One of the great gifts in politics is the capacity to surprise. Kemi Badenoch, again, demonstrated her ability in this respect when she chose to wrong-foot Keir Starmer at the last PMQs before recess. All of Westminster is talking about Morgan McSweeney’s missing phone, which has taken on the status of Chekhov’s gun in the minds of some. But having led on Peter Mandelson at last week’s exchange, Badenoch chose to switch it up today. Energy proved to be the Tory leader’s line of questioning, hammering Starmer on the government’s refusal to grant new drilling licences for Jackdaw and Rosebank. With oil prices in the headlines and the Holyrood elections looming, it was an opportunity to put some clear blue water between the Tories and Labour on an issue affecting voters’ pockets.

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