𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

Kemi Badenoch ripped into Sir Keir Starmer over Labour’s “dangerous and irresponsible” energy policy in a furious Commons attack. The Tory leader demanded that the Prime Minister gives the green light to more oil and gas drilling in the North Sea after the Iran war sent prices surging.

She warned that the UK must solve the energy crisis and “make sure that Britain is ready to defend herself” in the wake of the Middle East conflict.

Mrs Badenoch told MPs: “We must take rapid action to increase our energy security and keep bills down, not just until July, but longer than that, permanently. Britain is particularly vulnerable to energy price shocks because we are killing domestic oil and gas production in the North Sea.

“Labour’s policy of more expensive energy and deindustrialisation at this time of crisis is dangerous and irresponsible. It is also harming the defence industry.

“We must start drilling our own oil and gas in the North Sea, grant licences for drilling in the Jackdaw and Rosebank fields and restore British production before it is too late.

“The Prime Minister says this won’t impact international prices, this is more than international prices, this is about the domestic supply especially of gas, all of which is used in this country, supply matters.

“And finally the Government must cancel the proposed rise in fuel duty. Hiking taxes on motorists for the first time in 15 years while prices are surging is a disgraceful decision.

“If Britain is to be a stronger country it needs a stronger economy, not one being hammered by the highest energy prices in the developed world.

“So will the Prime Minister grant the oil and gas licences and scrap the rise in fuel duty?”

Mrs Badenoch then took a swipe at Energy Secretary Ed Miliband, who is leading Labour’s net zero drive.

She said: “I know he will say it’s the Energy Secretary’s job, the Energy Secretary is not the Prime Minister, he is, he can instruct him to grant those licences.”

Mrs Badenoch added: “Britain must be able to defend herself, and that means we must be ready for these situations before they happen.”

She also reiterated calls for Labour to publish the long-awaited defence investment plan, which was originally set to be published last year.

The Prime Minister told the Commons that “oil and gas will be part of our energy mix for decades to come”.

He added: “But we do not set the global price for oil and gas, and households across the country are fed up with international events beyond their control pushing up their energy bills, and I stand with them on that.

“So we will go further and faster on our mission to make Britain energy independent, because that is the only way we get off the fossil fuel rollercoaster and take control of our energy bills.”

He also said the UK’s response to fighting in Iran will involve “a closer economic relationship” with European governments.

Labour came into power promising to remove almost all fossil fuels from the UK’s electricity generation by 2030.

It also banned new North Sea oil and gas licences, although ministers have said oil and gas will remain part of the energy mix for years to come and extraction near existing fields will still be allowed.