Starmer tenure ‘like bad episode of Game Of Thrones’, Badenoch tells PMQs
The Conservative leader accused the Prime Minister of "squandering" his political capital after avoiding an inquiry into whether he misled MPs over Mandelson vetting affair
Kemi Badenoch has likened Keir Starmer's government to a "bad episode of Game Of Thrones" as the Prime Minister battles for his political survival.
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The Conservative Leader accused Sir Keir of "squandering" his political capital on "saving his own skin" in the final Prime Minister’s Questions before next week's local elections.
Sir Keir faced Ms Badenoch after yesterday avoiding an inquiry into whether he misled Parliament over the Peter Mandelson vetting revelations.
On Tuesday, a Conservative motion proposing an inquiry into allegations that Sir Keir misled Parliament over the appointment of Lord Mandelson was defeated after Labour MPs were ordered to vote against it.
The House of Commons voted not to refer the prime minister to the Privileges Committee by 335 votes to 233.
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At PMQs on Wednesday, Sir Keir accused Ms Badenoch of playing "political games" and said the motion was rejected “decisively because everyone saw it for what it was – a desperate, baseless political stunt ahead of the May elections".
Ms Badenoch accused Sir Keir of "begging" his backbenchers to support him and rebuked his "tone deaf, pompous moralising.”
She said at the start of the session in July 2024 the Labour benches were "full of sycophantic questions from adoring new MPs", but that on Tuesday "the prime minister was reduced to begging those same MPs to save his own skin.”
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Sir Keir responded by defending his record, pointing to the government's youth guarantee and the increase in the national minimum wage.
Ms Badenoch continued: "This Government is like a bad episode of Game Of Thrones."
In a reference to the Mayor of Manchester Andy Burnham, she went on: “His own people have turned against him and all the while, the prime minister is holed up in his castle, wetting himself about a visit from the King in the North."
Andy Burnham, widely regarded as a potential leadership challenger should he secure election to Westminster, was blocked from standing as an MP in January by Labour's ruling body.
Ms Badenoch then argued that the UK's dwindling spending on defence was because the government was spending too much money on welfare.
She continued: “Isn’t the real reason the prime minister can’t cut welfare that he squandered all his political capital saving his own skin?”
Sir Keir Starmer responded: “This is the Labour government that increased defence spending to the highest since the Cold War."
Elsewhere the PM was unable to confirm if Rachel Reeves would remain chancellor when questioned about a rumoured Cabinet reshuffle on Wednesday.
Downing Street later said Sir Keir has "full confidence" in Ms Reeves.
Sir Keir has been battling to save his job after it was found that Lord Peter Mandelson had been appointed as the British ambassador to the US, despite having failed a vetting procedure.
The PM has denied he knew this before appointing him, although senior civil servant Sir Olly Robbins has said that pressure had been applied by No 10.
Although he will not face the committee, Sir Keir is not yet out of the woods - especially as 15 Labour MPs defied the party whip to vote in favour of the Conservative motion.
After losing the vote, Tory leader Kemi Badenoch said: “To save his own skin, Keir Starmer threatened his MPs with the loss of their jobs unless they helped cover up his misleading statements to Parliament."