Kemi Badenoch was on good, brutal form at Prime Minister’s Questions today. Keir Starmer had tried to spike her guns by using a planted question to tell the chamber at the start that as the economy improved, he wanted to see more pensioners eligible for winter fuel payment. But the Tory leader still managed to make Starmer – and his party – look uncomfortable. Her most potent line was a taunt: ‘He can’t see them, but they all look sick just hearing what it is he’s going to do.’ Enough Labour MPs have expressed worries about the government’s policies on benefits, immigration and aid that her accusation rang true, even though some of Starmer’s backbenchers theatrically laughed at her.
The Tory leader did try with her opening question to keep defending her party’s record, which was a misstep: she was so busy reacting to the criticism of the Conservatives in Starmer’s earlier answer that she didn’t major on the announcement that voters were more interested in: the winter fuel payment policy change.
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