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: Labour’s foreign policy. After reports the British government will increase the amount paid to Mauritius as part of its handover of the Chagos Islands, Conservative Leader Kemi Badenoch laid into the government’s negotiating strategy, arguing that “when Labour negotiates, the country loses.” But she soon cast the net wider — with mixed results.
Deal debrief: Labour agreed to hand sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius last October after years of legal uncertainty. The negotiations, which started under the Tories, meant the U.K. would retain control of the strategically important Diego Garcia airbase for at least 99 years. But the Mauritian government changed after the deal was announced, with new Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam’s government now pressing for more cash.
Heard this one before? Badenoch ripped into the plans, calling the agreement an “immoral surrender so north London lawyers can boast at their dinner party.” That anti-lawyer rhetoric just isn’t going away…
Called to the bar: Starmer adopted a … lawyerly tone, claiming “without legal certainty, the base cannot operate in practical terms.” But the PM was vague on matters of national security and Britain’s adversaries, adding “some within the party opposite know exactly what I am talking about.” If Badenoch wasn’t sufficiently briefed, he said, “she’s not fit to be prime minister.”
Speaking up: The Tory leader batted away accusations of being off her brief, calling Starmer’s answer “so weak and waffly it’s no wonder he needs a voice coach.” If you’re not a total nerd, that’s a reference to the Labour leader relying on coach Leonie Mellinger while in opposition — a move that’s seen him hit by a row over whether Covid-19 lockdown rules were breached while he was getting trained.
Cooking with gas: Rather than continue on the Chagos Islands row, Badenoch moved on to a recent court ruling over drilling in two vast North Sea oil and gas fields —Rosebank and Jackdaw. Badenoch said business is “abandoning the North Sea” because the British government had chosen not to fight a challenge by environmental groups to the drilling.
Gassed up: The PM insisted oil and gas will be part of the U.K.’s energy mix for “many years to come.” He criticized Badenoch for “student politics and playing party politics” — at PMQs of all places!
Helpful backbench interventions of the week: Labour’s Rugby MP John Slinger argued Reform UK are open to making the National Health Service an insurance-based system, despite leader Nigel Farage insisting that’s not true. Someone’s been reading their briefing notes from party HQ. Fellow Labour MP, Bolton South and Walkden’s Yasmin Qureshi asked Starmer to confirm the government is committed to improved rail services. You’ll be shocked to hear it is.
Totally unscientific scores on the doors: Badenoch 6/10. Starmer 7/10. The Tory leader had plenty of topics to question Starmer on as the government faces a mountain of domestic and international challenges. But while she slammed the Chagos deal, the Tory leader shifted strategy mid-way through. Starmer’s prepared responses allowed him to shrug it off.
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