Sir Keir Starmer has issued a robust defence of his shadow cabinet members, Rachel Reeves and Ed Miliband, following a blistering attack from Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch during a recent Prime Minister's Questions session. The high-stakes parliamentary exchange saw both leaders dig in their heels, with Badenoch accusing the duo of 'treachery' for their past actions, and Starmer pushing back by highlighting his team's efforts to reboot the Labour Party.
Badenoch took aim at Reeves over her handling of the winter fuel payment, which she claimed had been 'snatched away', as well as a 'disastrous budget' that had hindered economic growth and contributed to rising unemployment under a Labour government. The Conservative leader also questioned whether Starmer believed Reeves had been 'let down' by her absence from the front bench during his resignation speech earlier in the week, contrasting it with her later appearance alongside Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham for photographs in Parliament.
Badenoch further targeted Miliband, accusing him of supporting Burnham despite his own cabinet role. She drew parallels to his 2010 Labour leadership contest against his brother, David Miliband, provocatively asking if Starmer believed Miliband's 'treachery' should be rewarded with a potential appointment as Chancellor, labelling him a 'failed Labour leader' who was 'brought back from the wilderness' by Starmer.
In response, Starmer praised Reeves for her role in breaking free from austerity and implementing policies to boost the UK economy. He also defended Miliband, alongside Shadow Secretary of State for Education, Bridget Phillipson, asserting that Labour had made significant progress. Starmer highlighted Phillipson's personal experience, stating she 'knows exactly what it means to grow up in poverty' and the vital importance of education for disadvantaged children.
The exchanges were marked by an increasingly heated atmosphere, with Badenoch directing strong remarks towards Phillipson, whom she described as a 'spiteful class warrior'. This prompted Speaker of the House of Commons, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, to intervene, calling for 'a little bit more decorum and respect' and urging members to consider the language used in the chamber to avoid its replication by constituents outside Parliament. Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey also commented on the intensity, reminding all parties that 'we are all human'. The animosity reportedly continued even after the session concluded, with Phillipson confronting Badenoch about her comments, to which the Conservative leader is understood to have responded, 'I will fight you all the way. You are destroying children’s lives.'