PMQs verdict: Keir Starmer rediscovers how to wound this Conservative Party – Politics.co.uk

Of these, Cleverly will be the most confident of advancing to the contest’s activist endgame having amassed 39 supporters yesterday — up 18 from the last voting round on 10 September. But the race for second place looks tight indeed: Jenrick has so far won the support of 31 MPs (down two); Badenoch is backed by 30 (up two).

It is no secret that Cleverly would much prefer to face Jenrick rather than Badenoch, longtime darling of the grassroots, in the membership voting stage. As such, Westminster is today speculating that the camp Cleverly could deploy some sly “stop Badenoch” tactics to ensure Jenrick, the more beatable right-winger, wins a spot on the ballot. (The former home secretary is expected to sweep up the support of vanquished moderate Tugendhat and so should have plenty of MPs to redistribute).

Strategic vote “lending” does happen in contests like this, but it is always vehemently denied. Will Cleverly, then, opt to choose his preferred competitor? What reaction might this strategy, or the appearance of it, stir in the ever-combative Kemi Badenoch?

Certainly, Westminster is primed for some classic leadership race shenanigans this afternoon; Politics.co.uk will have the latest when the results are announced at 3.30 pm.

But to tide you over until then: a breakdown of all the action at PMQs as Rishi Sunak (remember him?) sparred with Keir Starmer over the upcoming budget and Sue Gray’s resignation.

***Politics.co.uk is the UK’s leading digital-only political website. Subscribe to our daily newsletter for all the latest news and analysis.***

PMQs verdict: Starmer finds his stride

Once upon a time, it was Rishi Sunak gripping the government despatch box on a Wednesday afternoon, forced to field questions about his beleaguered premiership — symbolised by his splintering party, cronyism accusations, petty scandals, vituperative internal briefing and oh-so dismal polling.

But the still-Conservative leader no longer bears responsibility for inspiring unity among his faction-riven party. His decision to nobly take a neutral stance in the Tory leadership race has left his wannabe successors to tear up his Conservative Party of their own accords — according to their own antagonistic agendas.

Sunak, however, still retains responsibility for lampooning Labour’s governmental glitches in the commons every week; and he will continue to until his successor is officially appointed on 2 November.

This afternoon, the ex-PM possessed no shortage of material to level at Keir Starmer, with whom he has conducted a riveting role reversal in recent times. In fact, despite rumours that the long Tory leadership campaign was contrived, in part, to punish Sunak for his poor premiership (and prevent him scurrying to California) — the former PM seems to be enjoying his despatch box duties.

Of course, the current administration’s difficulties are rather different in scope to those that perennially perturbed Sunak from 2023-2024. But having been on the wrong side of the opposition’s artillery for months as prime minister, Sunak surely knows what buttons to press.

Unsurprisingly then, the Conservative leader’s questions were tinged with a vengeful schadenfreude as he variously attacked Starmer over his fiscal, freebies and No 10 staffing woes.

The former PM began with a quippy reference to Sue Gray’s deposition last week, nodding also to the government’s upcoming employment law reforms. When did the prime minister, Sunak asked, “become a convert to fire and rehire?”.

But Starmer was remarkably snappy with his answer. He insisted he was “proud” to be publishing a bill which will give “people basic dignity at work and help grow our economy”. This, he added, is something the Conservative government “failed on for 14 years”.

Sunak’s main goal this session was to narrow the government’s room for manoeuvre ahead of the budget and tease out a possible U-turn to come. In this way, the Conservative leader asked repeatedly whether Labour’s election commitment not to raise income tax, National Insurance or VAT “applies to both employer and employee [NI] contributions.”

The prime minister’s non-answer suggested Sunak was asking the right question. “As he well knows I am not going to get drawn on decisions that will be set out [at the budget]”, Starmer insisted. “We made an absolute commitment in relation to not raising tax on working people.”

The prime minister then returned to a line he deployed frequently in opposition. “He, of course, was the experts’ expert on raising taxes”, Starmer blasted. The riotous cheer from the government benches reflected that this is the type of political hard-edge they want — and expect — from their prime minister.

And so Sunak referred back to his book of quips. “I don’t think Lord Alli is even buying any of that nonsense”, he declared.

But the prime minister continued to parry his predecessor’s attacks. As Sunak again repeated his National Insurance question, Starmer responded that the Labour Party was “returned with a huge majority” and will stick to its manifesto pledges.

Labour is getting on with delivering, Starmer added, while the Conservatives are “arguing about whether to scrap maternity pay”. It was a timely jab at Kemi Badenoch’s expense.

The prime minister, facing further fire from Sunak over Labour’s budget proposals, showed signs of rediscovering the political pointedness that helped Labour win the last election. Staring down Sunak, he continued: “This is literally the man who was in charge — 14 years — they crashed the economy. What did they leave? A £22 billion black hole.”

“We’re investing, we’re building the NHS fit for the future, back on its feet, better opportunities for young people and back to work”, Starmer slated. “After fourteen years of failure, we are giving Britain its future back.”

Sunak closed by deploying one of Starmer’s old PMQs tactics. He opted to end his questioning on a serious note — a strategy that, in theory, ensures a PM can’t slide into some rehearsed broadside. In this vein, the Conservative leader called on Starmer to confirm the Terrorism Bill will give security services the powers to tackle “evolving threats” and promised his party’s “constructive support”.

Starmer spent some time addressing the question — “We will give the security forces and services the powers they need”, he declared. But he nonetheless continued unphased with his planned scorching of the Conservative Party and its record in government. “It’s a shame they can’t celebrate Britain’s success under this government”, he began.

The prime minister added that investment is “pouring in” and the NHS strikes are “coming to an end”. Labour, Starmer said, is “clearing up the mess that they made and making a better country that people are crying out for”.

The prime minister even had a good line prepared for Sir Ed Davey’s most salient question. After Starmer was urged to confirm the Falklands will remain British after the recent Chagos Islands row, Starmer responded: “My uncle nearly lost his life when his ship was torpedoed defending the Falklands”.

He added: “They are British and they will remain British. And sovereignty in Gibraltar is equally not to be negotiated. … It’s personal to me.”

The line had surely been readied for use at Sunak’s expense — but even in this context, it was a potent comeback.

It almost makes one ponder: is Morgan McSweeney already working his magic?

Lunchtime briefing

MPs in Corbyn-aligned ‘Independent Alliance’ vote against Labour’s plan to tax private schools

Lunchtime soundbite

‘In our manifesto, we had clear red lines about the single market customs union, freedom of movement, and we will negotiate with those red lines in place’

— Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey asks the prime minister why he has ruled out a youth mobility scheme with the European Union.

Now try this…

‘Kemi Badenoch’s fans exchange ‘racist’ WhatsApp messages – including about Rishi Sunak’
The Mirror reports.

‘Morgan McSweeney – the permanent insurgent’
The New Statesman’s George Eaton writes that, as No 10 chief of staff, McSweeney faces his greatest challenge yet. (Paywall)

‘Scapegoat Sue Gray’s exit leaves Starmer’s No 10 with nowhere to hide’
Downing Street reset means PM and his team only have themselves to blame if they fail to communicate purpose and vision. Via The Guardian’s Jessica Elgot

On this day in 2023:

Labour pledges Covid Corruption Commissioner to chase £2.6 billion of ‘lost’ public funds