𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

Sir Keir Starmer was ridiculed by professional comedians after his House of Commons joke about the Kama Sutra fell flat. And it emerged he stole the gag from a Conservative politician, who used it 20 years ago.

Sir Keir turned the air blue when he tried to fight back against Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch, who was criticising the Government for carrying out so many U-turns. He told the House of Commons: “Don’t get me started on consistency: the Tories had five prime ministers, six chancellors, eight home secretaries and 16 housing ministers – they had more positions in 14 years than the Kama Sutra. No wonder they are knackered – they left the country screwed.”

But stand-up comedian Geoff Norcott said: “I’ve told plenty of crap jokes in my time … but Starmer’s ‘Karma Sutra’ gag was Inception-level bad.” He added: “Joking about someone else changing position on the day you’ve done so for the 13th time is weird.”

And comedian Susie McCabe told Times Radio: “He probably thought the Kama Sutra was a curry until about 15 minutes ago.”

She suggested the Prime Minister had been “given a line” by an adviser.

It has emerged that the same joke was used by former Conservative leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith in 2005, when he criticised the then-Labour prime minister Sir Tony Blair for changing his views on the European Union. However, Sir Iain used a more polite version.

He said in the Commons Chamber on June 15, 2005: “The Prime Minister has taken more positions than the ‘Kama Sutra’.”

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch was on the attack during Prime Minister’s Questions in the House of Commons as she highlighted the Government’s latest U-turn, this time over digital ID.

She told Sir Keir: “The reason he U-turns all the time is because he is clueless. He is blowing around like a plastic bag in the wind – no sense of direction whatsoever.”

Conservative MPs chimed “U-turn” as Mrs Badenoch said: “The winter fuel allowance – U-turn. WASPI women – U-turn. The two-child benefit cap – U-turn. Grooming gangs inquiry – U-turn.

“The family farms tax – U-turn. Digital ID – U-turn. Jury trials?”

When Opposition MPs shouted “U-turn”, Mrs Badenoch answered them: “We hope so – I think that’s going to be the next one.”

She said: “Week after week, these poor people sitting behind him have to defend the indefensible, only for him to U-turn.”

Sir Keir replied: “I changed my party, and that’s why we stand here with a majority Labour Government. She sits there with her party that lost two-thirds of their MPs at the last election, and she’s losing more every week.

“They’re queueing up to join the member for Clacton’s [Nigel Farage’s] laundry service for disgraced Tory politicians. Meanwhile, inflation is down, wages are up, and waiting lists are down.”