UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer delivered a sharp retort to Tory leader Kemi Badenoch on Wednesday, dismissing her assertion that he had followed her advice on cutting the aid budget.
He also took a swipe at her political stance, calling her a “self-appointed saviour of Western civilisation” in what appeared to be a pointed jab at her rhetoric.
During the plenary session, Badenoch suggested that Starmer had acted on her recommendation to reduce aid spending while questioning inconsistencies in the government’s defence budget figures.
“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,” Ms Badenoch said.
She continued, “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?”
In response, Starmer flatly denied being influenced by Badenoch’s suggestion and dismissed her claim with sarcasm.
“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,” he remarked.
Taking his criticism further, Starmer quipped, “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.”
His remarks drew laughter from MPs on the House floor, with Badenoch herself seen smiling at the exchange.
