Starmer faces Badenoch at PMQs amid hopes of Ukraine deal
Latest updates
Political Correspondent
12 March 2025 • 12:16pm
12:28PM
Starmer rejects calls for wealth tax
Richard Burgon, the Labour MP for Leeds East, said: 'Disabled people in my constituency are frightened and they're frightened because they're again hearing politicians use the language of tough choices.
'And they know from bitter experiences that when politicians talk about tough choices, it means the easy option of making the poor and vulnerable pay. So instead of cutting benefits for disabled people, wouldn't the moral thing to do, the courageous thing to do, be to make a real tough choice and introduce a wealth tax on the very wealthiest people in our society?'
Sir Keir Starmer replied: 'The party opposite left a broken welfare system which locks millions out of work, that is indefensible in my view, economically and morally.
'Of course we need to support people who need support, and we need to help those who want to work to get back into work and I think there's a moral imperative in that.
'He talks about a wealth tax, we have raised money, the energy profits levy, taxing non-doms and air passenger duty on private jets. But this isn't a bottomless pit and we must kickstart growth to get the economy that we need.'
12:25PM
Starmer: No place for anti-Jewish racism in the NHS
Tulip Siddiq, a former minister, referred to reports that a Jewish NHS doctor had been killed a 'baby-killer' and asked what the Prime Minister was doing to ensure the safety of her constituents (there are eight synagogues in Ms Siddiq's constituency).
Sir Keir Starmer said: 'I thank her for raising these deeply concerning reports. It is deeply unacceptable for anyone to experience racism, discrimination or prejudice in the health service. I know my Right Honourable friend the Health Secretary takes such reports extremely seriously.
'It is a fundamental principle that the NHS provides care and treatment for everyone regardless of race, faith or background.'
When Sir Keir was interrupted as he said this, he replied: 'You've let yourself down and you know it.'
He continued: 'I expect all trusts and healthcare providers to take necessary action that have expressed views that do not reflect the views and values of the NHS.'
12:22PM
Sir Keir: All options on the table over Trump's tariffs
Sir Ed Davey called for Sir Keir Starmer to be 'more robust' with Donald Trump and fly out to Canada 'as soon as possible' to show the UK stands with the country 'against Trump's threats and against Trump's tariffs'.
'Canada is an ally and a very important ally too and I've spoken to our allies on many occasions about the situation in Canada,' Sir Keir said.
'On the question of tariffs, like everybody else I'm disappointed to see global tariffs in relation to steel and aluminium. But we will take a pragmatic approach.
'We are as he knows negotiating an economic deal which covers and will include tariffs if we succeed but we will keep all options on the table.'
12:19PM
Sir Keir Starmer: Current welfare system morally indefensible
John Slinger, the Labour MP for Rugby, noted one in eight adults are not in education, employment or training.
He asked Sir Keir Starmer 'to set out how everyone who is able to work get the support they need' and how he will 'fix the broken system' while taking a 'compassionate' approach towards disabled Britons.
Sir Keir said: 'I come from a family that dealt with disability through my mother and brother over many years so I do understand the concerns that are being raised by him.
'But we inherited a system which was broken, which is indefensible economically and morally and we must and we will reform it. We will have clear principles, we will protect those who need protecting. We will also support those who can work back to work. But Labour is the party of work, we are also the party of equality and fairness.'
He added: 'What we've inherited is shocking and they ought to be silent. One in eight young people not in education, work or training. That is a lost generation. That is their inheritance.'
12:17PM
Badenoch: This is a job-killing government
Kemi Badenoch accused Sir Keir Starmer of having 'no answers today' and 'making mistakes with this Budget'.
'He promised to freeze council tax but it's going up by £100. This is a high-tax, low-growth, job-killing government.
'Will he use the emergency Budget to fix the mess he's made?'
Sir Keir replied: 'Inflation under them 11 per cent, £22bn black hole, a mini-Budget that made us the laughing stock of the world and they want to give lectures on the economy to us. No thank you very much!'
12:15PM
Badenoch and Starmer clash over family farm tax
Kemi Badenoch said: 'The Prime Minister is not looking at what's happening out there... And that's before we get to the immoral family farms tax, on the very farmers who work so hard to produce our food. What does the Prime Minister have against farmers anyway?
'Does he not see that his Budget is killing farming in this country and he is making life so much harder for everyone else?'
The Prime Minister replied: 'The Budget provided £5 billion for farming over the next two years, that is a record amount. We've set out a roadmap for farming that has been welcomed by farmers, and many thousands of farms have benefited from the farming schemes.'
Sir Keir insisted: 'Families across the country are better off under Labour.'
12:13PM
Starmer: We're fixing the mess the Tories left
Kemi Badenoch asked Sir Keir Starmer about cuts to the winter fuel allowance while care home fees go up.
'How does he expect pensioners on a fixed income to make ends meet?' she said.
Sir Keir responded: 'This is why it's so important that wages are up higher than prices, that's why it's so important that the interest rates are coming down.
'This is the biggest boost for the cost of living for a very, very long time. What we're doing is picking up and fixing the mess that they left.'
12:12PM
Badenoch accuses Starmer of talking 'trash'
Kemi Badenoch said: 'The Prime Minister is out of touch because he should know that nurseries are charging over £2,000 for full-time care. That's £24,000 a year after tax and he's talking about 60p breakfast clubs. He has no idea what people out there are experiencing.
'And it is not just the families, even councils must pay his jobs tax. To cope with it the average council tax bill is increasing by over £100 in April after he promised to freeze it. Hard working families' money is going to the Chancellor instead of social care and fixing potholes. Why should these families pay more for less?'
Sir Keir Starmer replied: 'Well she really shouldn't denigrate what I think she calls '60p breakfast clubs'. She should be welcoming them. And she asked about council tax, the Tories put up council tax every year for 12 years.
'Their manifesto, Tory LGA manifesto, governments should remove the caps on council tax... We're the ones that are doing the right things to get the country on the right tax.'
Mrs Badenoch hit back: 'The point is he promised to freeze and they are going up. And if he wants to talk about councils let's look at Liverpool or maybe Birmingham where the rubbish is piling up so high people vote Labour and all they get is trash, just like what he's saying at the Despatch Box.'
12:09PM
Badenoch: Starmer's tax rises hurting every sector of the economy
Kemi Badenoch told Sir Keir Starmer: 'The Prime Minister needs to get out more. Inflation is up and estimates of job losses are between 130,000 and 300,000. His tax rises are hurting every sector of the economy. Things are getting worse for nurseries, nurseries are writing to stressed parents right now telling them fees will go up because of his jobs tax.
'Can he explain how more expensive childcare is good for the economy or for working families struggling to make ends meet?'
Sir Keir replied: 'We're putting in childcare, look at the breakfast clubs, two in her constituency. But she's rather forgetting the £22bn black hole that they left that we had to deal with. That's why we had to take the necessary but right measures that we did in the Budget.
'And what's her response? Not that she'd reverse them, she attacks what we've done but she doesn't say she'd reverse it. Because she wants all the benefits of our Budget in returns of investment but she doesn't want to pay for it. That's how we got into the mess in the first place.'
12:07PM
Starmer defends record on economy
Kemi Badenoch, the Tory leader, said: 'Later today, the Prime Minister is meeting the family of Sir David Amess. Sir David gave this House and our country 40 years of service.
'I hope the Prime Minister will agree getting the response to his murder right is vital not just to his family but to our democracy.
'Mr Speaker, every week I speak to businesses who are letting go of staff or closing. Has the Prime Minister been given an estimate of how many people will lose their jobs because of his Budget?'
Sir Keir responded: 'Just on the question of Sir David, he was a deeply loved and respected colleague. Behind me is the plaque as is the plaque for Jo Cox in front of me and I know this was deeply felt by the House but particularly as I acknowledged at the time by the party opposite who lost a colleague and a friend in the most awful of circumstances.
'Mr Speaker, I am meeting the Amess family later on today and will make sure that they get answers to the questions that they ask.
'Mr Speaker, in relation to businesses, I'm really pleased to say we've got thousands of new jobs into the economy, we've got more investment in the last 20 years at an absolute record, wages are up higher than prices, three interest rate cuts, the best boost to the cost of living for a very long time.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
28 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Keir Starmer plots equality law 'to penalise middle class and privately educated', Tories claim
Sir Keir Starmer is preparing to put 'class war' on the statute book by introducing an equality law which will discriminate against the middle classes and privately educated, the Tories claim. A consultation document published by Equalities Minister Bridget Phillipson reveals that the Office for Equality and Opportunity is seeking evidence on how to 'commence the socio-economic duty in the Equality Act 2010'. This requires public authorities to give 'due regard' to disparities of income and socio-economic status when making decisions. Tories argue this will lead to more cases like that highlighted in last week's The Mail on Sunday, revealing a mother's fury at 'shocking discrimination' by the NHS, denying her son vital treatment because he goes to a west London private school. The Government has already introduced a punishing 20 per cent VAT hike on private school fees. The Equality Act was pushed through by the last Labour Government but the crucial section on socio-economic duty was vetoed by the Tories when they took power after the 2010 election. Labour pledged in its 2024 manifesto to revive the provision to extend equality laws covering race, age, gender, disability and sexuality to include 'the inequality of social class'. It would entitle public bodies to make spending decisions that penalise middle class areas by diverting funds and opportunities to those deemed less privileged. It has raised the prospect of fewer bin collections, library closures and council tax hikes in richer areas. The Office for Equality and Opportunity paper reads: 'The socio-economic duty requires specified public authorities, when making strategic decisions such as deciding priorities and objectives, to give due regard to how their decisions might help to reduce inequalities associated with socio-economic disadvantage.' A Tory source said: 'In independent education, children will be permanently discriminated against by the wider policy of using socio-economic background to allocate public services, as their choice of school will be used against them by state bodies long into the future.' Shadow Education Secretary Neil O'Brien said: 'Labour's class war law will divide middle England and punish families who work hard and aren't on benefits. 'By enshrining woke identity politics in law, children will be discriminated against based on their postcode and their parents' occupation. 'Families will be marked down when children apply for school or university and face worse public services if they dare to send their children to independent schools. It will create a chilling culture in the public sector that will divide society and undermine equality of opportunity.' But a Labour source said: 'This is more desperate stuff from a Tory party sliding into irrelevance. It's more than a bit rich for the Conservatives to complain about socio- economic duty when Tory councils across the country have voluntarily applied it. 'Tories used to care about levelling up the neglected parts of this country and their public services that the socio-economic duty is designed to improve – they have nothing to offer.'
Wales Online
an hour ago
- Wales Online
We asked people in two communities in Wales why they voted Reform UK
We asked people in two communities in Wales why they voted Reform UK Lliedi resident Neil Thomas says he'll never vote Labour again (Image: Copyright Unknown ) Neil Thomas from Llanelli voted Labour at the UK General Election in 2024. "Never again," he said. He's one of the many converts to Reform UK who helped the party win a seat in Llanelli just over a fortnight ago and gain its first Carmarthenshire councillor. The 62-year-old had a few gripes to mention. He said he didn't expect to receive winter fuel allowance when he was eligible in a few years' time. Labour just this week did a u-turn on the payment, making millions more people on lower incomes eligible after previously restricting it to pensioners on certain benefits. He also felt aggrieved that he was turned down for a benefit he had been receiving called the personal independence payment following a medical assessment. Happily for him, he said his cousin appealed on his behalf and it was reinstated. But it seems like it's Reform UK leader Nigel Farage that's made the difference for him. "I voted Labour at the last general election and always voted Labour locally - never again," said Mr Thomas. "Next election I will be voting for Reform." Article continues below He said he liked what he'd seen of Reform UK and Nigel Farage on television. "He's straight-talking. He speaks his mind," he said. "He would be a good Prime Minister. The one we've got now, we don't know what the hell he's doing." Would the Reform UK leader and MP for Clacton have Wales' interests at heart, we asked? "We've got to wait and see," said Mr Thomas. For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation, sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here Two years ago Reform was bumping along the bottom of the UK polls, trading blows with the Greens to be one of the least popular national political parties in the country. Labour was at its zenith, tracking in the mid 40 per cents with the Tories stumbling along in the mid-20s. Then, towards the end of 2023, something changed. Reform began picking up support, soaring above the Greens and Lib Dems and slowly eating into the Tories' lack of popularity relative to Labour. Reform UK leader, Nigel Farage, speaking in Port Talbot (Image: WalesOnline/Rob Browne ) There were no great gains for Reform at the 2024 General Election which was won decisively by Labour, with Mr Farage's party picking up five seats, but the party won sweeping gains at the local elections in England earlier this year, taking 677 of the 1,600 seats and is now leading in the polls, with Politico's most recent poll of polls putting Reform on 30%, Labour on 23% and the Conservatives on 17% The Senedd elections take place on May 7, 2026, the next big electoral test for all political parties in Wales. A poll in May this year suggested Labour could lose control of the Welsh Government and drop to third, with Plaid Cymru taking the most seats, followed by Reform in third. In the meantime, the only clue we get as to what might be happening on the ground in Wales is by-elections. Just over a fortnight ago Reform UK's Michelle Beer won a vacant Lliedi seat by a stretch, defeating Welsh Labour in what has been solid Labour territory going by the 2022, 2017 and 2012 council elections. She is Reform UK's first Carmarthenshire councillor. Michelle Beer (centre), who is Reform UK's first county councillor in Carmarthenshire (Image: courtesy of Michelle Beer ) At last summer's general election Labour incumbent Nia Griffith held onto the Llanelli seat with 31.3% of the vote but Reform UK's Gareth Beer - Michelle's husband - wasn't a million miles away in second place with a 27.6% share. Reform UK, it seems, aren't going anywhere. When WalesOnline went to Lliedi to speak to voters, we caught up with Neil Thomas, mentioned earlier, and bellwether voter Stella Bartlett, who voted for Labour's Ms Griffith last July and for Reform UK's Mrs Beer on May 29. A residential street in Lliedi (Image: Copyright Unknown ) Asked about the switch, she said: "It was because of what's happening with Labour - they say one thing and do another. It was the way they took off money for winter fuel, and now they're going to put it back, but not all of it. "It's the cuts and putting National Insurance up for the workers which they shouldn't be doing. My granddaughter is a care worker and does a lot of overtime. When it comes to her pay, the tax is unbelievable." The 76-year-old added: "I met the Reform candidate (Mrs Beer) when she came to my door, and she was lovely. I also just happen to like Nigel Farage and what he is for. He seems down to earth, no airs and graces, like a normal person." Stella Bartlett with her rescue dog Buck (Image: Copyright Unknown ) Last autumn Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced a rise in the level of National Insurance contributions paid by employers rather than employees to help plug what Labour claimed was a £22 billion black hole left by the previous Conservative Government. It came into effect in April this year, as did inflation-busting increases in the national living wage and minimum wage. However, more people are slipping into the income tax bracket because of a freeze on the amount you can earn - known as the personal allowance - before the 20% basic rate applies. All political decisions are trade-offs and the winter fuel hokey cokey seems to have left its mark on some voters. Craig Morgan, of Llanelli, voted for Reform UK last July after previously voting Conservative. He said he didn't feel the two traditionally strongest parties were "doing anything good" for people. "They're trying to do up Llanelli but it's taking years," said the 43-year-old. "I felt like a change was needed." He said people needed better access to housing. Mr Morgan added: "Nigel Farage is a character. He says things how they are, but thank God he's not like Donald Trump, yet." Craig Morgan (Image: Copyright Unknown ) Asked if he'd had any reservations about voting for Reform UK, he didn't say no but added that he didn't want to get into a discussion about immigration. Would he vote for Reform UK at next year's Senedd elections? "I will see at the time," he said. Richard Thomas, 73, is a Reform UK convert and said levels of legal and illegal immigration concerned him. However he said he didn't blame people for coming to the UK to seek work in the health and care sectors. "If we didn't have them our hospitals would be knackered," he said. "There are also a lot of them at my mother's care home - they're better than our own people." Many years ago Mr Thomas, of Pontyates, a few miles north-west of Llanelli, worked at the nearby Cynheidre colliery. He liked what he heard from the Reform UK leader when he visited Port Talbot on June 9, such as bringing blast furnaces back to the steelworks and allowing coal to be mined to power them. "He spoke well at Port Talbot," said Mr Thomas, who previously tended to vote for Plaid Cymru. "What's wrong with burning coal? It's the best heat we ever had in our house." Was he worried that Reform UK might over-promise and, if it were to hold sway in the Senedd or House of Commons one day, under-deliver? "It depends on how much money there is in the kitty then," he replied. But Lliedi is not the only community in Wales to turn to Nigel Farage's party. The drive through the village of Cefn Cribwr down to Kenfig Hill and Pyle is a roughly two mile stretch of road that shows Wales at its finest on a clear day. The View From Cefn Cribwr (Image: Copyright Unknown ) With scenic views of Bridgend county borough to the south, and a snap-shot of the coast to the west, with Port Talbot steelworks framed between rows of houses in the distance, it is one that almost seems to encapsulate this part of the world at a glance. However, while these views have become a soothing and consistent sight to many in the Bridgend communities over the years, in recent months the political outlook for the area has become slightly less clear. This was evident at a council by-election held in May, 2025, which saw a seat in the ward of Pyle, Kenfig Hill and Cefn Cribwr won by the authority's first Reform UK councillor, Owain Clatworthy. Successful Refoirm UK Candidate Owain Clatworthy celebrates his win in Pyle with supporters after beating Labour into second place. (Image: Copyright Unknown ) He took his seat after edging out the second placed Labour candidate Gary Chappell by only 30 votes, to join two sitting Labour members for the area- current deputy leader, Cllr Jane Gebbie, and Mayor for Bridgend, Cllr Huw David. It came just weeks before the leader of Reform UK, Nigel Farage, visited the nearby town of Port Talbot to kick-start the party's Senedd election campaign, claiming they expected to not only win seats, but to also win enough to govern Wales. Speaking to locals in the ward of Pyle, Kenfig Hill and Cefn Cribwr, known historically as a Labour area, some feel a sense of anxiety over potential changes to the political status-quo, though for others they feel this small part of Bridgend has sent out a big message in the build up to 2026. Pyle Road in Bridgend (Image: Copyright Unknown ) Nigel Harris lives in the village of Kenfig Hill and said that when it came to politics, many people were frustrated with what they considered to be a lack of action in the area, with more needing to be done to help its communities. He said: "The problem with a lot of politicians is that they promise you everything, then when it actually comes down to it they don't do anything at all. "You only have to look outside at the grass in Kenfig Hill. It hasn't been cut for ages and it's coming to the point where its up to your knees in some places. "The roads are really bad with pot holes, there's a general lack of public toilets, and a lot of people are starting to get annoyed because, despite giving more, we seem to be going backwards. "The local high streets are dying in front of us, and everything you hear is just negative, so it doesn't surprise me to hear that people are looking for something different." Brian Smith said he felt that the latest by-election had also reflected frustrations with national problems, such as the cost-of-living crisis and the closure of the blast furnaces at the nearby Port Talbot steelworks site. He said: "People want change and I think there's going to be a big shock with how the votes go next year at the Senedd, with some moving away from the more traditional Labour or Conservative votes that we've seen in the past. "Of course, some of that will be because of local matters, but wider issues like the winter fuel allowance and the closure of the blast furnaces in Port Talbot will also play a big part in places like this. "The steelworks is a big one for me, as it always employed a lot of people in and around this area and they all saw the decision to save the Scunthorpe site while letting this one go." One resident who did not wish to be named said other national issues like securing the future of the NHS and tackling illegal immigration were also factors that would influence voters, stating: "Somebody's got to stop all these boats coming in. The National Health Service is on its knees at the moment and something has got to be done." For Ahmed Tezgel however, he felt that politicians across all parties needed to do more to engage with residents and live up to promises, adding: "I don't mind any party just as long as they are going to help the community." Speaking after his shock election win in May, 2025, which made him only the second Reform Councillor in Wales at the time, Cllr Owain Clatworthy, 20, said: "I'm incredibly humbled and it's a true honour to have been elected. "I ran a campaign based on people because many are fed up of being ignored and want to see change. The work begins now to build a better future for everyone in the ward and I will stand up for the community and put people first." Article continues below His work begins in that ward in one part of Wales, but the work of Reform and other parties is already well underway to convince people in wards and constituencies across the country to vote for them at the Senedd election next year. The future of Wales is at stake.
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
NHS patients battling Alzheimer's WON'T be offered 'miracle' drugs as health watchdog rules they are 'too expensive to justify'
Two of the first drugs proven to slow down Alzheimer's disease will be denied to NHS patients from this week - unless they pay to go private. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has refused the 'miracle' drugs lecanemab and donanemab for use on the NHS as they are too expensive to justify. This means over 70,000 patients in England will be denied the 'game-changing' drugs, found to slow cognitive decline by an average of four to seven months, unless they can afford tens of thousands of pounds a year for private treatment. After a positive drug trial in 2022, lecanemab (brand name Leqembi) made by Eisai, and donanemab (marketed as Kisunla), made by Eli Lilly, were proven to clear toxic amyloid protein from the brain and thus slow the underlying cause of dementia. Campaigners hailed it as 'the beginning of the end' of Alzheimer's. Iain Hartnell, Research Communications Officer at Alzheimer's Society, said: 'The MHRA's approval of the first safe and effective Alzheimer's disease treatment, shown to slow progression, is a defining moment for people with early-stage Alzheimer's disease in the UK and a significant step towards a more hopeful future.' Last year, both drugs were given drug licences in the UK by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). But without NICE's recommendation, the groundbreaking medicine will only be available to those with private healthcare. 'It is the end of the road for these drugs on the NHS,' an insider told The Times. Hilary Evans-Newton, the chief executive of Alzheimer's Research UK described the decision as 'deeply disappointing'. She told the publication that it sends 'a damaging signal to the life sciences sector - undermining confidence in the UK as a leader of dementia research, clinical trials and innovation, with knock-on effects for patients and the wider economy'. She added: 'These treatments are not perfect, and we recognise the challenges they pose around cost, delivery and safety. But scientific progress is incremental, and these drugs represent a vital foundation to build on.' The drugs were shown in trials to slow the rate of decline for those with mild to moderate Alzheimer's by an average of four to seven months. Lecanemab, for example, can slow the decline in memory and mental agility by 27 per cent in those with mild Alzheimer's taking the drug compared to people on the dummy drug. The research team also found that the drug reduced loss of quality of life by up to 56 per cent, according to the Alzheimer's Society. Importantly, the drug reduced the amount of amyloid protein present in the brain. Amyloid protein levels were also reduced in the blood and spinal fluid. Experts have long believed donanemab could herald a new era of dementia treatment, after studies showed it slowed the memory-robbing illness in its early stages Lecanemab has already been given the green light in the EU, US, China, Japan, Hong Kong, South Korea and Israel. It is estimated around 70,000 adults in England could eligible for the treatment if approved for use on the health service. Alzheimer's is the most common cause of dementia in the UK. Around 982,000 are currently estimated to be living with dementia UK - although this figure is expected to skyrocket to 1.4million in 2040. Alzheimer's Research UK analysis found 74,261 people died from dementia in 2022, compared to 69,178 a year earlier, making it the country's biggest killer. Recent analysis by the Alzheimer's Society estimates the overall annual cost of the dementia to the UK is £42billion a year, with families bearing the brunt. An ageing population means these costs — which include lost earnings of unpaid carers — are set to soar to £90billion in the next 15 years.
