PMQs: Badenoch Attacks Burnham Over Rosebank and Takes Russell Brand Swipe at Miliband

11th November 2026

Updated 11 Nov 2026, 17:50 · First published 11 Nov 2026

Kemi Badenoch used Prime Minister’s Questions to attack Andy Burnham over the Rosebank oil field – and took a swipe at Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband by bringing up Russell Brand.

The Conservative leader accused the government of counting on money from Rosebank in the Budget while still not approving the North Sea field. Burnham hit back that the previous Conservative government had made the original decision “overtly political”.

PMQs, 11 November: key points

Main clashRosebank oil field in the North Sea

Badenoch’s claimRosebank tax revenue was priced into the Budget

Burnham on RosebankA decision will come “in due course”

Also raisedThe government’s use of Boston Consulting Group

Miliband jibeBadenoch mentioned his 2015 interview with Russell Brand

Rosebank: “Why was it in the Budget?”

Badenoch said official forecasts published alongside Chancellor John Healey’s Budget included tax revenue from potential new oil and gas projects, including Rosebank, even though ministers have not approved it. She asked why it was in the Budget if it had not been approved.

Burnham replied that the earlier decision on the Jackdaw gas field had been struck down because the previous government made it “an overtly political decision”, adding that Badenoch “maybe… needs to look a little closer to home”. He said a decision on Rosebank would come “in due course”.

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The Russell Brand jibe

Badenoch turned her fire on Ed Miliband, who as energy secretary once called Rosebank “climate vandalism”. She said he had told government lawyers not to fight a court case and that he “thought that cosying up to Russell Brand would make him prime minister” – a reference to Miliband’s 2015 interview on Brand’s YouTube show The Trews, during that year’s general election campaign.

The remark came two days after Brand was jailed for more than ten years for rape and sexual assault.

Management consultants

Badenoch also mocked the Prime Minister for working with Boston Consulting Group on his long-term plan for the country. Burnham did not deny it, saying he had promised “a 10-year plan for this country”.

What is Rosebank?

Rosebank is the UK’s biggest undeveloped oil field, west of Shetland. Its approval was overturned after a court ruling that the environmental impact of burning the oil had to be considered, and ministers have been weighing a fresh decision since. The Conservatives back new North Sea drilling, arguing it would cut energy costs.