𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

Sir Lindsay Hoyle has repeatedly demanded to No10 officials that Keir Starmer answer Kemi Badenoch’s questions. The Commons Speaker told off the Prime Minister during his weekly outing in front of MPs on Wednesday. A spokeswoman for the Speaker said: “The Speaker is not responsible for the questions asked by Members or the answers given by Ministers.

“Questions to Ministers should relate to matters for which they are officially responsible. Equally, answers should be confined to the points contained in the question. Every so often the Speaker has to remind Prime Ministers – and Ministers – of the rules of engagement in the Chamber. The Speaker has made this point to officials at No 10 on several occasions recently as well.”

The row between the pair erupted when Sir Keir was grilled by the leader of the Opposition over defence spending. Mrs Badenoch said: “He’s talking about the biggest sustained increase – talking about an increase is not the same as giving an increase. The military and the defence industry want to hear about what he’s going to do, not him prosecuting past governments.
“He promised that the defence investment plan would be published last autumn.”

Concluding her question, Mrs Badenoch asked: “What’s the hold up?”

Sir Keir replied: “I’ve set out my position – the defence investment plan is the first line-by-line review of defence budgets for 18 years. She talks about talking – if you’re going to support and make your country safe, you have to get the right calls on the big issues.”

He then began to hit out at the Tory leader over her stance on the Iran war before Sir Lindsay intervened.

The Commons Speaker said: “Prime Minister it’s PMQs (Prime Minister’s Questions)… we’ve got to concentrate.”

An MP was then heard heckling: “Just answer the question.”

Sir Keir said: “She called for us to jump into the war, they could pretend otherwise. I remember walking in, standing here for the first time, saying we would not get drawn into the war, we would not join the offensive, and they all shouted ‘shame’.”

Mrs Badenoch later said: “The Prime Minister loves to misrepresent my position on Iran.”