Badenoch will ‘absolutely not’ apologise for PMQs comments about Starmer’s downfall, spokesperson says – UK politics live

Key events

Jessica Elgot says Bridget Phillipson, the education secretary, and Liz Kendall, the technology secretary, confronted Kemi Badenoch about her comments (see 1.31pm) outside the chamber after PMQs.

NEW - MPs say Bridget Phillipson and Liz Kendall confronted Kemi Badenoch about her language at PMQs today where she called Phillipson “spiteful” which Kendall said was outrageous. Badenoch reported to have said “I’m never going to stop talking about how spiteful you are”

Phillipson then hit back at Badenoch: “The public are going to find out who you really are.”

Labour sources say the Speaker’s intervention was about Badenoch’s comments about Phillipson.

Labour planning to complain to the Speaker and to the Tory whips - especially given Badenoch’s previous “Gestapo” comments

PMQs - snap verdict

Kemi Badenoch is probably very happy with that performance. But some of her MPs will worry that she crossed a line, and that she is finding it hard to differentiate between effective parliamentary attack and sheer nastiness.

When a PM stands down, it is normal for their opponents to show a bit of decorum, tone down the criticism a bit, say something complimentary and wish them well for the future. Given that this is not Starmer’s last PMQs, there was no need for Badenoch to do this today – although at least a nod in this direction was probably expected. Perhaps she will manage it on Wednesday 15 July (probably Starmer’s last PMQs), although you would not bet on it on the basis of today.

Badenoch was dismissive and patronising towards Starmer but what was striking was what she said about four of his colleagues. This may have be an indication that, with Starmer out of the way, she is now on the hunt for other targets.

Not for the first time, she was brutal about Rachel Reeves, the chancellor. Badenoch said:

Starmer wouldn’t be in this mess if his chancellor had found money for the defence investment plan. The prime minister gave her the second most important job in Britain, she was the first female chancellor, she lives next door to him, but wouldn’t even come out to stand by him during his resignation speech. She was too busy getting ready for a selfie with the new leader. Does the prime minister feel let down by his chancellor?

Next in line for attack was Ed Miliband, the energy secretary. Badenoch said:

The chancellor isn’t the only person who let him down, the energy secretary is putting up bills and killing jobs. He was a failed Labour leader, rejected by the electorate, brought back from the wilderness by this man, and when the going got tough, he jumped into bed with the mayor of Manchester. It’s not the first time he’s betrayed someone close to him, is it? Does the prime minister think that his treachery should be rewarded by being appointed chancellor?

These comments were harsh, but not unprecedented. More surprising was what Badenoch said when she lashed out at Bridget Phillipson, the education secretary who is not a particularly prominent figure in the government– but who is a hate figure in some Tory circles where people are having to pay VAT on their children’s private school fees. Badenoch said:

She taxed private schools to pay for more teachers, but the number of teachers has gone down. It turns out appointing a spiteful class warrior as education secretary was a disaster.

Badenoch then aimed her invective at the entire PLP, saying they had planted “400 knives” in Starmer’s back and that they were not Labour MPs but “welfare MPs”. At this point Lindsay Hoyle, the speaker, had had enough and delivered a reprimand to Badenoch for her language. This is rare, and a sign that at least one influential parliamentary thought she went too far.

Andy Burnham was not in the chamber, but Badenoch also took a swipe at him in her final question describing him as little more than “a pair of eyelashes and a black T-shirt”. This was probably the worst of all her jibes – not because it was rude (imagine a male MP saying something like that about a woman), but because there is nothing more fatal, or stupid, in politics than underestimating your opponents, and Burnham’s record in Makerfield suggests the Tories should be taking him very seriously.

Starmer dealt with this splurge of vitriol with good grace. He did win with any zingers, but he emerged from the exchanges as the better person.

Alistair Strathern (Lab) asks about Gareth Southgate’s TV documentary about young men, and asks what can be done to ensure there are more male teachers in schools to provide role models.

Starmer says the family hubs programmes will deliver more opportunities for young people.

Richard Foord (Lib Dem) asks if Starmer has any advice for his successor.

Starmer says his advice would be don’t deliver austerity. And, since Foord is a Lib Dem, he would also say don’t wear a wetsuit.

Becky Gittins (Lab) asks about a dance event in her constituency.

Starmer commends her for it, but says he was glad he was not asked to join in.

John Lamont (Con) asks if the PM will set up an inquiry into the SNP embezzlement case.

Starmer says the SNP has serious questions to answer. But it is not addressing them. That is totally the wrong approach, he says.

Alex Baker (Lab) says elderly Gurkha veterans were assaulted at an event in Aldershort. She asks the PM to condemn it.

Starmer says this attack was “utterly disgraceful”. He says the Gurkhas have made a great contribution.

Martin Wrigley (Lib Dem) asks if social media companies should be treated as publishers, not platforms, making them liable for their content.

Starmer sums up actions already taken by the government on social media, but says there is “more to do”.

Ian Lavery (Lab) asks about a miners’ welfare organisation that he says is failing to support groups in miners’ communities.

Starmer says the Charity Commission is investigating this case.

Shockat Adam (Ind) says he is concerned about the safety of his Muslim children. He says there was no outcry in the Commons when a man was convicted of raping a woman because he thought she was Muslim, even though attacks on victims from other racial groups have been condemned.

Starmer says all attacks of this kind should be condemned.

Rachel Hopkins, the Labour MP for Luton South and South Befordshire, praises the emergency services for their work in response to the rail crash last week.

Starmer says they did an “outstanding job”. He says he found their work “humbling”.

Jack Rankin (Con) says defence is the first duty of the government. He says the UK must tell Nato allies what it will do. He asks about reports that Andy Burnham wants its publication delayed.

Starmer says defence of the realm was a duty the last government failed at. He says the defence investment plan will be published before the Nato summit.

Desmond Swayne (Con) asks if there will be time for PM to tell his party about the moral of the tale about Jim, who ran away from his nurse and was eaten by a lion.

Starmer ignores the question, but says he recalls the time that Swayne came to visit him when he was on holiday in Swayne’s New Forest West constituency, and he thanks him for his kindness.

Liz Saville Roberts, the Plaid Cymru leader, at Westminster, says Labour losing power in Wales is part of Starmer’s legacy. She urges Starmer to leave a note for his successor saying he should treat Wales with more respect.

Starmer says he will leave a note saying he delivered the biggest devolution settlement for Wales in years, and removed 70,000 Welsh children from poverty.

Fleur Anderson (Lab) asks what the government is doing to improve resilience to climate change.

Starmer says the government is building up resilience. But the Tories want to rip up the Climate Change Act, he says.

Ed Davey, the Lib Dem leader, says he knows how difficult it was for the PM to make the statement he did on Monday. He says MPs should remember that “we are all human”.

Saying we all know how hard it is when relationships break down, and when you cannot even speak to your neighbour sometimes, does the PM recognise the case for rebuilding relations with the EU?

Starmer says the UK has reset relations with the EU, and he says he is proud of that. He says Davey has reflected on his own career. Referring to Davey saying he turned down a job with MI6, he jokes about 00 Davey.

Davey says we are seeing travel chaos because of the weather. The Met Office says extreme weather will get worse. Will the PM advise Burnham to ignore parties that are ignoring the dangers of climate change.

Starmer says it used to be common ground in the Commons that action on climate change is needed. He says it is a shame that the Tories have abandoned this to chase Reform UK votes.

Badenoch says Starmer has made many mistakes. But he has been let down by his chancellor and his energy secretary and his MPs too. They have abandoned him for “a pair of eyelashes and a black T-shirt”.

Starmer defends his record, and says this was changed delivered by a Labour government.

Lindsay Hoyle, Commons speaker, urges Badenoch to tone down her language and show opponents more 'respect'

Badenoch says Labour MPs are cheering, even though there are “400 knives” in Starmer’s back.

She says Labour MPs blocked welfare reform. “They are not Labour MPs, they are welfare MPs.”

Lindsay Hoyle, the speaker, intervenes. He says MPs should think about the language they use.

Starmer says he is proud of his MPs. He inflicted the biggest loss on the Tories in the history of their party. Badenoch won’t talke about her party’s failure.

UPDATE: Hoyle said:

Please, can I just say, think about the language using, because when we leave this chamber, don’t be surprised when constituents feel they can use the same language against each other.

Let us show a little bit more decorum and respect to each other.

In the original version of this post, I said Hoyle was referring to the knives remark when he made this intervention. I have taken that out because another account says he was referring to what Badenoch said about Phillipson, and a third report says Hoyle did not like Badenoch saying Labour MPs “don’t like it up ’em”. It is not clear which of Badenoch’s various remarks was the trigger for his intervention; perhaps it was all of them.