Oral Answers to Questions

Nigel Farage Excerpts

Wednesday 18th March 2026 Commons Chamber

[The Prime Minister]

I am very proud of our Employment Rights Act 2025. It delivers strong rights and protections, including for all our brilliant school staff. My hon. Friend is right: Reform Members would rip up those protections. They have nothing to offer but grievance and division, and they have no judgment: just like the Leader of the Opposition, the hon. Member for Clacton (Nigel Farage) has said that we should do “all we can” to support the US strikes. He said:

“I make that perfectly, perfectly clear.”

It was perfectly, perfectly clear that he got it completely wrong, and perfectly, perfectly clear that he is now desperately trying to U-turn. Absolutely no judgment: not fit to be Prime Minister.

[Nigel Farage (Clacton) (Reform)]

Q8.   Over the course of the last year, our North sea neighbours, Norway, have opened 49 drill sites for gas and oil. On our side of the North sea, the number is zero. Given that our critical reserve of natural gas is down to two days and how vulnerable we are, and with talk of potential energy rationing coming later this year, is it not time that we changed course, got rid of excessive taxation on the exploration companies, opened up the licences and became self-sufficient in natural gas? With that would come thousands of jobs, increased tax revenues and cheaper gas prices. Is it not time we followed Norway?

[The Prime Minister]

Oil and gas will be part of the mix of our energy for many years to come, as I have set out many times. The hon. Member is now highlighting the consequences of the war that he said we should rush into. He wanted us to go to war. He said it was “perfectly, perfectly clear” that we should support the strikes. Then, just like the Leader of the Opposition, a week later he said, “Oh no, I got that one wrong.” You cannot make mistakes about decisions as serious as committing to war. It is a gross error.