Cross party backing: Badenoch began with a note of unity, wishing Starmer “every success” on the trip for “our national interest.” Both Tory and Labour governments stood behind Kyiv since Russia’s invasion, but the Tory leader wanted to know how Starmer would ensure Ukraine was at the negotiating table.
Self-determination: The PM insisted Kyiv must be at any talks and there could be “no negotiations about Ukraine without Ukraine.” While Starmer will take this message to Washington, there was little clarity about how he can shift Trump’s thinking if the president negotiates with Russia over Ukraine’s head.
Winning here: The Tory leader tried bagging a win by referencing a letter she’d written over the weekend calling for Starmer to increase defense spending by cutting aid spending. “I’m pleased he accepted my advice,” she said. You’ve got to take the little wins in opposition.
Brushing off: The PM dismissed that out of hand: “She didn’t feature in my thinking at all,” adding he was so busy “I didn’t even see her proposal” to much roaring from his backbenchers. To add insult to injury, Starmer declared Badenoch had “appointed herself, I think, savior of Western civilization — it’s a desperate search for relevance,” referencing her speech at the right-wing Alliance for Responsible Citizenship conference last week.
Devil in the detail: The unity from Badenoch’s first question was gone. “Being patronizing is not a substitute for answering questions,” she remarked. She focused on the pledge defense spending would be £13.4 billion higher by 2027, considering the well respected Institute for Fiscal Studies think tank said it was really a £6 billion increase. The larger sum only made sense if the defense budget was “frozen in cash terms,” it said. Which sum was correct?
Round in circles: Starmer insisted there was nothing to see and the extra funding was “the largest sustained increase in defense spending since the Cold War.” The Tory leader stressed the PM “hadn’t answered” and said “something different” from his statement Tuesday. Despite her attacks, Starmer reinforced extra spending: “We went through this two weeks ago, going through the same question over and over again,” telling Badenoch, “If you ask again I will give the same answer again.” How helpful.