Keir Starmer brutally slapped down Kemi Badenoch at PMQs today when she suggested the Tories should return to No.10.
The Conservative leader began by trying to lay into the country’s economic stagnation ahead of next week’s Spring Statement, calling it an “emergency budget”.
Starmer defended his government’s economic record and then hit back: “We had to fill the £22bn black hole that they disgracefully left.
“We can’t get away from what we were doing with that Budget, the root cause, which was fixing the economy they left so badly damaged.
“Perhaps she’ll start the next question with an apology.”
“They want me to answer questions so we can swap sides,” Badenoch replied, meaning the Tories would be sitting on the government benches again.
The prime minister hit back: “She said she wants to swap sides – I mean, heaven forbid.”
Laughter from the Labour benches followed that remark. The PM continued: “After 14 years of breaking everything, we are getting on with the job of fixing it and all she can do is carp from the sidelines with absolutely no policy!”
He then said: “I think she now calls herself a Conservative realist. Well, I’m realistic about the Conservatives.
“The reality is they left open borders and she was the cheerleader, they crashed the economy, mortgages went though the roof, the NHS was on its knees and they hollowed out the armed forces.
“This government has already delivered, two million extra NHS appointments, 750 breakfast clubs, record returns of people who shouldn’t be here, and a fully funded increase in our defence spending.
“That is the difference a Labour government makes.”
Starmer adopted a similar tone when Tory MP Danny Kruger tried to attack Labour over the benefit cuts.
He said: “After 14 years to get ready, they came into power with no plan to reform welfare. But now, in a panic because of their economic mismanagement, they’re cutting benefits for disabled people without consulting them at all.”
The shadow minister added that while it “probably” says in the PM’s folder that the Tories’ consultation on cutting benefits was too short, at least they did consult.
But the PM quickly hit back: “No, what it says in my folder is they had 14 years including five years with a majority of 80 – they are now carping on with some of their ideas, 14 years and they didn’t implement a single one, they simply broke the system.
“They’re in no place to lecture other people. ”