PMQs live: Starmer refuses to call out Trump in response to plan for US to ‘take over’ Gaza – UK Times

Nigel Farage famously failed his first few attempts to become an MP, finally getting elected to represent Clacton last July.He has now secured an Urgent Question on Chagos.

But he almost came a cropper at PMQs – over how long he took to ask his question.

The Reform leader’s mistake was to pause when he came under attack from the other side.

When he finally got around to saying “I want to ask the Prime Minister for some advice…” one Labour MP shouted “Resign!!” And the Speaker Lindsay Hoyle was forced to hurry him to finally get on with it.

Mr Speaker is not always so lenient.

Keir Starmer has defended his meeting with his voice coach in late 2020 while London was under ‘Tier 4’ Covid restrictions.

He appeared to suggest the central difference with Partygate was that he was working.

He told MPs that he was “was in my office working” and said he had to “prepare and deliver a live statement at speed” on Brexit. “That’s what I was doing. What were they (the Tories) doing? Suitcases of booze into Downing Street”. He added: “That’s the difference – I was working they were partying”.

After Donald Trump said Palestinians should be moved from Gaza as part of a takeover of Gaza, Sir Keir Starmer said more about the current situation in the war-torn region.

The prime minister said Palestinians “must be allowed to rebuild and we should be with them in that rebuild on the way to a two-state solution”.

He said: “I have from the last few weeks two images fixed in my mind. The first is the image of Emily Damari reunited with her mother, which I found extremely moving.

“The second was the image of thousands of Palestinians walking, literally walking, through the rubble to try to find their homes and their communities in Gaza, they must be allowed home.

“They must be allowed to rebuild, and we should be with them in that rebuild on the way to a two state solution.”

The big news of the day has been Donald Trump’s shocking statement about apparently taking over Gaza and removing the Palestinians in a bid to turn it into some sort of holiday resort.

After hours of debate on Israel and Gaza in the last two years it is surprising it took more than half way through PMQs today before the issue was raised by Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey.

The prime minister of course confirmed the UK will be with the Palestinians “every step of the way” in the rebuilding of Gaza.But it was surprising it took so long for somebody to ask him the question.

Lib Dem leader Ed Davey asks if the prime minister recognises the dangers and security of Palestinians and Israelis following Mr Trump’s announcement he wanted a US takeover of Gaza.

Mr Davey adds that he is glad the government supports a two-state solution.

Sir Keir responds by saying the the most important issue of ceasefire is it is sustained and aid gets into Gaza.

He swerves clear of criticising Mr Trump for his comments, and finishes by saying a two-state solution is the answer.

Tory leader Kemi Badenoch claims business is abandoning the North Sea because of his decisions, referring to the Rosebank oil field court case.

Starmer responds by saying Badenoch is talking the country down, and accuses her of playing student politics.

The prime minister was probably prepared for questions on whether he broke lockdown rules and why he was meeting his alleged voice coach on Christmas eve.

He may well have been expecting more on Chagos Islands.

Instead Kemi Badenoch has pressed on the Rosebank oil field court case. You can see that the Tory MPs behind her are a bit non-plussed.

She appears to be trying to make up for her odd strategy with colourful words calling environmental activists “nutters” and the PM “clueless”.

Starmer once again is easily on top in a forum where he has usually struggled.This will not silence the doubts about Ms Badenoch’s leadership.

Kemi Badenoch has said Sir Keir Starmer’s deal to hand the Chagos Islands over to Mauritius is “an immoral surrender so north London lawyers can boast at their dinner parties”.

“When Labour negotiates, our country loses,” the Tory leader said.

Ms Badenoch said the money being handed over to Mauritius, up to £18 billion, “belongs to our children and their children”.

The prime minister suggested Ms Badenoch is not properly briefed on the security implications of a legal row about the sovereignty of the Chagos Islands, home to a key UK/US military base.

Sir Keir said: “If the leader of the opposition is properly briefed on the national security implications, when she is asking these questions, which she is perfectly entitled to do, then she knows exactly what I am talking about in terms of national security and legal certainty.

“If, on the other hand, she is not properly briefed on the national security implications, she is not doing her job.

“She is not concerned about national security, and she is not fit to be prime minister.”

Kemi Badenoch asks about the Chagos Islands, with claims emerging that the government faces paying billions more under a renegotiated deal over the future of the islands.

Sir Keir says “this is a miliary base that is vital to our national security, a number of years ago the certainty of that base was thrown into doubt”.

He says the last government started negotiated about securing a long-term use of base and that Labour plans to complete the process.

He next faces a question on railways in the UK.

Starmer says the Tory government left the UK’s railway system in a terrible state, adding he plans investment for a number of schemes, including in the north of England.