Politics latest: Starmer backs Streeting and refutes ‘completely unacceptable’ No 10 leaks over ‘coup attempt’ – UK Times

Sir Keir Starmer is offering welfare giveaways to “save his own skin”, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch told the Commons.

Speaking at Prime Minister’s Questions, Mrs Badenoch said: “We left employment higher than it was after the last Labour government. And let me tell him now what is causing it is his disastrous budget last year. That is what has caused the increase in unemployment.

“And so, to be clear, for all those Labour MPs shaking their heads, it’s last year’s tax rises that have killed jobs, and that’s what’s going to trigger this year’s tax rises. This is the tax doom loop, and there is only one way out of it, and that is to cut spending.

“So why is the Prime Minister instead offering welfare giveaways to save his own skin?”

The Prime Minister replied: “I’ve told the leader of the opposition why we increased national insurance, it is because of the mess that they left the country in.”

He went on to press Mrs Badenoch “how she would find the money” raised from Labour’s increase in employers’ national insurance contributions.

Sir Keir Starmer was met with laughter from the opposition benches when he insisted that the government was a “united team”.

He added: “The Bank of England has upgraded growth today, we’ve secured £230 billion of private investment.”

The Speaker of the House was forced to intervene, telling MPs that if they wish to audition for a pantomime, they should “go to the Old Vic”.

Kemi Badenoch has accused the Prime Minister of having lost control of Number 10, following briefings against the Health Secretary.

Speaking at PMQs, she said: “He says these attacks aren’t authorised.

“That means he’s lost control of Number 10, because that’s where they’re coming from.

“The real scandal is that two weeks from a budget, the Government has descended into a civil war, instead of fixing the economy the mess they’ve made of the economy.

“The Prime Minister’s advisors have been reduced to briefing that MPs can’t get rid of him, and I’m not making this up, because it would destabilise international markets.”

The Independent’s political editor David Maddox reports:

The Reform UK leader did not seem very interested in Sir Keir Starmer’s leadership woes, instead he used his question to go for his favourite subject – immigration.

Nigel Farage announced that Reform run West Northamptonshire Council would be delivering foreclosure notices on three migrant hotels in their area. To cat calls from Labour he claimed it was to protect women and children.

But the challenge was really on Labour’s vague promise of closing all migrant hotels in a week where a government challenge prevented the council in Epping closing one.

The Independent’s political editor David Maddox reports:

A friendly placed question by Ashford Labour MP Sojan Joseph gave Sir Keir Starmer an easy outlet to remind those behind him and next to him on the Labour benches who the real enemy is.

Mr Joseph focussed on the failures of Reform run Kent County Council which gave the prime minister the chance to remind everyone of the “catastrophe” of Reform in power.

The tactic has been in place since the party conference when focussing on Nigel Farage and Reform was the way of uniting the party.

After Downing Street started briefing against cabinet ministers though the tactic now seems a bit hollow.

Sir Keir Starmer said attacks on any of his cabinet members is “completely unacceptable”, after briefings against Health Secretary Wes Streeting.

Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch had asked if Mr Streeting was right when he said there was a “toxic culture in Downing Street that needs to change”.

Sir Keir replied: “My focus each and every day is on rebuilding and renewing our country. But let me be absolutely clear, any attack on any member of my cabinet is completely unacceptable.”

He said Mr Streeting had out-performed expectations by delivering five million extra appointments within the first year of a Labour government, higher than the two million pledged.

“He’s doing a great job, as is the whole of my Cabinet,” Sir Keir said.

The Independent’s political editor David Maddox reports:

A furious senior Labour backbencher has messaged to express fury over the “epic own goal” by Downing Street.

They said: “What a shambles and own goal from no 10, they’ve literally created a story that wasn’t needed and has backfired spectacularly, even those that weren’t Wes Streeting fans are now thinking what the Hell!”

“This is hugely embarrassing for no 10 but a huge win for Wes. It’s an Epic own goal!”

The Independent’s political correspondent Caitlin Doherty reports:

The prime minister did not take the chance to say he has full confidence in his chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney.

Asked the question by Tory leader Kemi Badenoch at PMQs, Sir Keir said: “Morgan McSweeney, my team and I are absolutely focussed on delivering for the country.

“And let me be clear, of course I’ve never authorised attacks on Cabinet members, I appointed them to their posts because they’re the best people to carry out their jobs.”

He also mentioned various Labour policy points on the NHS.

Mrs Badenoch said: “I didn’t hear him give full confidence to Morgan McSweeney.”

Kemi Badenoch has said the government has “descended into civil war”.

During PMQs, the Conservative leader said: “Two weeks before the Budget the government has descended into civil war instead of fixing the mess made of the government.”

In reference to the briefings Downing Street gave overnight, she added: “These are feral MPs No 10 has been talking about – they’re not my words, they’re No 10’s words.”