Badenoch targets Starmer’s leadership and Cabinet fractures as PM defends record on defence, the NHS and the economy

Mrs Badenoch opened by asking what had changed on defence after the Defence Secretary resigned, saying the Prime Minister had claimed everything was under control only days earlier. Sir Keir Starmer replied by pointing to what he called “the biggest sustained boost to defence spending since the 1980s—£270 billion over this Parliament” and said the defence investment plan would be published before the NATO summit.

She then went after the Chancellor, suggesting she had left him “in this mess” and asking whether he felt let down by her. Starmer rejected the premise and defended her record, saying she had “ended the austerity inflicted on our country for 14 long years” and helped deliver growth. He argued that the Government had the “fastest growing economy in the G7” in the first quarter of the year and said unemployment was down and inflation better.

Mrs Badenoch returned to the question of why he was resigning, saying the Chancellor had “snatched the winter fuel payment” and delivered a Budget that “killed economic growth”, before turning to the Energy Secretary and asking whether his “treachery” should be rewarded with the Treasury job. Starmer answered by setting out Labour’s wider record, saying he and the Chancellor had picked up the party after “the worst defeat since 1935” and then won a landslide. He said Labour had delivered “the fastest fall in NHS waiting lists for 17 years”, new rights for renters and help for working people, and was lifting “half a million children out of poverty”.

The Opposition leader then attacked the Education Secretary, claiming a poll showed “0% of teachers think that the Education Secretary is doing a good job” and saying teacher numbers had gone down. Starmer defended her personally, saying she “grew up in poverty” and that her story was “an incredible story of social mobility and success”. He said education drove “every single priority and value that she has”.

Mrs Badenoch next said the Prime Minister had been blocked by his own MPs when he tried to cut welfare, and asked if he felt betrayed by the people he had “got into Parliament”. Starmer replied that he was “very proud of every one of our MPs” and said he would “certainly miss these exchanges”. He repeated that Labour had won a “landslide victory” and criticised the Conservatives for not facing up to “their failure after 14 long years”.

In her final attack, Mrs Badenoch said his staff had briefed that he had been let down by ministers and backbenchers, and mocked the idea that “a pair of eyelashes and a black T-shirt” had made the difference. Starmer responded with a longer defence of his time in office, saying he had found a “broken economy, broken public services and broken trust in politics” and that, because of his decisions, the country was moving toward a “stronger and fairer Britain”, with “more rights for workers, more rights for renters”, support for Ukraine and “Britain’s reputation restored”.

Away from the main clash, Ed Davey raised the Nottingham maternity review and urged the Government to implement Donna Ockenden’s recommendations in full. He then asked whether the Prime Minister’s own experience of difficult relationships had changed his view on rebuilding ties with Europe. Starmer said he was “very proud” of the reset in relations with the EU and used the exchange to joke about Davey’s past, calling him “Double O Davey!” Davey later warned that clinging to old Brexit “red lines” would be judged a mistake and used the hot weather to press climate policy. Starmer said climate change was “one of the most significant challenges of our time” and accused the Conservatives of chasing Reform votes.

Other backbench interventions focused on health, poverty, housing and hate crime. Clive Jones pressed for support for a National Cancer Strategy Bill, and Starmer said the Government was “ending the postcode lottery” through the national cancer plan and record NHS investment. Lee Barron asked about children’s brain tumour research, and Starmer said the cancer trials accelerator would make “young people’s cancer a research priority”. David Pinto-Duschinsky raised rising antisemitic attacks in north-west London; Starmer said he had “drove it out of the Labour party” and that the Government was taking new powers to tackle it in public life. Fleur Anderson asked about resilience in extreme heat, and Starmer said the Government was updating building rules, building new reservoirs and spending more on flood defences. Liz Saville Roberts used a parting shot to question Labour’s record in Wales; Starmer answered with a list of Welsh investments, including the “largest ever devolution settlement” and rail funding. Paula Barker raised access to treatment for a rare condition, and Starmer promised a meeting with a Health Minister. Paulette Hamilton asked about exempt accommodation in Birmingham, and Starmer said new locally led licensing and national standards were coming, while defending broader renter protections.

AI-assisted recap of the official Hansard record. Quotes are verbatim — follow the links in the live feed to check each against Hansard. Spotted an error? Let us know.