
The story behind Britain’s sanctions blunder
From Politics At Sam and Anne's by Sky News
May 21, 2026 · 19 min
About this episode
Sam and Anne discuss the recent blunder by the Starmer government regarding sanctions on Russian oil and the political implications, including potential changes in Labour leadership.
The Starmer government has made another blunder after it emerged that sanctions are being relaxed on Russian oil processed through third countries. As a political row unfolded, Sam and Anne discuss the fallout. Plus, Westminster is buzzing with rumours of a possible Labour coronation before the summer. If events moved quickly, what might an Andy Burnham cabinet look like? Sam and Anne discuss the possible contenders for Chancellor and whether Labour could end up with a new Foreign Secretary. And as speculation grows over what Burnham’s agenda as Prime Minister might be, two of Labour’s most difficult dividing lines are back in focus: single-sex spaces and assisted dying.
People in this episode
Hosts: Sam, Anne
Topics covered
- sanctions
- Russian oil
- Labour politics
- Andy Burnham
- single-sex spaces
- assisted dying
Keywords
- sanctions blunder
- Russian oil
- Labour
- Andy Burnham
- political row
- Chancellor
- Foreign Secretary
- single-sex spaces
- assisted dying
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Starmer government, Labour
Places: Britain
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