United Kingdom Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, has launched a scathing attack on Tory leader Kemi Badenoch, accusing her of being a “self-appointed saviour of Western civilisation desperate for relevance.”
The heated exchange occurred during Wednesday’s plenary session after Badenoch claimed that Starmer followed her advice on cutting the aid budget while raising concerns about inconsistencies in the newly announced defence spending figures.
Badenoch, during the session, remarked, “Over the weekend, I suggested to the prime minister that he cut the aid budget, and I am pleased that he accepted my advice. It’s the fastest response I’ve ever had from the prime minister. However, he announced £13.4 billion of additional defence spending yesterday. This morning, his defence secretary said the uplift is only £6bn. Which is the correct figure?”
In a sharp rebuttal, Starmer dismissed Badenoch’s claims, stating that her proposal had no influence on his decision.
“I’m going to have to let the leader of the opposition down gently. She didn’t feature in my thinking at all. I was so busy over the weekend I didn’t even see her proposal,” Starmer said.
Mocking her stance, he added, “She’s appointed herself, I think, the saviour of Western civilisation. It’s a desperate search for relevance. If you take the numbers for this financial year, and then the numbers for the financial year 27/28, that’s a £13.4bn increase—the largest sustained increase in defence spending since the Cold War.”
The fiery exchange underscores the growing tension between the ruling Labour government and the opposition Tories, as debates over the nation’s defence and foreign aid budgets continue to intensify.