PMQs live: Starmer vows ‘I won’t back down’ in fight with Musk’s X over Grok AI deepfakes – UK Times

The Independent’s political editor David Maddox reports:

In another brutal series of exchanges in PMQs Keir Starmer once again looked flustered and wooden in his responses to Tory leader Kemi Badenoch.

While Ms Badenoch looked relaxed and confident as she dismantled the series of U-turns by this Labour government in just over 18 months, Sir Keir was forced to resort to references to Reform UK and bad jokes about Ikea.

The bigger problem though is that while Ms Badenoch is now being cheered loudly by her relatively small band of Tory MPs, there is barely any noise coming from the Labour benches in response to the PM.

The choked sounds of support and silent grim faces of cabinet ministers on the front bench is not the look of a government and prime minister in control of events.

While PMQs does not change public perception it is a very good indicator of the confidence and happiness of individual parties.

The Independent’s political reporter Athena Stavrou reports:

Sir Keir Starmer has said the government “will not back down” on ensuring Elon Musk’s X prevents its AI tool from generating sexualised images of women and children.

“The actions of Grok on X are disgusting and shameful,” the prime minister said.

Amid reports that X has restricted Grok from generating such images even for paying subscribers, the prime minister said: “To update the house, we have been informed that X is acting to ensure all compliance with UK law.

“If so that is welcome but we’re not going to back down they must act.”

The previous Conservative government failed northern England by not delivering rail improvements, Sir Keir Starmer has said.

“Time and again under the party opposite, towns and cities across the north were failed,” he told MPs.

“Today, this Labour Government delivers change, a major new rail network across the north and a new northern growth strategy.

“That is the renewal that this country voted for.”

The Independent’s political correspondent Millie Cooke reports:

Kemi Badenoch has demanded Sir Keir Starmer apologise after U-turning on the family farm tax.

It comes after Labour in December said it was raising the threshold from £1m to £2.5m, meaning that most farms would not have to pay the tax.

Criticising the government’s track record of changing its mind at PMQs, Mrs Badenoch said: “Let’s look at some other things the prime minister didn’t get right first time, starting with the family farms’ tax.

“Some farmers were so terrified they sold their farms last year only for the prime minister to U-turn two days before Christmas.

“Will he apologise for the misery he has caused countless farmers?”

Responding, the prime minister insisted that the government listened to voters, arguing that “the principle we put in place on inheritance tax is the right one”.

He added: “What we are doing is turning the country around. Yes we’ve changed the country. We’ve changed the failed approach of the last Tory government.”

Kemi Badenoch has now accused Sir Keir Starmer of being “clueless” over recent reversals of business rates hikes.

She says that instead, Labour should abolish business rates for the high street.

“He’s already agreeing with us on family farms tax, he’s already agreeing with us on digital ID, why doesn’t he make it a hat-trick and abolish business rates for the high street?”

In response, Sir Keir says the Tories “crashed the economy” and that “nobody is going to listen to them ever again”.

The Independent’s political reporter Athena Stavrou reports:

Sir Keir Starmer has accused the Conservatives of having “more positions in 14 years than the Kama Sutra”.

When asked about the government’s latest U-turn on digital IDs, the prime minister pointed to the opposition’s record in government.”Mr Speaker, on consistency, don’t get me started on five prime ministers, six chancellors, eight home secretaries, 16 housing ministers,” Starmer said.

“They had more positions in 14 years than the Kama Sutra.”No wonder they’re knackered, they left the country screwed!”

The Independent’s political correspondent Athena Stavrou reports:

Sir Keir Starmer began PMQs by condemning “in the strongest possible terms” the murder of protesters in Iran and said he was “working with allies on further sanctions”.

US-based ‌HRANA rights group said it ‍verified ‍the deaths of ‍2,571 people during ‍Iran’s protests, ⁠including 2,403 protesters and 147 government-affiliated individuals.

The prime minister told MPs: “The contrast between the courage of the Iranians and the brutality of their desperate regime has never been clearer.”“Mr. Speaker….we are working with allies on further sanctions and doing all we can to protect UK nationals.”

The Independent’s political correspondent Millie Cooke reports:

Sir Keir Starmer has promised to hold school leaders to account after a Jewish MP’s visit to a local school in his constituency was cancelled after a campaign by a pro-Palestine group.

Asked about the case at PMQs by Tory MP Lincoln Jopp, who said it was “antisemitism..in plain sight”, Sir Keir said: “It is very serious, very concerning and all members of parliament should be able to visit anywhere in their constituency, schools or other places, without any fear of antisemitism.

“We do take this seriously. We are providing more funding for security and support we’re putting in across the country and we will be holding those to account who prevented this visit to this school.”

Sir Keir Starmer has insisted digital ID checks will happen following criticism from Kemi Badenoch.

“I’m determined to make it harder for people to work illegally in this country,” he said.

“We’re taking the right choices for Britain, and they oppose every single one of them.”