Boris Johnson is not “turning a blind eye” to human rights abuses in Saudi Arabia to keep the lights on, Sajid Javid insisted on Monday morning.

Mr Johnson will reportedly travel to Riyadh, the Saudi capital, later in the week for oil talks as he looks to lead efforts to end British and European reliance on Russian supplies.

Speculation around the visit comes after 81 people were executed in Saudi Arabia on Saturday for offences including terrorism, murder and holding “deviant beliefs”.

Mr Javid, the Health Secretary, denied suggestions by the Sky News presenter Kay Burley that the UK was “turning a blind eye to the world’s evils in order to keep the lights on”.

“We have a longstanding relationship with Saudi Arabia and I can certainly tell you in the time I’ve been in Government under three prime ministers we’ve always had a very candid and frank relationship with Saudi Arabia,” Mr Javid said.

‘We don’t agree with their exchange on human rights’

“Wherever there are human rights issues we have raised them with them and we can do that because we have this relationship. But we also have an economic relationship with Saudi Arabia, we’re not dependent directly as a country on their oil, but energy prices and access to energy is a hugely important issue.

“So I’m pleased that we can have this relationship with Saudi Arabia where we can talk about the human rights issues as well as our longer-term economic relationship.”

Asked separately about the issue on LBC, Mr Javid told Nick Ferrari: “There’s always a very frank exchange. We don’t agree with their exchange on human rights, we’re always right to call that out and talk to them frankly about that.”

But Mr Javid insisted that it is “also possible” to have a beneficial economic relationship with Saudi Arabia, noting that it is the world’s largest crude oil producer “whether people like it or not”.

“It’s important, especially at the time of a major global energy crisis, that we have these talks with them.”

Oil prices surged to record highs 

Oil prices surged to record highs after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which has led a drive in the West to move away from European dependency on Russian oil and gas.

Currently, Russian imports account for eight per cent of total UK oil demand, but the Government has pledged to phase out imports by the end of this year. Russian natural gas accounts for just under four per cent of UK supply.

Mr Johnson has been touted as a mediator after Joe Biden made public criticisms of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the Saudi de facto ruler.

On the Prime Minister’s prospective visit to Saudi Arabia, a No 10 spokesman said: “Nothing is planned at the moment. We will update in the usual way if anything is confirmed.”