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: The war in Ukraine, and the U.S.’s future role under Donald Trump. After Keir Starmer’s visit to meet the U.S. president, Donald Trump, Tory Leader Kemi Badenoch adopted a largely conciliatory tone on foreign policy — but still managed to get a political dig in at the end.
Making up: The prime minister has positioned himself as a bridge between Europe and the U.S. and refrained from directly criticizing the U.S. president despite European panic about the future of the conflict. Badenoch put this theory to the test by asking how Starmer was working to rebuild Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s relationship with Trump following the pair’s disastrous meeting at the White House last week.
Behind the scenes: The PM said the U.K. will “do everything we can” to ensure a lasting peace and stressed that he is “in regular contact” with all the key players including Zelenskyy and Trump. While acknowledging Starmer can’t comment on specific security details, the Tory leader made clear her party “couldn’t write a blank check” in support of British peace-keeping troops in Ukraine without clear detail. What would happen if British troops are attacked, she asked?
Keep calm: Starmer said only that conflict with Russia was “the last thing anybody wants to see” — but wouldn’t be drawn on the hypotheticals. Expect more grilling on that if MPs do get a chance to debate and vote on deploying any British troops.
Carry on: Concrete American security guarantees are seen in European capitals as essential for making any Ukraine deal work. Badenoch pressed the PM about how he could convince Trump it is in the U.S. interest to help — especially after Washington withdrew all military aid for Ukraine. Again, the PM referenced his many conversations and phone calls with Trump — but specifics on how he might actually change Trump’s mind were lacking.
Trading places: Badenoch didn’t manage to secure a U.S. trade deal in her old government role as trade secretary. But she was happy to ask whether trade deal talks had begun so the U.K. could avoid tariffs (Trump hinted Britain could be in line for carve-outs last week.) The PM said he and the president had “agreed our teams would sit down rapidly.” That’s a way off the full-fat trade deal Brits have long coveted, although Starmer ducked the change to have a dig at the Conservatives’ own failed U.S. trade efforts.
Back to normal: A sober mood was apparently in the House of Commons given the magnitude of events on both sides of the Atlantic. That grown-up stuff lasted for almost the entirety of Badenoch’s questions, until the Tory leader pivoted for a social media friendly dig at government spending as she wrapped up. “Can we afford all of this?” she probed as she slammed the government’s “higher taxes and higher borrowing” pitch. “We were doing so well,” Starmer mused, before criticizing the Tories.
Vance’s vice: There was both subtle and direct criticism of Vice President JD Vance dismissing peacekeeping assistance from “some random country that hasn’t fought a war in 30 years,” a comment he insisted wasn’t aimed at the U.K. amid anger over here. In his opening remarks, Starmer paid tribute to soldiers killed in Iraq and Afghanistan, stating the public would remember “all those who serve our country.”
Nothing but the truth: Shadow Environment Secretary Victoria Atkins caused a stir by accusing the PM of lying about Labour’s policy on imposing VAT on private school fees — a no-no per the parliamentary rules. She got a ticking off from the House of Commons speaker.
Helpful backbench intervention of the week: Labour’s Southampton Test MP Satvir Kaur gave the PM a forensic grilling by, er, asking how the new Employment Rights Bill would help working people and deliver economic growth. In the answer of the century, Starmer revealed it in fact would do both. Hold the front page!
Totally unscientific scores on the doors: Badenoch 7/10. Starmer 6/10. It was largely a score draw between the two leaders as they nodded heads on backing Ukraine and achieving a U.S. trade deal. The Tory leader pressed Starmer on how he could ensure American security guarantees and the continued sharing of intelligence. While the PM gave sweeping statements of intent, there was little concrete detail — signaling just how much this situation sits outside of the U.K.’s control.
The post PMQs: Badenoch wins by playing nice with Starmer on Ukraine appeared first on Politico.
