Lawyer Keir becomes macho Keir
Macho Keir is part of the Labour fightback in response to the Sky News/YouGov
poll that put Reform ahead of Labour for the first time.
Chief political correspondent @joncraig [http://twitter.com/@joncraig]
Wednesday 12 February 2025 15:43, UK
Has Sir Keir Starmer raised his game at Prime Minister’s Questions?
Suddenly, he’s less wooden, robotic and lawyerly and much more aggressive
against the Conservatives [https://news.sky.com/topic/conservatives-5699] and
Reform UK. [https://news.sky.com/topic/reform-uk-10994]
It has been noticeable in the past few weeks how he’s taken the gloves off in
his attacks on Kemi Badenoch [https://news.sky.com/topic/kemi-badenoch-10252]
and Nigel Farage [https://news.sky.com/topic/nigel-farage-5829].
The new style at PMQs coincides with Labour
[https://news.sky.com/topic/labour-5700] attack ads against Reform and
hard-hitting videos selling the government’s crackdown on illegal immigration.
Of course, macho Keir is part of the Labour fightback in response to the Sky
News/YouGov poll that put Reform ahead of Labour for the first time.
So in the last PMQs for two weeks – yes, there’s yet another parliamentary
recess next week – Sir Keir slammed the Tories and Reform UK for voting against
Labour’s borders bill on Monday.
That’s right: immigration
[https://news.sky.com/story/judge-wrong-to-let-gaza-family-settle-in-uk-under-ukraine-scheme-says-starmer-13307792],
the issue another opinion poll at the weekend suggested is the biggest issue for
Reform voters and Tory voters considering switching to Reform UK.
King Charles invites Sir Keir Starmer and devolved government leaders for dinner
at Windsor Castle
Sue Gray takes up seat in House of Lords – and receives new title
Sir Keir Starmer takes HIV test in effort to reduce stigma
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In a pantomime-style routine with Labour backbenchers joining in, Sir Keir said
theatrically: “They voted against – that’s Reform and the Tories.
“They voted against making it an offence to organise the buying, selling and
transport of small boats.”
Labour MPs repeatedly shouted “Against!” as Sir Keir continued: “Against making
an offence to endanger lives at sea, against a power to arrest suspected people
smugglers before the smuggling takes place.
“They voted against, they voted for open borders, both of them.”
Read More:
Migrants arriving illegally to be refused British citizenship
[https://news.sky.com/story/migrants-arriving-illegally-in-small-boats-and-in-lorries-to-be-refused-british-citizenship-13307732]
Candidate for borders watchdog would commute from Finland
[https://news.sky.com/story/top-candidate-for-borders-watchdog-says-he-would-commute-from-finland-13307607]
At one point during PMQs, the newly combative Sir Keir even had the brass neck
to claim that “farming is top of the agenda as far as I’m concerned”.
Really? He was rightly challenged by new Tory MP Harriet Cross – who looks like
one to watch – about a Labour minister declaring that farmers were “not high on
the pecking order” for the government.
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Another party leader on good form at PMQs these days is Sir Ed Davey, who is
regularly asking the serious questions on the big issues that the Tory leader is
ignoring.
This week it was President Trump’s threats on Ukraine and tariffs. He even had a
good joke which MPs seemed to miss, calling for tariffs on American electric
cars. That’s right, Elon Musk’s Teslas.
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On the other hand, PMQs is poorer for hearing fewer questions from Stephen Flynn
now the SNP is no longer the third biggest party. His direct style usually hits
the target and is sorely missed.
Which brings us to Kemi Badenoch. Is Sir Keir looking better because she’s poor,
as some critics claim? Her approach is still too scattergun and the PM is
winning their weekly battles as his more aggressive approach pays off.
