Prime minister’s questions: a shouty, jeery, very occasionally useful advert for British politics. Here’s what you need to know from the latest session in POLITICO’s weekly run-through.
What they sparred about: Louise Haigh, mostly. Tory leader Kemi Badenoch opted to focus the bulk of her questions on the departed transport secretary — who quit last week after it emerged she had been convicted of fraud by false representation a decade ago.
And that was in spite of … Keir Starmer’s best efforts to move the subject on to immigration, a tricky subject for the Tories after last week’s record net migration figures on their watch. Who knew that in 2024 it’s the center-left Labour Party that prefers talking about migration?
Take that, Lou-ser: “The PM appointed a fraudster to be his transport secretary. What was he thinking?” was Badenoch’s opening hit on Haigh’s resignation — taking aim at the fact Starmer already knew of Haigh’s conviction when he appointed her to his cabinet. The PM insisted that new information had come to light.
Just one problem: Starmer and the government has been refusing to say what that new information is, and the PM kept schtum again at PMQs despite Badenoch twice asking for him to disclose it. So much for the commitment to improve trust in politics.
Zing: With no intention of revealing that info — or promising the apology Badenoch requested — the PM opted instead to try and neatly skewer the Tories on those migration stats, which Badenoch said she wasn’t asking him about. “I’m not surprised she doesn’t want to talk about migration,” Starmer hit back, to roars of laughter from his easily-pleased wall of Labour MPs.
Zing right back at you: “The public needs conviction politicians, not convicted politicians,” was Badenoch’s pre-prepped — and very effective, to be fair — clap back on the Haigh row. Starmer gently reminded her in response that two of her predecessors, Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak, were fined by police during their time in government.
Otherwise: The leaders also had a brief and low-information scuffle about the government’s economy pledges — think “you broke the economy,” “no, YOU’RE breaking the economy” level-stuff — and some of the business backlash to the government’s budget.
From the other opposition benches: Lib Dem boss Ed Davey used one of his two questions to ask Starmer to reform the electoral system (nope, came back the predictable answer), while MPs from the SNP and independent benches pressed the PM on the cut to winter fuel payments for pensioners, which Starmer argued was a tough but necessary choice. But it was the Westminster bubble-focused exchanges between Starmer and Badenoch which grabbed the attention.
Totally non-scientific scores on the doors: Badenoch won the day with the best pre-scripted gag on the Haigh row. Whether the public actually cares about any of this bubble stuff … is another question. Keir Starmer: 6/10 … Kemi Badenoch: 7/10 … Amount actually learned: 0.
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