New Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch demanded Keir Starmer apologise to Donald Trump in her first appearance at Prime Minister’s Questions today.
Badenoch, who won last weekend’s Conservative leadership race, referenced the foreign secretary’s historic comments describing president-elect Trump as a “neo-Nazi sympathising sociopath”.
David Lammy made the remark on Twitter in 2017 when Labour were in opposition.
Re: Daily Mail story today. Yes, if Trump comes to the UK I will be out protesting on the streets. He is a racist KKK and Nazi sympathiser.
— David Lammy (@DavidLammy) September 26, 2017
Starmer avoided providing an apology, instead maintaining that Lammy attended a very “constructive” dinner with Trump recently.
The Conservative leader directly addressed how members of Starmer’s cabinet previously voted to ban Trump from Parliament before saying: “President Trump will soon be calling to thank him [Starmer] for sending all of those North London Labour activists to campaign for his opponent.”
Badenoch described these Government officials as “student politicians”, and urged Labour to extend an invitation to the new US president, to which Starmer highlighted the importance of the special relationship but did not commit.
Badenoch, who received an “almost warm welcome” by Keir Starmer, vowed to form a “constructive opposition” as the Conservative leader.
Donald Trump will soon be calling to thank him for sending all those "north London Labour activists to campaign for his opponent," Kemi Badenoch tells the PM
— BBC Politics (@BBCPolitics) November 6, 2024
It's "crucial" we have a "strong relationship" with the US, Keir Starmer responds#PMQs https://t.co/oW6M3dA0au pic.twitter.com/cmt1tR9zDp
In the spiky exchange, Badenoch repeatedly accused the Prime Minister of using scripted answers, refusing to answer questions, and remaining non-committal regarding defence spending and trade relations.
Starmer hit back at the leader of the opposition by pointing out Badenoch’s own script reading, reiterating Labour’s commitment to “fix the foundations” of the economy, and standing by Britain’s 2.5% NATO pledge.
Badenoch’s final gripe is what she described as the “cruel” family farm tax and she demanded a reversal of this to protect farmers and the security of the nation.
The Prime Minister concluded this exchange by pointing to the Labour budget’s increased £5bn investment into farming, and the protection of farmers from a higher inheritance tax.
Join the discussion