Latest news with #PMQs
New Statesman
2 hours ago
- Politics
- New Statesman
PMQs review: The Afghan data scandal hits Westminster
Photo by House of Commons If Westminster watchers were hoping to end the parliamentary session with a bang, PMQs was once again a massive anti-climax. Coming 24 hours after the jaw-dropping reports of the Afghan data breach and two-year super-injunction broke, it was always going to be one of those sparring matches marked by the disconnect between the news of the day and what the leader of the opposition chose to ask about. Kemi Badenoch, after all, was unlikely to hammer Keir Starmer with questions about a scandal which took place while she herself was in government. Still, it is rarely a good sign when the headline revelation comes after the session itself. In the post-PMQs huddle, a No 10 spokesperson disclosed that while Badenoch only learned of the data breach on Monday, she had in fact been offered a security briefing in which she would have been informed of it back in March. Later, the Tory leader's own spokesperson confirmed that she had declined the invitation of the briefing, on the grounds that it was not marked as urgent. Awkward stuff when someone whose strategy every week at PMQs is to accuse her adversary of not being across the detail cannot be bothered to turn up and find things out for herself. In a way, this unedifying update sums up how the weekly Badenoch-Starmer spectacles have felt this year. Badenoch frequently trips herself up by not being on top of the detail – choosing questions plucked from the tabloid front pages without checking their accuracy, attacking decisions made by the government she was part of, and appearing to have only recently discovered things that should have fallen well within her brief as a minister. If the job of opposition leader is meant to be an audition for that of prime minister, she is not doing herself any favours. As for what actually happened in the chamber, if you missed this particularly episode it isn't worth watching back. It wasn't only Badenoch who didn't want to talk about the implications of a government secretly developing a whole new policy and getting a court order to prevent anyone – including our elected representatives in parliament – from knowing about it. MPs seemed to have had a mass memory lapse, skirting the issue in favour of the usual PMQs fodder: social housing, water shortages, digital ID cards. All important issues, to be sure, but in a week in which the very concept of democratic accountability has been challenged, you might have expected them to have something to say about it. Ed Davey did note that the Lib Dems would support Starmer if he wanted to pursue a public inquiry into the saga, but that was about it. Badenoch led on the economy (because of course she did), building up through her questions to the prime minister on inflation, tax rises and the cost of borrowing to a painfully scripted call to 'go through his end of term score card'. She couldn't quite get the call-and-response trick with her own MPs to work this time, which was a bit embarrassing. There was a telling moment when she pressed Starmer on what his team mean when they talk about people on 'modest incomes' (a phrase used by Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander earlier in the week), which he dodged with a definition of 'working people'. Expect much more speculation on who is and isn't included in this bracket as we get into Budget season after the summer and Rachel Reeves has to figure out how to raise revenue without breaking the promise not to raise taxes on this particular group. But other than that, it was all the usual attack lines. At this point, ChatGPT could probably write them for her. Starmer's answers were similarly an amalgamation of everything we have heard from him in these sessions over the last year: £22bn black hole, fastest growth in the G7, calls for the Tories to apologies. If you had 'Liz Truss mini-budget' on your bingo card, you were in luck once again. The other safe bet these days is that Starmer will find a way to shoehorn an attack on Reform somewhere into his answers. Today was no exception. Labour MP for Rossendale and Darwen Andy MacNae (who has been out and about on the New Statesman website this week calling for less reliance on OBR forecasts) asked about concerns over cuts to nursery funding in his patch in Lancashire, where Reform is in charge of the council. This gave Starmer the opportunity to remind the House that's MacNae's predecessor in the seat, former Conservative chairman Jake Berry, has recently ditched his party for Reform. The defection, the PM argued, 'proves once again if you vote Tory you get Reform, and if you vote Reform you get the Tories'. We're only a year into this parliament, and already that line is getting worn out. Subscribe to The New Statesman today from only £8.99 per month Subscribe But perhaps Starmer had something other than originality on his mind today. Just hours after the session ended the news broke that the prime minister has suspended at least four of his MPs. Those MPs are reported to be Rachael Maskell, Brian Leishman, Neil Duncan-Jordan and Chris Hinchcliff. Their offence? 'Persistent breaches of party discipline', although there are also rumours they have been 'actively organising against the government'. This time last year when Starmer withdrew the whip from a group of MPs for being disobedient, one of them was Zarah Sultana – who is now off to found (maybe) her own left-wing party. A lesson there, as MPs drift a way from a thoroughly pointless PMQs session into the supposed calm of the summer recess. [Further reading: Are Unite and Labour heading for divorce?] Related
Spectator
3 hours ago
- Politics
- Spectator
Starmer takes Labour whip off rebels
After a week of brooding, Keir Starmer has decided to strike. Like Michael Corleone, today he is settling all family business. A series of Labour recalcitrants have been summoned to the Whips' Office this afternoon. So far four MPs – Neil Duncan Jordan, Chris Hinchcliff, Brian Leishman and Rachel Maskell – have lost the whip. All have reputations of being 'troublemakers', having led respective revolts on winter fuel, planning reform, Grangemouth and the welfare changes. Rosena Allin Khan, Bell Ribeiro-Addy and Mohammed Yasin have all lost their trade envoy roles too. What is behind today's bolt from the blue? Among Labour MPs, there is some surprise at the timing of the purge. 'Why now?' was one veteran's snap reaction, pointing to the fact that a six week recess begins on Monday. Clearly, after the debacle of the welfare U-turn, Starmer's aides believes that it is important to 'send a message' in mafioso speak, rather than allow dissenters to stir up trouble throughout the summer. While it is the Whips' Office who are delivering the punishment, most believe the No. 10 political operation are behind it. It is striking how much Starmer has been seen on the estate in recent days. As I reported last week, there was an amusing incident in the Smoking Room. The PM and his entourage arrived on a charm offensive, only to be greeted by Tory MPs at the bar. Messages had to be sent on group chats, ensuring that a deluge of Labour loyalists came to greet him. Starmer then spent two hours in parliament after PMQs today, meeting members of his party. He will hope that such visibility will enable him to mend the broken bridges between his No. 10 team and the parliamentary party. For a man who has always disliked the theatricality of politics, Starmer has today offered his colleagues a stark and visible choice. Work with him and feel the love. Or rebel and enjoy a semi-public execution on one of Alan Campbell's black sofas.
Spectator
5 hours ago
- Business
- Spectator
Keir Starmer is taking Boris Johnson's approach to PMQs
Keir Starmer joked at Prime Minister's Questions today that Tory MPs seemed to be on recess already. But he wasn't exactly firing on all cylinders either, giving automated answers to Kemi Badenoch's questions about tax and the economy. Having complained volubly about prime ministers not answering the questions he asked as leader of the opposition, he now has a stock set of his own personal flannels with which to dodge giving real answers as Prime Minister. Starmer started the session with a line on the Afghan data leak, telling the Chamber: 'Yesterday, the Defence Secretary set out the full extent of the failings that we inherited – a major data breach, a superinjunction, a secret route that has already cost hundreds of millions of pounds. Ministers who served under the party opposite have serious questions to answer about how this was ever allowed to happen.' Funnily enough, Kemi Badenoch chose not to focus her questions on that matter, instead asking Starmer whether he agreed with the Office for Budget Responsibility that higher levels of tax would be bad for growth. Out came the first flannel, which was that what was bad for growth was 14 years of Tory government. Then we were treated to the same list that we hear nearly every week about the highest levels of growth, record investment, trade deals and so on. Politicians like to be repetitive as it gives them a better chance of making a message stick with the public. But the thing that's being repeated needs to bear some relation to the way voters feel about their lives and what's important. Tax levels will naturally have far greater bearing on that feeling than intangible statements about higher growth rates than other countries. Badenoch did a bit of her regular defending of the stories' economic record, and then pointed out that inflation was up and the budget 'had high taxes: that's why the economy is contracting'. She asked him what someone on a modest income was. Starmer produced flannel number two as he told her that she was talking the country down. His definition was: 'I think of the working people across this country who put in every day and don't get back what they deserve, and that's who we're working for.' The Tory leader felt this suggested the government was coming for self employed people, but Starmer claimed that 'the self-employed are the very people who suffered on their watch'. He accused her again of talking the country down – a line he always found infuriating when boosterish Boris Johnson used it against him at PMQs. Badenoch then said the Chancellor was considering a raid on pension contributions, adding: 'A tax on pension contributions is a tax on working people'. Starmer flannelled some more with lines about Labour making 'absolutely clear commitments in our manifesto'. It wasn't long before he dropped Liz Truss and the £22 billion black hole in there too, just in case anyone was getting anxious that he'd forgotten to mention them. His payoff was another list of intangible and disputable achievements, and then 'Mr Speaker, we are only just getting started.' More revelatory was the exchange the Prime Minister had later on in the session with SDLP MP Colum Eastwood, where he gave the clearest justification yet for the government's approach to the Legacy Act. Eastwood asked for assurances that 'no murderer is seen as above the law'. Starmer replied with a tribute to military veterans, saying he had the 'most profound respect and debt' to them. He then added that: 'Veterans are at risk because of the false promises of the last government. Let's be clear they made a false promises of immunity that does not exist. It was unlawful. It was struck down, and it was undeliverable. Their failed Legacy Act leaves veterans exposed with no settled process.' With veterans' minister Al Carns still apparently on resignation watch over the issue, the Prime Minister was talking as much to his own side as he was to the MP asking the question.
STV News
7 hours ago
- Business
- STV News
Keir Starmer to face PMQs as inflation jumps and Trump confirms meeting
Keir Starmer will face his last Prime Minister's Questions before the summer recess after new figures showed that inflation had jumped to the highest level for nearly 18 months. UK inflation rose to a near 18-month high in June as food prices surged for the third month running, according to official figures. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said Consumer Prices Index inflation rose to 3.6% in June, up from 3.4% in May and the highest since January 2024. The increase was unexpected, with most economists forecasting inflation to remain unchanged at 3.4%. Wednesday's PMQs also comes weeks before Starmer is due to meet with Donald Trump in Scotland. Trump said he would meet the Prime Minister in Aberdeen later this month during a private visit to Scotland, during which they will 'refine' the trade deal between the UK and the US. The US President said they were going to do 'a lot of different things' and described Britain as a 'great place' which is a 'true ally' of the US. Scottish secretary Ian Murray said holding talks with the president is the 'right thing to do'. Scottish First Minister John Swinney will also meet the president, who recently voiced his support for the oil and gas sector over wind power projects. Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
BBC News
7 hours ago
- Business
- BBC News
Starmer about to face Badenoch at last PMQs before summer recess
Update: Date: 11:52 BST Title: MPs pack the Commons to catch a glimpse of PMQs Content: Joshua NevettReporting from the House of Commons The green benches in the House of Commons are filling up, as MPs take their seats ahead of Prime Minister's Questions. I'll be watching from the gallery above. It's Tory leader Kemi Badenoch's last chance to make some political waves at PMQs before the summer recess. So, what could come up this week? The Afghan data breach (see more detail here) is the talk of Westminster today. It's likely MPs will raise for other topics, the rise in inflation, new data on the immigration status of universal credit claimants, and the two-child cap on benefits could also be in the mix. As ever, though, it's a guessing game at this point. Update: Date: 11:47 BST Title: What's happening with inflation? Content: As we've been reporting, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) published its monthly update this morning - and it showed that inflation rose to 3.6% in the year to June. Inflation is the increase in the price of something over time - if a bottle of milk costs £1 but is £1.05 a year later, then annual milk inflation is 5%. How are these figures calculated? The ONS takes a representative sample of more then 700 goods and services - including things like flour, pork chops, streaming services and cereal - to calculate the figure. Changes in the prices of these products are regularly checked at around 20,000 shops across the country. Why does this matter for Starmer? Labour was elected on a pledge to reduce the cost of living for ordinary people, and this news comes a few days after separate figures revealed the economy shrank unexpectedly in May. Last week, Tory leader Kemi Badenoch accused Keir Starmer of letting inflation rise on his watch. Update: Date: 11:40 BST Title: Red binder in hand, Starmer makes his way to Parliament Content: Prime Minister Keir Starmer has been seen leaving 10 Downing Street, and we all know where he's headed: the House of Commons. Update: Date: 11:33 BST Title: The Afghan data breach: What you need to know Content: Here's a bit more on the data breach we mentioned in our last post, after it was discovered that thousands of Afghans have quietly been relocated to the UK since the Taliban seized power of their country. The leak: The scheme was prompted by a security leak in 2022, where a British official inadvertently leaked the data of almost 19,000 people who had applied to move to the UK after the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan. The injunction: The reason we're only hearing about this now is because the government first heard about the leak in 2023, when some details were posted on Facebook, and subsequently obtained a super-injunction stopping it from becoming public. On Tuesday, the order was lifted. The scheme: So far, 4,500 Afghans have arrived in the UK, with more expected. It's being closed down, has cost £400m, and is expected to cost a further £400-450m. The Ministry of Defence believes 600 Afghan soldiers included in the leak, plus 1,800 of their family members, are still in Afghanistan. The response: Defence Secretary John Healey has offered a "sincere apology" to those whose details had been included in the leak. Former defence secretary Ben Wallace has said he makes "no apology" for stopping the reporting of the leak. This file photo from August 2021 shows UK and Turkish coalition forces, and the US Marines, assisting a child during the withdrawal of Nato troops from Afghanistan Update: Date: 11:26 BST Title: Macron, Trump, immigration and inflation - a visual guide to the past seven days in politics Content: The King hosted French President Emmanuel Macron on a state visit last week. Macron then joined PM Keir Starmer for a UK-France summit on the relationship between the two countries - they spoke about Ukraine, migrants and trade At the summit, Macron and Starmer revealed a new deal to stop small boats. The UK will return migrants to France in a "one in, one out" deal which will see the UK accept an equal number of asylum seekers after security checks Just this morning, new figures revealed that inflation unexpectedly jumped to 3.6% in June (up from 3.4% in May), marking the steepest rise in inflation since January 2024 In other news for Chancellor Rachel Reeves, the MPs' watchdog has concluded she inadvertently breached parliamentary rules by missing the deadline for declaring a gift of two National Theatre tickets - Reeves had referred herself to the commissioner Meanwhile, it's been revealed that around 4,500 Afghans have been resettled in the UK as part of a secret scheme set up after a British official inadvertently leaked their data. Until this week, the existence of the leak and relocations were kept secret after the government obtained a super-injunction stopping it from becoming public. Former defence secretary Ben Wallace says he makes "no apology" for stopping the reporting And it's been announced that US President Donald Trump will meet First Minister John Swinney and Prime Minister Keir Starmer when he visits Scotland - on a "private" trip later this month Update: Date: 11:20 BST Title: The last PMQs of the season - welcome along Content: Imogen JamesLive reporter We're gearing up for the last Prime Minister's Questions for more than a month, as MPs prepare to enjoy Parliament's summer recess - starting next week (they'll return on 1 September). As ever, we don't know exactly what line of questioning Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch will pursue when she's up against the PM, but there are many topics to choose from after a busy week: When the time comes, you'll be able to watch Badenoch's questions and the PM's responses live at the top of the page. We'll also bring you live updates, analysis and reaction on all the key moments, so stick with us.
