Kemi Badenoch will not apologise for calling the education secretary a “spiteful class warrior” during a fractious prime minister’s questions in which she also accused Labour MPs of sticking “400 knives” in Sir Keir Starmer’s back.
In the first PMQs since Starmer announced his resignation on Monday, the Conservative leader faced an unprecedented public rebuke from the Speaker, Sir Lindsay Hoyle. “Let us think about the language we use,” Hoyle said. “Because when we leave this chamber, don’t be surprised when constituents feel they can use the same language. Let us show a little bit more decorum and respect.”
“Kemi Badenoch refuses to apologise after calling Bridget Phillipson a 'spiteful class warrior' and is rebuked by the Speaker.”
Badenoch had earlier turned on Bridget Phillipson, who grew up in poverty in north-east England, accusing her of having “taxed private schools to pay for more teachers, but the number of teachers has gone down” and of letting Starmer down with “her incompetence”. “It turns out appointing a spiteful class warrior as education secretary was a disaster,” Badenoch said.
Starmer defended Phillipson, calling her an “incredible story of social mobility and success”, and said he was “so proud” of her. He added: “I would have thought the party opposite would recognise and understand some of that, but they’ve fallen so low, they don’t.”
Badenoch then targeted Labour MPs who cheered, accusing them of “cheering so loudly with their 400 knives stuck in [Starmer’s] back”. When MPs reacted angrily, she said: “They don’t like it up them, but they know what I’m saying.”
After PMQs, a row broke out between Badenoch and Phillipson in the division lobbies. According to Labour sources, the technology secretary Liz Kendall told Badenoch: “What you said was absolutely outrageous.” Badenoch then turned to Phillipson and said: “You are spiteful. I will keep talking about how spiteful you are.” Phillipson is said to have replied: “The public are going to find out who you really are.”
A Conservative source said Badenoch also told Phillipson: “I will fight you all the way, you’re destroying children’s lives” – but that was subsequently denied by a source close to Phillipson. An ally of Phillipson said Labour whips were referring the incident to the speaker, and the Labour MP Tulip Siddiq said she would make a point of order.
Asked whether Badenoch would apologise, a spokesman said “absolutely not”.
Badenoch also mocked the favourite to replace Starmer, Andy Burnham, who won a landslide in the Makerfield byelection last week. She said Labour MPs had “abandoned” Starmer for “a pair of eyelashes and a black T-shirt” – a reference to Burnham’s appearance. Burnham has said he will “put myself forward” in the Labour leadership contest, and is currently unopposed. Starmer has confirmed he will remain an MP rather than resign his Holborn and St Pancras seat.