Kemi Badenoch accused Sir Keir Starmer of “losing his moral compass” during a bruising Prime Minister’s Questions clash over the Government’s approach to Russian oil sanctions.
In the first PMQs since Labour’s difficult local election results, the Conservative leader launched a sustained attack on the Prime Minister, accusing him of weakening pressure on President Vladimir Putin while simultaneously restricting domestic energy production in the North Sea.
Mrs Badenoch claimed ministers had quietly softened sanctions affecting Russian crude oil imports and accused Labour of hypocrisy for maintaining restrictions on British fossil fuel development.
“Labour should be ashamed,” she told the Commons. “They are banning new North Sea licences here at home while lifting sanctions on Putin’s oil industry abroad.”
Ms Badenoch told MPs during PMQs: “I wonder if he is okay. He is so deep in the bunker: he is importing sanctioned Russian oil, he’s nationalising steel, [and] he’s imposing price controls in the supermarket. It’s like the Soviets won.
“This country needs a government that has got its act together. Instead, what we have is a Prime Minister hanging by a thread with fake support by his backbenchers, too scared to take difficult decisions, losing his moral compass by backsliding on Ukraine.”
Badenoch also said: “Labour is giving money to Russia, Reform are taking money from Russia, there’s only one party that is standing up to Russia and that is the Conservative Party.
“I cannot believe that he is actually saying that he is doing something good on the war in Ukraine.”
She bluntly added: “He says other countries are doing this, the EU is not doing this.”
Let me make it clear, I know it hurts him to hear it, he is now choosing to buy dirty Russian oil. That money will be used to fund the killing of Ukrainian soldiers. Isn’t he ashamed?”
The exchange rapidly became one of the most confrontational moments of the session, with Mrs Badenoch seeking to frame Labour’s energy policy as both economically damaging and strategically incoherent amid continued Western efforts to isolate Moscow over the war in Ukraine.
Sir Keir rejected the accusation and insisted Britain remained committed to supporting Ukraine and maintaining pressure on the Kremlin. Downing Street argued that the Government had not altered its overall sanctions regime against Russia, describing claims of a wholesale reversal as misleading.
However, the row threatens to reopen divisions over Labour’s wider energy strategy, particularly its opposition to new North Sea oil and gas exploration licences.
The Conservatives have increasingly sought to portray Labour’s green agenda as incompatible with energy security and economic resilience, especially as instability in the Middle East and continued global supply disruptions place renewed pressure on fuel prices.
Mrs Badenoch used the confrontation to sharpen that argument, suggesting Labour was prepared to sacrifice British energy production while easing pressure on hostile foreign producers.
The clash came as ministers face mounting scrutiny over living costs, fuel prices and Britain’s long-term energy independence, issues expected to dominate political debate in the months ahead.
Leave a Comment