25,000 shares.
“I haven’t worked for BP since I started maternity leave in June 2024 and formally left in 2025.
“The shares were restricted shares I could not sell until they vested. I sold them as soon as possible afterwards. I have some left but I intend to sell these as soon as I am able to in November.”
Ms Harding faced a strong challenge from conservative challenger Leon Cook, who already had a strong presence in the council chamber before standing for election, asking regular questions at meetings.
Cllr Cook won the seat by 19 votes.
