PMQ’s live: Keir Starmer snubs call to apologise over David Lammy’s ‘Neo-Nazi’ Trump jibes
Kemi Badenoch has attacked Prime Minister Keir Starmer over his MPs’ positions on Donald Trump and urged to invite the incoming president to address parliament.
An energised Badenoch seized on Trump’s election victory to haul Sir Keir over foreign secretary David Lammy’s previous comments that Trump was “neo-Nazi-sympathising sociopath”.
But the Prime Minister dodged the opposition leader’s demand to apologise, assuring his relationship with Trump was strong.
Badenoch earlier congratulated Donald Trump on his historic election win, saying she looked to both countries working together to confront global challenges.
But Labour is divided over the impending presidency, with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s congratulations and celebration of close US ties coming up against comments from former Labour frontbencher Emily Thornberry, who has labelled Trump a racist and a predator.
London mayor Sadiq Khan said many people would be fearful of what a second Trump presidency would mean for democracy and women’s rights. “The lesson of today is that progress is not inevitable. But asserting our progressive values is more important than ever,” he said.
Key Points
Braverman welcomes Trump victory and suggests he could force Chagos U-turn
Earlier, Conservative MP Suella Braverman welcomed Donald Trump’s election victory and said the Republican politician could force the Labour government to U-turn over the Chagos Islands.
It comes after The Independent revealed Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has been attempting to persuade Trump to overturn the controversial deal that handed sovereignty of the islands to Mauritius mid fears the cluster, which commands a crucial strategic location in the Indian Ocean, may now be subject to influence from the Chinese government.
The former home secretary told Times Radio: “We’ve got to keep taking the fight to Labour, whether it’s on foreign policy and global security, interestingly on their surrender deal with Mauritius and the Chagos Islands. I wonder whether Trump will withdraw support for that, forcing a U-turn on the part of this Labour government.”
Welcoming Trump’s victory, she said: “I think it’s been an extraordinary campaign. Donald Trump nearly got murdered during the campaign and I think it does remind us that there is a real need for strong democracies around the. But I am overall relieved that we have someone who will stand up for peace and security.”
How a Trump presidency could blow the British economy out of the water
There are growing fears the UK’s trade with its biggest single export market in the US would be hit hard.
It is now dawning on UK ministers that Trump’s threat to impose 60 per cent tariffs on imports from China and 10 or 20 per cent on those from everywhere else including the UK, could inflict huge damage on the British economy.
Britain could also suffer collateral damage in a US-China trade war, given the impact on supply chains.
The Treasury is putting a brave face on it, hinting the government would try to talk Trump out of damaging a natural partner and reminding him a global trade war would be bad for everyone.
Some officials hope Trump’s threat is a bargaining chip to get China to reduce its state subsidies; they point out he didn’t do all he said he was going to do in his first term.
But the Department for Business and Trade is alarmed and under growing pressure from business leaders to act – possibly by imposing retaliatory tariffs on American imports.
A recap on Kemi Badenoch’s first PMQs performance as Tory leader
Kemi Bedenoch used her first time at the dispatch box as opposition leader during PMQs to launch a multi-pronged attack at Keir Starmer and his ministers over the UK government’s response to the impending Trump presidency.
It was a firey, energetic display from the new leader of the Conservatives. Here are the key points from the session, including what Ms Badenoch challenged Sir Keir on, and how the Prime Minister responded:
– Sir Keir began by congratulating Donaldf Trump on his election victory, and extended a welcome to Badenoch as Tory leader. Ms Badenoch thanked Sir Keir and echoed his sentiments about Trump.
– She then used her next question to ask whether the Prime Minister would apologise for foreign Secretary David Lammy’s 2018 remarks about Trump being a “neo-Nazi sympathiser”. Sir Keir ducked the question, instead saying when he had met Trump recently they discussed a number of issues of global significance.
– Ms Badenoch then accused Sir Keir of failing to distance himself from Mr Lammy’s comments, and challenged him to invite Donald Trump to speak in parliament. Sir Keir accused Ms Badenoch of playing student politics and repeated previous lines on the importance of UK-US relations.
– She said Donald Trump was right to argue the UK needed to increase its defence spending, urging the government to boost it to 2.5 per cent of GDP, which Sir Keir replied he had already committed to doing.
Watch: Awkward moment Badenoch confronts Lammy over Neo-Nazi Trump comment
Prime Minister pressured on David Lammy’s Trump comments
Mr Lammy, has previously compared Trump to Hitler and called for his state visit to be canceled during his last presidency.
In her first PMQs as Tory leader on Wednesday (6 November), Ms Badenoch asked Mr Lammy: “The prime minister and the foreign secretary met him in September. Did the foreign secretary take that opportunity to apologise for making derogatory and scatological references, including, and I quote, ‘Trump is not only a woman-hating Neo-Nazi sympathising sociopath, he is also a profound threat to the international order’?”
Analysis: Ed Davey saying what many people are thinking
Sir Ed Davey appears to be the only politician with the courage to stand up to what Donald Trump stands for.
With much of the western world in mourning about the result in the USA and the fears over the Ukraine war very real, Sir Ed stands alone in talking about these threats publicly.
Many will feel uncomfortable about the way the Labour prime minister is now trying to cosy up t Trump – even if he has little choice. This may be the first time Davey has sounded like a serious opposition leader since his Lib Dems won 72 seats in July.
Analysis: Starmer makes the most of a tough spot with Trump
Keir Starmer was met with laughter from the Opposition benches and silence from his own side when he congratulated president elect Donald Trump.
He will be hoping that the dinner he had a few weeks ago will put aside the other issues of his foreign secretary David Lammy’s tweets about Trump from a few years ago and the complaints from the Trump camp of election interference from Labour.
It is going to be a painful start but Sir Keir knows he needs to try to keep the UK/ US special relationship strong especially with Brexit isolating Britain from Europe.
Kemi Badenoch calls for Starmer to invite Trump to address parliament
Kemi Badenoch has urged Sir Keir Starmer to invite to President Trump to address parliament on his next visit to the UK.
The new Tory leader urged the prime minister to ask the Commons Speaker to extend the invitation to the president elect, who swept to victory in the US election overnight.
Addressing the House of Commons at her first PMQs as leader of the opposition, Ms Badenoch said: “Will the prime minister show that he and his government can be more than student politicians by asking you Mr Speaker to extend an invitation to President Trump to address parliament on his next visit?”
Responding, Sir Keir hit back: “I think the leader of the opposition is giving a masterclass on student politics.
“But seriously, Mr Speaker, we live in a more volatile world than we’ve lived in for recent decades. It’s absolutely crucial that we have a strong relationship, that strong special relationship, forged in difficult circumstances between the US and UK. We will continue to work as we have done in the four months in government on issues of security, the economy and global conflict.”
Analysis: Kemi Badenoch goes straight for the throat
The new Tory leader wastes no time in attacking Labour on the story of the day and she reminds the house of foreign secretary David Lammy calling Donald Trump a “neo Nazi sympathiser” among other disobliging comments.
She knows that this is a very awkward position for Starmer and a cabinet which signed a petition to keep Trump from addressing parliament.
She repeats her accusation that they are “student politicians”.
Calls for Trump to be invited to address Parliament. This is a different more rightwing Tory leader.
Starmer congratulates Trump and Badenoch
Sir Keir Starmer has opened PMQs by congratulating Donald Trump on his “historic election victory”, as well as welcoming new Tory leader Kemi Badenoch.
The prime minister said: “As the closest of allies, the UK and the US will continue to work together to protect our shared values of freedom and democracy.
“Having had dinner with President Trump just a few weeks ago, I look forward to working with him in the years to come.”
Welcoming Kemi Badenoch, who won the Tory leadership race last weekend, Sir Keir said: “May I also welcome the leader of the opposition to her place – my fourth tory leader in four and a half years. But I do look forward to working with her in the interests of the public.”
Responding, Ms Badenoch thanked him for his “almost warm welcome”, promising to be a “constructive opposition”.
PMQs are about to kick off
PMQs is about to get underway with Kemi Badenoch facing off against Keir Starmer for the first time as Tory leader.
You can watch them trading barbs here.
