𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

Labour has been branded “insane” for blocking exploration of British North Sea oil and gas fields, but watering down plans for a ban on diesel and jet fuel made from Russian oil in third countries. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch accused Sir Keir Starmer of “choosing to buy dirty Russian oil” and warned that the “money will be used to fund the killing of Ukrainian soldiers”.

She said it was “insane” that Britain would be “importing from Russia instead of drilling in the North Sea”. Sir Keir Starmer insisted the Government was not “lifting existing sanctions in any way whatsoever” and said new sanctions were being “phased in”. Shadow Foreign Secretary Dame Priti Patel claimed: “Moscow is laughing at us.”

Dame Emily Thornberry, the Labour MP who chairs the Foreign Affairs Select Committee, warned that Ukraine had looked at the UK as “one of their most important allies” and “people feel very let down”.

David Whitehouse, chief executive of trade body Offshore Energies UK, warned: “The decision to relax sanctions to allow the import of jet fuel and diesel from third countries refining Russian crude is evidence that decades of poor policy decisions have undermined our energy security and industrial resilience. The Government must support our own producers, industries, and workers.”

Trade minister Sir Chris Bryant later apologised to MPs for the Government’s “clumsy” handling of the issue. He wanted the licence allowing the imports to be as “temporary as possible”.

He said he thought the Government had “ended up giving the wrong impression of what we’re trying to do” when it was trying to strengthen the sanctions regime.

During Prime Minister’s Questions, Mrs Badenoch heaved pressure on the PM, saying: “The fact is more people are buying Russian oil because British oil isn’t being drilled. He’s sanctioning British oil but not Russian oil, and he should be ashamed. I cannot believe that this Prime Minister, even when he has nothing to lose, continues to defend banning new British oil and gas licences.”

Reform UK deputy leader Richard Tice said: “Red Ed Miliband and Labour are choosing Putin over British North Sea oil and gas. It’s an idiotic betrayal that destroys jobs, damages economic growth and pushes up our energy bills even higher. Helping Russia like this is utterly shameful.”

Alan Mendoza, of the Henry Jackson Society, said: “The fact Britain is now quietly loosening restrictions on fuel products linked to Russian oil should concern anyone serious about national resilience and energy security.

“Ministers spent years promising energy security and sanctions pressure on Moscow, yet at the first major global supply shock, they are already rowing back through obscure technical notices rather than explaining the decision openly to the public.”