DALE VINCE has replied to the Prime Minister after he seemingly asked the Ecotricity owner to comment on yesterday's incident at Stonehenge. 

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer were united in condemnation of Just Stop Oil after activists targeted Stonehenge with orange powder paint.

The Prime Minister described it as a “disgraceful act of vandalism” while the Labour leader branded the group “pathetic”.

Members of the public tried to intervene, struggling with the campaigners – named by the group as Rajan Naidu, 73, and Niamh Lynch, 21 – as they ran up to the ancient monument on Wednesday.

(Image: PA News Agency) Video footage posted on social media showed two people wearing white shirts with the slogan Just Stop Oil, approaching the stone circle with canisters and spraying orange powder paint.

Mr Sunak said: “This is a disgraceful act of vandalism to one of the UK’s and the world’s oldest and most important monuments.”

In a reference to green energy entrepreneur Dale Vince, Mr Sunak added: “Just Stop Oil should be ashamed of their activists, and they and anyone associated with them, including a certain Labour Party donor, should issue a condemnation of this shameful act immediately.”

Mr Vince’s Ecotricity firm gave Labour £1.5 million according to the Electoral Commission data for the first quarter of 2024.

The green energy industrialist also reportedly gave another £1 million to the opposition party the day after the General Election was called, taking his total donations to £5 million.

He has previously donated to Just Stop Oil, although last year he said he was diverting his funding to a campaign to encourage voter registration.

However, Mr Vince said he did not support Wednesday’s protest.

He said: “Since Rishi Sunak has asked me personally to comment, I will. I don’t support what JSO did today, it’s that simple.

“But there are far worse actions we could focus on, far more harmful ones, like pushing two million children and their families into poverty.

“This is what Sunak and the Conservatives have done with their two-child cap on benefits.

“One in three of our children now live in poverty in our country. That’s my definition of a shameful act, and one deserving of all our condemnation – it has mine.”

Sir Keir said: “The damage done to Stonehenge is outrageous. Just Stop Oil are pathetic.

“Those responsible must face the full force of the law.”

In a statement, Just Stop Oil said its action was to demand that the incoming UK government should agree a plan with other governments to end the extraction and burning of oil, gas and coal by 2030.

A spokesperson for the group said: “The UK’s government-in-waiting has committed to enacting Just Stop Oil’s original demand of ‘no new oil and gas’. However, we all know this is not enough.

“Continuing to burn coal, oil and gas will result in the death of millions. We have to come together to defend humanity or we risk everything.

“That’s why Just Stop Oil is demanding that our next government sign up to a legally binding treaty to phase out fossil fuels by 2030.”