Sir Keir Starmer had a new song today at PMQs. The Tories are finished. He said it twice to Kemi Badenoch. It was a deliberate ploy. So what’s he up to?
Kemi was ill-prepared for the session. She should have changed tack as soon as she heard Sir Keir’s opening statement about immigration.
Kemi’s day didn’t recover. Her questions lacked bite
‘This party will end the open-border experiment of the party opposite,’ said the PM. Instead of challenging him, Kemi stuck to her prepared script.
‘Unemployment is up by 10 per cent since the general election,’ she said. ‘Why is it rising on his watch?’
Sir Keir has just arranged trade deals with America and India – the richest and the most populous nations on earth – which is good news for employment. The PM swatted aside her question by speaking of ‘200,000 jobs’ and ‘record investment.’ He also accused her of planning to destroy his newly-signed contracts. Then came his epitaph on the Tories: ‘A once great political party is sliding into brain-dead oblivion.’
Kemi switched to the jobs tax. A better topic for her. A much-loved department store in Dorset is about to go bust after 180 years. ‘They’re holding a “Rachel Reeves closing-down sale,”’ she said.
Sir Keir ducked this specific point, ‘No one wants to see job losses,’ he said. But he invited her to ‘get on a train’ and visit the factories that his trade agreements have saved. He dared her to tell the workers that she plans to ‘rip up the deal.’ Once again, he sounded the Last Post for the Tories: ‘They’re sliding into oblivion. They’re a dead party walking.’
What’s his plan? He probably wants to attack Reform by claiming that they’re the Tories in new camouflage. Hence his wish to pronounce Conservatism extinct.
Kemi’s day didn’t recover. Her questions lacked bite. She asked Sir Keir to promise that unemployment would fall this year. It was hardly a serious challenge. She accused him of ignoring business leaders. That was too vague. And she ended with ‘Labour isn’t working’. It’s not even a question.
Sir Ed Davey had another tilt at winning the Nobel Peace prize. Is his interest in Gaza determined by the clips he sees on TikTok as he butters his morning toast?
Today, the Lib Dem leader was shocked to learn that ‘two million are at risk of famine’ and that ‘one in five face starvation.’ Brave Sir Ed is undaunted by such disasters. Supplying two million people with food is easy. He just asks a question in parliament.
Davey quoted the distressing statistics to Sir Keir and begged him to ‘pick up the phone to President Trump.’ Then what? Perfectly simple: ‘Form a joint plan to recognise Palestine and get food, medicines and water into Gaza.’
What Sir Ed meant by ‘recognise Palestine’ was hard to determine, but Sir Keir seemed to understand. The PM said that Whitehall’s finest insomniacs are busy arranging a new ceasefire in Gaza. ‘That work is going on through my team 24/7,’ he said. Their goal is ‘a two-state solution,’ he added. Does any self-respecting commentator still use this antiquated phrase? Two stage solution. It’s like asking your doctor to apply leeches.
Sir Keir was full of confidence today. Too full. His patience snapped as he listened to Liz Saville Roberts mocking his keynote speech on immigration. ‘Islands of strangers?’ she quoted, derisively. ‘Taking back control?’ She laid into him wittily and called him a weather-vane opportunist, a charlatan-for-hire.
‘The only principle he consistently defends is one he last heard in a focus group,’ she said. Then came this. ‘Is there any belief he holds that survives a week in Downing Street?’
‘Yes,’ said Sir Keir, ‘the belief that she talks rubbish.’
An outburst of temper from Sir Keir. Unusual. He’s on top of the world right now. He thinks he can get away with anything.
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