PMQs live: Starmer hits back at Badenoch claim he backs criminals over ‘law-abiding British people’
Starmer hits back at Badenoch after she claims he backs criminals over ‘law-abiding British people’
Badenoch delivers a broad attack on Starmer’s record.
Starmer has consistently backed criminals over law-abiding British people. He defended terrorists like Hizb ut-Tahrir in the European Court. He argued all immigration law had a racist undercurrent, but he voted against life sentences for people smugglers, he voted against more than 100 measures to control migration. He even said it was wrong. He even said it was wrong when the Conservatives took away Shamima Begum’s citizenship. He has appointed her defense lawyer as his attorney general.
Events in Syria mean we may see more small boat arrivals. For once, will he take the side of the British people and strip citizenship from jihadi terrorists and supporters of Assad who want to come back and destroy this country?
And Starmer hits back forcefully.
I was director of public prosecution for five years. Unlike anyone on their benches, I was prosecuting for five years, hundreds of thousands of criminals … I was working for three of those five years with the then home secretary, Theresa May, who commended the work that I did at the end of those five years.
So for her to stand there and say, I haven’t done anything in law enforcement, I dedicated five years of my life to law enforcement locking up criminals, which is more than she can say ..,
It’s like the arsonist complaining about the people trying to put the fire out … Just wait till they get their hands on the people that created the mess that we are clearing up.
Key events
Ellie Chowns (Green) asks about a constituent who could not get an ambulance because they were all stuck trying to unload patients. What will be done to resolve the care crisis, that means hospital beds are not available.
Starmer says the last government should “hang their heads in shame” over the state of the NHS. He says the government is addressing this.
Lizzi Collinge (Lab) asks about a fire that killed a man in Kirkby Lonsdale. What can be done to help the towns recover?
Starmer says he will arranged for Collinge to have a meeting with a minister.
Kirith Entwistle (Lab) asks about shoplifting. What more will the government do to tckle this and support shopworkers?
Starmer says shoplifting got “out of control” under the Tories. He says it is not low-level. It has a bit impact on staff. He says the government is funding training for the police, and supporting specialist analyst teams to crack down on the gangs responsible.
Iain Duncan Smith, the former Tory leader, asks about Ryan Cornelius, a Briton detained in Dubai for 16 years. Did Starmer demand his release when he went to the UAE.
Starmer says this is an important case. It has been raised by the government a number of time, including by the foreign secretary during the trip Starmer was on.
Chris Law (SNP) says support for Starmer is plummeting in the polls, but there is now majority support for independence. (He is referring to this poll, putting support for independence at 54%.) Who is best to decide what is best for Scots?
The party that won the general election, says Starmer.
Jerome Mayhew (Con) says Starmer told farmers before the election that he accepted that losing a farm was not like losing any other business. Does Starmer now understand why farmers see his government as “duplicitous”.
Starmer says the government has put more money into farming. And he says, in practice, ordinary farms will only be affected by the tax if they are worth more than £3m.
Peter Lamb (Lab) asks about palliative care, and a local hospice that has had to make redundancies.
Starmer says he recognises the vital role that hospices play. Most hospices provide funding by offering NHS services. Funding will be set out in the usual way, he says.
Starmer repeats claim ‘vast majority’ of farmers won’t be affected by inhertance tax changes
Ed Davey, the Lib Dem leader, asks Starmer if he agrees that President-elect Trump’s comment saying the US should have nothing to do with Syria is worrying.
Starmer says he hopes Syria has a peaceful future, and rejects violence. He does not address the point about Trump.
Davey asks if Starmer agrees that Britain has the best farmers in the world, because of the tradition of family farming. But the inhertance tax changes will be the final blow to them, he says.
Starmer claims the “vast majority of farmers will be unaffected” by the inheritance tax changes, “despite the fear mongering of the party opposite”.
(He seems to be referring to the Tories, not the Liberal Democrats.)
Starmer hits back at Badenoch after she claims he backs criminals over ‘law-abiding British people’
Badenoch delivers a broad attack on Starmer’s record.
Starmer has consistently backed criminals over law-abiding British people. He defended terrorists like Hizb ut-Tahrir in the European Court. He argued all immigration law had a racist undercurrent, but he voted against life sentences for people smugglers, he voted against more than 100 measures to control migration. He even said it was wrong. He even said it was wrong when the Conservatives took away Shamima Begum’s citizenship. He has appointed her defense lawyer as his attorney general.
Events in Syria mean we may see more small boat arrivals. For once, will he take the side of the British people and strip citizenship from jihadi terrorists and supporters of Assad who want to come back and destroy this country?
And Starmer hits back forcefully.
I was director of public prosecution for five years. Unlike anyone on their benches, I was prosecuting for five years, hundreds of thousands of criminals … I was working for three of those five years with the then home secretary, Theresa May, who commended the work that I did at the end of those five years.
So for her to stand there and say, I haven’t done anything in law enforcement, I dedicated five years of my life to law enforcement locking up criminals, which is more than she can say ..,
It’s like the arsonist complaining about the people trying to put the fire out … Just wait till they get their hands on the people that created the mess that we are clearing up.
Badenoch says the only thing Starmer has smashed is his own reputation. Labour said it would end asylum hotels. But in some towns, like Peterborough, use of hotels is being expanded. She quotes someone she saw on Sky News saying Labour made things easier for asylum seekers.
Starmer says Badenoch should have welcomed the Iraq deal on people smuggling, and the German deal. He says Badenoch should spend time researching that instead of researching her “terrible jokes”.
Badenoch says Starmer did not answer a single question. She says the Tories have “acknowledged where things went wrong”. Since the Rwanda deterrent has been scrapped, small boat arrivals have gone up by 20%. How much more will the government spent on hotel accommodation for migrants?
Starmer says he would invite Badenoch to say what went wrong under the last government, but it would take all afternoon. He says the government has committed to smashing the people smuggling gangs. He says Labour has got deportation flights off.
Badenoch claims Starmer wanted all deportations halted. She says the letter she has quoted is just the tip of the ice berg. She says he ruled out setting a target-based approach to immigration.
Starmer says Badenoch asks about his record. For five years, he was chief proscecutor, prosecuting people. The Tories set a cap for all of those 14 years. It was never met, he says.
Badenoch says Starmer wanted free movement when he campaigned for Labour leader. She says she wanted skilled people to get visas. He says Starmer was one of the Labour MPs who opposed the removal of foreign offenders. She asks about one case where removal was halted, and the offender went on to kill someone. Will Starmer apologise for signing these letters.
Starmer says this is an example of the last government not acting to keep people safe.
