UK politics live: Starmer accused of chaos over winter fuel U-turn as he clashes with Badenoch at PMQs
Sir Keir Starmer and Kemi Badenoch have clashed over the government's U-turn on winter fuel payments during PMQs.
The prime minister has insisted an economic turnaround under him and Rachel Reeves means they can make the payments available for more pensioners this winter.
But Tory leader Kemi Badenoch has said there are still unanswered questions about who will be eligible and how the U-turn will be paid for.
'Three weeks ago the policy was set in stone, two weeks ago the prime minister U-turned, today the chancellor is rushing through her plans because she just realised when winter is,' Ms Badenoch said.
Sir Keir is facing questions in the Commons after the earlier announcement that the government's cuts to winter fuel payments would be reversed 'this coming winter'.
Ms Reeves confirmed the move as she unveiled a £15 billion package of investment in public transport in the North and Midlands.
He is also answering questions on concerns that Donald Trump's tariff exemption on British metal is only temporary, as the nation was spared a 50 per cent levy.
Tories: 'Is there any low to which Starmer won't sink?'
The Independent's Political Correspondent Archie Mitchell reports:
An unusually fiery PMQs has ended with the Conservatives asking 'is there any low to which Keir Starmer won't sink?'.
After the prime minister read out a social media post from the Russian embassy praising Kemi Badenoch, a Conservative Party spokesman said it was a 'truly astonishing' moment.
The spokesman accused him of 'reading out a tweet written in the Kremlin, designed to divide the western alliance on Ukraine'.
The Tories said: 'Is there any low to which Keir Starmer won't sink to distract from his political problems?
'This was the first time a Labour leader has repeated Kremlin propaganda in Parliament since Jeremy Corbyn and the Salisbury poisonings.'
Athena Stavrou4 June 2025 12:45
'Not every department will get what they want', says Reeves
Earlier, the Chancellor has admitted not every sector will 'get everything they want' in the government's spending review next week.
Rachel Reeves has been involved in wrangles with Cabinet colleagues over departmental budgets and insisted her self-imposed 'fiscal rules' were 'non-negotiable'.
The Chancellor said the combination of tax hikes she has already unveiled and the changes to the way borrowing for investment is accounted for meant £300 billion extra was available over the coming years.
But she acknowledged this was not enough to meet the demands made by ministers.
She said: 'Not every department will get everything that they want next week and I have had to say no to things that I want to do too.'
But, she added: 'That's not because of my fiscal rules. It is a result of 14 years of Conservative maltreatment of our public services, our public realm and of our economy.'
She said there were 'good things I've had to say no to' but 'the reason for that is because it is important to have control of the public finances'.
Athena Stavrou4 June 2025 12:43
PMQs finished
This week's PMQs has now finished.
The session began with Sir Keir Starmer facing tough questions on the government's winter fuel payment U-turn.
He also answered questions on Gaza and the government's new investment announcement for public transport in the North and Midlands.
Athena Stavrou4 June 2025 12:41
Reform UK's new MP gets dressing down from Starmer
The Independent's Political Correspondent Archie Mitchell reports:
Sir Keir Starmer has attacked Reform UK's newest MP Sarah Pochin - a former Conservative party member - after she popped up to ask him about his EU reset deal at PMQs.
The prime minister said: 'Now she is here and safely in her place, perhaps she could tell her new party leader that his latest plan to bet on £80 billion of unfunded tax cuts with no idea how he is going to pay for it is Liz Truss all over again?'
He added: 'Although, considering I think she was a Conservative member when Liz Truss was leader, she probably won't.'
Athena Stavrou4 June 2025 12:37
Watch: Starmer refuses to say whether government will scrap two child benefit cap
Athena Stavrou4 June 2025 12:34
PMQs: Important by-election claxon
The Independent's Political Editor David Maddox reports:
For those paying careful attention there are a number of planted questions from Scottish Labour MPs in PMQs today directly attacking the SNP.
This is because there is an important Scottish Parliament by-election in Hamilton tomorrow which some are tagging as an indicator of the health of the Labour government in Westminster.
While the SNP are clear favourites to win, Labour are not second place in a constituency which they should be winning easily.
Instead Nigel Farage's Reform are second favourite and some believe they could even win it.
The seat is the Scottish Parliament version of the Westminster seat of Imogen Walker, the wife of Starmer's chief of staff Morgan McSweeney.
If Labour comes third tomorrow the alarm bells are going to be ringing in the party where there is already a lot of unhappiness at the direction of a government which is cutting welfare and spending more on defence.
Athena Stavrou4 June 2025 12:30
Starmer: US trade deal will be implemented in 'a couple of weeks'
The Independent's Political Correspondent Archie Mitchell reports:
Sir Keir Starmer has said the provisions of the UK-US trade deal will be implemented in 'a couple of weeks'.
After Donald Trump set a five-week deadline for the trade deal to be put in place, the prime minister indicated it would be completed well before that.
The consequence of not implementing it in full would be Britain's steel and aluminium exporters being hit with a 50 per cent levy on sales into the US.
But, pressed on Mr Trump's latest comments, Sir Keir said: 'We have a deal. We're implementing it within a very short time. I'm very confident we will get those tariffs down in accordance with the deal, and I'll come back to him and update the house in due course.
'Let's come back to this in just a couple of weeks when we've implemented it.'
4 June 2025 12:26
Keir Starmer kicks the can down the road on the two child benefit cap
The Independent's Political Correspondent Millie Cooke reports:
Sir Keir Starmer has once again refused to say whether his government will scrap the two child benefit cap, kicking the can down the road until the child poverty strategy is published in Autumn.
Kemi Badenoch asked him to give a 'simple answer' on whether or not he would keep the cap, to which the prime minister responded: 'I'm absolutely determined that we will drive down child poverty.
'That's one of the proudest things of the last government. That's why we've got a task force, that's why we've got a strategy. We'll set out that strategy in due course. Under them, child poverty always goes up.'
Athena Stavrou4 June 2025 12:23
Starmer: Situation in Gaza is 'appalling and intolerable'
The Independent's Political Correspondent Archie Mitchell reports:
Sir Keir Starmer has described the situation in Gaza as 'appalling and intolerable', calling for a fresh ceasefire and the release of Israeli hostages.
The prime minister was asked by SDLP MP Claire Hanna about the tens of thousands of deaths in Gaza and the 'generation of Gazans stunted by hunger and trauma'.
She asked: 'When will Britain be ready for peace? When will it help to stop this genocide? When will it hold the Israeli government to account? And when will it recognise the state of Palestine?'
Sir Keir said: 'She's absolutely right to describe this as dark days. Israel's recent action is appalling and, in my view, counterproductive and intolerable, and we have strongly opposed the expansion of military operations and settler violence and the blocking of humanitarian aid.'
He added: 'We will keep looking at further action, along with our allies, including sanctions. But let me be absolutely clear, we need to get back to a ceasefire. We need the hostages who have been held for a very long time to be released, and we desperately need more aid at speed and at volume into Gaza, because it's an appalling and intolerable situation.'
Athena Stavrou4 June 2025 12:19
Starmer: 'There is only one party leader being praised by Russia'
The Independent's Political Correspondent Archie Mitchell reports:
Sir Keir Starmer has said there is 'only one leader being praised by the Russian embassy', after one of Kemi Badenoch's interviews was shared on its social media accounts.
The prime minister said if the Tory leader 'carries on echoing Kremlin talking points like this, Reform are going to be sending her an application form for membership'.
Attacking Reform over Nigel Farage's past pro-Putin comments is one of Sir Keir's favourite talking points.
He went on to read Ms Badenoch's entire Sky News interview quote, where she said: 'Israel is fighting a proxy war on behalf of the United Kingdom, just like Ukraine is on behalf of Western Europe against Russia.'
Sir Keir added: 'Well, that was certainly noticed in the Russian embassy.'
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