The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Keir Starmer, has criticised Tory leader Kemi Badenoch, accusing her of desperately seeking relevance in political discussions.
Starmer described Badenoch as a “self-appointed saviour of Western civilisation desperate for relevance” while addressing Parliament during Wednesday’s plenary session.
His remarks came in response to Badenoch’s claim that he had followed her advice on cutting aid while raising concerns about the defence budget.
During the session, Badenoch stated: “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?”
Responding, Starmer dismissed her assertion, insisting that he had not even seen her proposal before making 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.
“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 financial year 27/28, that’s a £13.4bn increase—the largest sustained increase in defence spending since the Cold War.”
