25/03/2026

0:00This BBC podcast is supported by ads outside the UK. Self-directed investing, trading, full service wealth management, automated investing, financial planning, thematic investing, retirement planning, few, and to think. That's just a small taste of what Schwab offers. Because Schwab knows that when it comes to your finances, choice matters. No matter your goals, investing style, life stage or experience, Schwab has everything you need, all in one place, so you can invest your way. Visit Schwab.com to learn more. This podcast is sponsored by PocketHose. I'm a mom and a homeowner, so I feel like I'm always outside using a hose for something. And I used to go through a new hose every year because of kinks and tangles. I'm definitely not gentle with my hose. I drag it across the driveway around the yard, and I just wanted something that's easy and durable. That's why the PocketHose Ballistic has honestly been such a great upgrade for me. It's super lightweight, easy to manage, and easy to store.

1:03You turn the water on and it grows, and when you turn the water off, it shrinks back down to pocket size. And I love that it's reinforced with a liquid crystal polymer used in bulletproof vests, so it feels really tough and long-lasting. For a limited time, when you purchase a new PocketHose Ballistic, you'll get a free 360-degree rotating pocket pivot and a free thumb drive nozzle. Go to pockethose.com-podcast. That's pockethose.com-podcast for your two free gifts with purchase. PocketHose.com-slashpodcast. Hello, I'm Sean Curran, and this is today in Parliament from BBC Radio 4. For Wednesday, the 25th of March, when the conservative leader called on Sir Kia Starmer to open new oil and gas fields in the North Sea. He is hiding behind so many people. He is the Prime Minister. He can make this decision today. He can. The Prime Minister accuses Kenmie Baydenock of outsourcing the UK's foreign policy.

2:07And let the US decide whether we go to war, to outsource our energy policy, to Russia and Iran, and let them set the price of energy. Also tonight, the House of Lords backs a ban on social media for under-16s. My Lords, while we consult, children are harmed in real time. But first, the conservative leader, Kenmie Baydenock, has called on the Prime Minister to tackle rising energy costs by approving new licenses to drill for oil and gas in the North Sea. The Jack-Daw gas field could be up and running before winter. All that gas would be used here in the UK to heat 1.6 million homes. That is enough to power Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex put together. So will the Prime Minister approve the licenses or is the energy secretary running the government? Sir Kia Starmer told MPs the law was clear that it was for the energy secretary, Ed Miliband, to decide whether or not to grant licenses.

3:10And he advised the conservative leader to read the legislation. When Russia invaded Ukraine, energy prices doubled. The 12-day war oil prices hit £100 a barrel. In the last four weeks, because we're on the fossil fuel roller coaster, everybody has been held to ransom. The only way forward is to go further and faster on renewables. Kenmie Baydenock said the Prime Minister was the first person to be pushed around by Ed Miliband. I'm going to let the Prime Minister in on a secret. He's the Prime Minister. He can change the legislation. Hiding behind the energy secretary is pathetic. Kia Starmer said changing the law would slow the process down. He said, oil and gas was coming out of the North Sea every day. The most important thing to get energy security is to ensure we de-escalate this war. I know where I stand on this. We are not joining the war. She wanted to join the war. She didn't think through the consequences.

4:11And now she doesn't know where she stands on the most important issue facing this country at this time. The Conservative leader said approving new licenses would show the Prime Minister was serious about cutting energy bills. But she told MPs, families and businesses would suffer from a spike in energy costs because of decisions Kia Starmer had taken. He could abolish the green taxes on their bills. He could stop the fuel duty rise. We could drill our own gas in the North Sea. What's he doing? He is planning another giveaway to people on welfare. Yet again, he's taking money from those who do work to give to those who don't. First, we had the budget for benefit street. Now it's the bailout for benefit street. Doesn't this just prove that they've given up being the Labour Party and they're now just the welfare party? Yes! Kemy Badenock sat down to cries of more from Conservative MPs. The Prime Minister blamed the increase in energy prices on the war in Iran.

5:13Time and time again, she gets the big calls absolutely wrong. She wanted to drag us into the war. She got that wrong. She opposed taking control of energy security and she got that wrong. She opposed our decision to cut energy bills and she got that wrong. And she seriously thinks that'll make her relevant and she's got that wrong. The leader of the Liberal Democrats, Sir Ed Davy, was an energy secretary in the coalition government. He said he'd granted licenses for oil and gas exploration. Until MPs, the Prime Minister was right and Kemy Badenock was wrong about the law. He turned to the Chancellor's plans to target any help if the war in Iran pushed up gas and electricity bills later this year. If Trump's war pushes up energy bills by £500, the chances very narrow plans simply won't cut it. And while I don't fall for the crocodiles of the leader of conservatives who cheered on this illegal war without a thought for the impact of people's energy bills.

6:18The Conservative leader who was sitting just a few places away turned with her arms folded and shouted the Lib Dem leader to stop sucking up. Ed Davy said the government was right to reject what he called Liz Truss's blank check approach to an energy bailout. The government can't ignore the millions of families who don't get benefits, who already face a cost of living crisis. So can the Prime Minister at least guarantee to all those families and pensioners that he won't let their energy bills go up by £500 this year? As conservatives' jeered Kier Starmer renewed his attack on Kemy Badenock. That said, let's all go to war without thinking through the consequences. We're now discussing the consequences. Mr Speaker, in relation to the support we've made clear the principles the approach will take. We'll keep this under careful review. Energy bills for households are frozen until a cat until the end of June.

7:21It's really important I make clear that that's what ever happens in the conflict, because I know the public are concerned about that. We will then put in place appropriate support and look at how we put the principles behind it. The leader of Reform UK, Nigel Farage, said the Prime Minister promised to smash the people smuggling gangs and to stop small boats crossing the channel. 70,000 later and 1,000 in the last week and too many young men that pose a threat to national security. Is it not time to admit? Smash the gangs has been a total abject failure, along frankly with most of his other policies. Is it now time he told us, as summer approaches, what is plan B? Kier Starmer said it was hard to take anything Nigel Farage said seriously. This is from the man and the party that voted against giving law enforcement counterterrorism style powers to tackle it. So he wants the grievance, he doesn't want it sorted. And he has absolutely no judgement. He again said let's join the war, let's all go to war.

8:26I want to make it perfectly clear he wants the war. A week later screeching you turn, we don't want to go to war and he says trust his judgement. That response prompted a walk out from Nigel Farage and Reform MPs. They were jeered by other MPs who shouted by barriers they left. Afterwards the party said it was protesting about the Prime Minister's failure to take action on the border crisis. Well, Sir Kier Starmer also used this week's Prime Minister's questions to announce that political parties will be banned from accepting cryptocurrency donations. We will act decisively to protect our democracy. That will include a moratorium on all political donations made through cryptocurrencies. I hope that will be welcomed across the House. There is only one party leader who has shown he will say anything no matter how divisive if he's paid to do so. That ban is one of the measures recommended by a review which examined

9:31foreign interference in British politics Bernadette Kier reports. The review by a former top civil servant Philip Reichroft was announced last December. The community's Secretary Steve Reed said its findings were stark and given the gravity of the threats immediate action would be taken on the most serious loopholes that allowed illicit foreign money into the UK's democracy. Mr Reichroft concludes that this country faces a persistent problem of foreign interests seeking to exert influence on and to interfere in our politics. And that the threats has become arguably more acute. Two key recommendations out of 17 have been adopted immediately. The Minister said a ban on parties receiving donations in cryptocurrencies would take effect straight away. The other change affects British citizens living overseas who have the right to vote and the right to donate to political parties in the UK.

10:35Steve Reed quoted from the report, inevitably tracing the source of funds offered by individuals living abroad is more complex than for domestic donations. The report also raises concerns about the democratic fairness of allowing people who have chosen to live abroad to have their wealth tax abroad. But who nonetheless have the opportunity to make potentially game-changing donations into British politics? He said donations from UK citizens living abroad would be capped at £100,000 annually. The Conservative shadow community's Secretary, Sir James Cleveley, said his party largely agreed with the two proposals, but he accused the government of rushing to change the law without proper consultation and scrutiny. Foreign interference is growing and it does demand a coherent response, a cross-party response, and yet this government chooses to

11:38legislate first and then make announcements later. They brought forward the representation of the people bill before this review had been reported. Steve Reed replied the government had to act quickly to prevent a window of opportunity opening that would enable evasion by malign and hostile actors. The Reichroft review was launched following a series of high-profile cases of foreign interference, including the conviction of the former leader of Reform UK in Wales, Nathan Gill, for taking bribes to make pro-Russian statements. For the Lib Dems, Lisa Smart recalled that scandal, and asked if ministers would go further, and implement all of the review's findings.

12:49Suella Bravaman, who recently defected to Reform UK, returned to the chamber after the earlier walk out, to point out that the husband of a Labour MP had been arrested in connection with the ledge spying for China. Will the government confirm that his measures announced today will apply equally to those members of his own party who find themselves compromised with the Chinese Communist Party? Steve Reed told her the rules would apply without fear and favour to members of all parties, as did the bribery law that led to the jailing of Nathan Gill. The leader of the Greens at Westminster, Ellie Chowns, said disinformation on social media needed to be tackled. Philip Reichroft on page 47 refers to the significant benefit that could come from having a real-time online library of social media adverts so that we get that transparency that like Chown on how all sorts of actors are influencing people below the surface, does he support

13:49Philip Reichroft's view on that, and will he act to bring forward a amendment to deal with that particular problem? Steve Reed said the government's more substantial response to the review, further down the line, would be the most appropriate time to respond to her question. Bernadette Kio Warning, the following Zippercruder radio spot you are about to hear is going to be filled with F words. When you're hiring, we at Zippercruder know you can feel frustrated. For Lauren even, like your efforts are futile, and you can spend a fortune trying to find fabulous people, only to get flooded with candidates who are just fine. Fortunately, Zippercruder figured out how to fix all that, and right now you can try Zippercruder for free at zippercruder.com slash zip. With Zippercruder you can forget your frustrations, because we find the right people for your roles fast, which is our absolute favorite F word. In fact, four out of five employers who post on Zippercruder get a quality candidate within the first day. Fantastic! So, whether you need to hire four, 40, or 400 people, get ready to meet

14:56first street talent. Just go to zippercruder.com slash zip to try Zippercruder for free. Don't forget that zippercruder.com slash zip. Finally, that zippercruder.com slash zip. Puerto Rico is having a moment of global attention behind it at decades of execution, preparation, and business momentum. Global companies manufacture, innovate, and scale here with confidence. Not culture or business, culture and business. Puerto Rico, it's not what's next. It's where. Visit investpr.org forward slash business. You're listening to today in Parliament with me, Sean Curran, coming up the danger of prescribing weight loss drugs outside the NHS. If we don't get to the bottom of this unregulated wild west market, everyone is at risk. In some cases, fatally so. But first, the House of Lords has defied the government for the second time over the question of a social media ban

15:57for under-16s. A Conservative former schools minister, Lord Nash, proposed changing the children's wellbeing and schools bill to reintroduce the ban after it was removed by MPs earlier this month. Lord Nash said he had been a director of tech companies in California. The Californian techies are some of the most able, innovative, entrepreneurial, wealth and job-creating people in the world. But in relation to their cavalier approach that they have taken to harmful content online for our children, I think they've gone way too far in prioritising their commercial instincts and we need to act now in a way that is truly effective. When they rejected an Australian-style ban, MPs agreed to give ministers the power to restrict or ban children from some services. The government also launched a consultation. Lord Nash said he had no faith in the outcome of that exercise and he paid tribute to

16:58bereaved parents who'd campaigned for a change in the law following the deaths of their children as they looked on from the public gallery. And I thank them for their hard work, their commitment and the fact that they are here. But I wish they weren't, because I wish they didn't have to be. And I don't want to be standing up here in six or two elements time, downing in the same old drum with even more bereaved parents in the gallery. A crossbench or independent peer, Lady Cass, a pediatrician, said the government had failed to understand the impact of social media on children. She too paid tribute to the bereaved families. It is disrespectful of the trauma to those families and to the people who were suffering direct harm to continue to grab headlines with these sort of achieved efforts to say we're piloting something which is going to give us no information at all.

18:00Bus and non-affiliated peer Lady Fox sounded a note of caution and pointed to Australia where there's already a ban. Over 50% of the children after the ban are still using social media, teens are being pushed underground away from mainstream platforms into darker corners of the internet without safeguards, zero moderation and I think it's risky and dangerous behavior. A Liberal Democrat Lady Benjamin complained that the government's proposals were simply designed to buy ministers a bit more time. On this crucial issue, the government is asking peers to take a gamble on our children's safety. They're placing their faith in a consultation that delivers nothing but more and more delay. For the government, Lady Lloyd said she knew peers who didn't support an under-16 ban planned to vote for Lord Nash's amendment because they wanted to push ministers to do more. She insisted there was no need to change the bill again. We know many people support

19:05a social media ban for under-16s but other respected voices are concerned it is not the right approach. That is why the government's consultation is the responsible path forward. But peers approve the amendment which gives the government a year to decide which platforms should be unavailable to under-16s by 266 votes to 141 a majority of 125 votes and that was the first in a series of defeats on the bill. Earlier ministers had lost a vote on their crime legislation when peers back to call for the government to go further on tackling non-consensual intimate images shared online. Well, let's stay in the Lords because peers from all parties have said the public shouldn't rush to the pumps because of the closure of the straight of her moves. The energy security minister insisted that disruption of the shipping lane because of the war in Iran wouldn't affect supplies of fuel to the UK. Here's Mandy Baker. Labour's Lord John said he was

20:09worried on two counts. Firstly, reports that 20% of the world's oil supply passes through the straits of her moves and secondly reports at the weekend and since that the UK only has four weeks of fuel supplies in reserve. The energy security minister, Lord Whitehead, knocked that on the head straight away. It is categorically untrue that there are only four weeks of fuel supply in the UK. And he explained why. The UK remains a net exporter of petrol with domestic capacity sufficiently filling this demand whilst diesel volumes are mostly meant by domestic production and imports from trusty partners. Only a small percentage is obtained from the Middle East. The majority of crude oil used for UK production comes from the United States in Norway with just one percent from the Middle East. But that didn't seem to assuage the concern of a cross-bench or independent peer, Lord Carlisle, about the straight of her moves being blocked. Does the noble Lord agree that the continuity of fuel supplies may involve

21:14negotiations with those who have de facto control of the straight of her moves rather than those who we wished had control of the straight of her moves? Lord Whitehead suggested the closure of the strait didn't represent a threat to the supply of fuel to the UK. The effect is more likely to be on prices across the world as other people seek to make up their supplies from different sources. A conservative former trade minister, Lord Redwood, said the government had presided over the closure of two oil refineries. With its high carbon taxes and its unfriendly energy policy, and will it take urgent action to avoid the closure of the remaining ones leaving us without domestic supply and with shortages? Lord Whitehead said that wasn't why the two refineries closed. He insisted the remaining four were working well. A Lib Dem Lord Russell wanted to know what ministers were doing to make sure planes could keep flying. And to prevent significant increases in aviation fuel prices in the longer term as we head towards the summer. The minister said airlines

22:18planned their supplies a long time in advance and so this wasn't an issue for the immediate future. Lord Russell also advised people against panic buying at the pumps. A motorist and household should therefore continue to purchase fuel and gas as usual. The minister said he was right. This is currently essentially a price crisis and not a supply crisis and that will remain the case for quite a long time depending on how long the war continues. And if it went on for a long time? Then obviously will be issues not of necessarily supply to the UK but offset issues relating to other people as it were trying to eat the UK's lunch in their quest for supplies elsewhere in the world. The don't panic message was reiterated by a conservative former transport secretary Lord Howell. He said there was a huge amount of spare oil production. There is the vast boost in American shell obviously in which we get a lot already.

23:20There are the reserves which have been released under the scheme which I actually chaired in 1979 at the IEA. And those reserves are in a small part of the more reserves that can be developed at any time we wish. Not to mention pipelines that bypassed the straighter four moves. All I'm saying is that the situation can be over-excited by an ill-informed media and we should be dangerous. We should be careful not to excite these dangers and realise that this is a manageable situation if we take a strong line on what can be done obviously to reopen the homeless streets when we can. But in the meantime to not so worked up that everyone starts talking about rationing and all the idiotic ideas. Lord Whitehead agreed and recommended people should be cautious in the face of what he called ill-informed press speculation. Mandy Baker. The retired senior judge who carried out an independent review of the criminal courts has told MPs he thinks the time saved by scrapping some jury trials has been underestimated.

24:24So Brian Levison backed plans by the government to end the use of juries in England and Wales for crimes that carry a likely sentence of less than three years. He explained what happened in court when jurors were present. Every fact that anybody wants to elicit or develop unless it's inadmissible they can. But if a judge is conducting a trial he will say well now what's the issue in this? He or she will say what's the issue in this case? Let's get down to it and I've got that point what's the next point? So that changes the dynamic of the trial entirely. Later MPs taking evidence on the courts and tribunals bill heard from senior baristas. The chair of the Criminal Bar Association, Riel Karmie Jones rejected suggestions that opponents of limiting the right to jury trial weren't concerned about victims. Now I have sat and held the hands of many, many

25:24victims of really serious sexual offences. I have talked to them before the cases. I've talked them during the cases and after the cases. Trust me when I say that those who prosecute these cases feel very intensely about the victims in the cases so that would be a complete mischaracterisation and one frankly that has hit the criminal bar very hard and made us quite angry. Riel Karmie Jones. Now an investigator from a drug safety body has insisted the UK is a global leader in tackling the illicit trade in weight loss drugs. Andy Morling was facing questions from MPs worried about an unregulated wild west in illegal jabs. Christina Cooper reports. Weight loss jabs usually involve a weekly injection of drugs that suppress the appetite. With the NHS limiting access to patients living with significant obesity, people who don't qualify are turning to private

26:25online providers. According to the National Pharmacy Association, one in five people in the UK tried to access weight loss drugs last year, but there are concerns about unregulated black market sellers who fail to conduct proper health checks and sell dangerous counterfeit products on social media channels such as TikTok. The Liberal Democrat Chair of the Health Committee, Leyla Moran, said unregulated prescribing was costing lives. There is huge public concern about this. I've taken a particular interest in it, families who have quite literally lost loved ones to receiving illegal jabs. She said an organisation that advises the NHS on medication, press quip and disturbing evidence that fat loss medications were being prescribed to people who weren't living with obesity, but wanted a so-called bikini body and to people with a history of anorexia. They've also raised concerns about post pregnancy, especially with mothers who are still breastfeeding. I mean, obviously counterindicated by any of the license, but nevertheless they are getting them

27:29anyway. Leyla Moran was addressing a group of legitimate pharmacies, which are licensed to provide weight loss medication privately. She urged them not to hold back when speaking to the committee. Because if we don't get to the bottom of this unregulated, wild west market, everyone is at risk. In some cases, fatally so. The High Street chemist Boots offers a choice of weight loss jabs, including Wagovi and Manjaro, starting at around £100 a month. Patients have to complete an online questionnaire and supply the name of their GP. Claire Nevenson, a senior pharmacist from Boots, said it was really important to cut through the misinformation and noise on social media. By providing better information for patients who were educating the public to identify what's the right way to access weight loss medicines and what isn't. So we need to help the public understand and to identify where they're finding this information and to to nip it in about through the regulator. And she wanted the government to improve public education about obesity

28:32and safe weight loss. Dr Simon Doyle from the private online health care company Eucalyptus didn't want the government to tar all online pharmacies with the same brush. And he hoped that work with what he called responsible providers to create proportionate regulations. The recent report from Lillian Patient Association a few weeks ago showed that the number one reason patients are choosing the black market is because of reduced access. So my concern would be that regulation falls on the wrong side of responsible and shuts down the opportunity to provide responsible information and access. The MHRA is a government body responsible for ensuring that medicines are safe. Last year it uncovered an operation producing unlicensed weight loss jabs in a North Hamptonshire warehouse. Andy Mauling the head of the agency's criminal enforcement unit said there was a blurring of the lines between illegal online sellers and genuine prescribers. Where there are illegal medicine sellers, you know, purporting to be prescribing. In fact,

29:36it's just a front for an illegal online pharmacy. So there's a sort of a it's difficult for the public to tell the difference sometime between the two. He said the MHRA was making inroads into the illicit trade, seizing 81,000 doses of illegal black market weight loss jabs over the last three years. But the committee chair Layla Moran wasn't convinced that the MHRA was doing enough. I don't feel that the MHRA is on top of it. I think that it's and it's a reassure me, reassure me in the public that you've got this. Okay, I genuinely believe we do have it. Andy Mauling said as soon as weight loss jabs were approved in 2023, tackling illegal products became a priority and he added the MHRA had predicted what would happen. We saw fake ozempic products. These are brand infringing ozempic products that contained insulin that could kill people. There was no greater priority for us at that point. He told the committee that the MHRA

30:36was leading the way globally in tackling criminality. But in the end, he said you couldn't arrest your way out of the problem because the key was to educate the public. And that report by Christina Cooper brings us to the closing headline from Westminster. Sir Keir Starmer and the conservative leader, Kenny Badenock, clashed over energy prices at the last Prime Minister's questions before Parliament starts its Easter break. The Prime Minister told MPs the UK needed to invest more in renewable energy. The Conservative leader accused him of being pathetic for not approving new licenses to drill for oil and gas in the North Sea. I'm Sean Curran, the studio manager was Annie Gardner, the editor was Rachel Bern, and that was the today in Parliament podcast. Thanks for listening. And if you enjoyed this program, why not check out the yesterday in Parliament podcast on BBC Sounds. Warning, the following Zippercruder radio spot you are about to hear is going

31:37to be filled with F words. When you're hiring, we at Zippercruder know you can feel frustrated. For Lauren, even, like your efforts are futile and you can spend a fortune trying to find fabulous people, only to get flooded with candidates who are just fine. Fortunately, Zippercruder figured out how to fix all that. And right now, you can try Zippercruder for free at zippercruder.com slash zip. With Zippercruder, you can forget your frustrations because we find the right people for your roles fast, which is our absolute favorite F word. In fact, four out of five employers who post on Zippercruder get a quality candidate within the first day. Fantastic. So whether you need to hire four, 40 or 400 people, get ready to meet first rate talent. Just go to zippercruder.com slash zip to try Zippercruder for free. Don't forget that zippercruder.com slash zip. Finally, that zippercruder.com slash zip. Warning, the following Zippercruder radio spot you are about to hear is going to be filled with F words. When you're hiring, we at Zippercruder know

32:42you can feel frustrated. For Lauren, even, like your efforts are futile and you can spend a fortune trying to find fabulous people, only to get flooded with candidates who are just fine. Fortunately, Zippercruder figured out how to fix all that. And right now, you can try Zippercruder for free at zippercruder.com slash zip. With Zippercruder, you can forget your frustrations because we find the right people for your roles fast, which is our absolute favorite F word. In fact, four out of five employers who post on Zippercruder get a quality candidate within the first day. Fantastic. So, whether you need to hire four, 40, or 400 people, get ready to meet first rate talent. Just go to zippercruder.com slash zip to try Zippercruder for free. Don't forget that zippercruder.com slash zip. Finally, that zippercruder.com slash zip.