Prime Minister Keir Starmer came under pressure from Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch during Prime Minister’s Questions, with the rollback of the government’s digital ID plans dominating a lively Commons exchange.
Badenoch repeatedly accused the government of U-turns, prompting her MPs to shout “U-turn” after each policy she listed, including changes on digital ID, business rates, jury service and farm inheritance tax.
She directly challenged Starmer on ministers’ decision to scale back plans that would have required workers to use a central digital ID to prove their right to work, suggesting the reversal exposed confusion at the heart of government.
Starmer defended the shift, saying the government was taking “the right decisions for Britain” and stressing flexibility, including allowing other forms of identification.
He countered Badenoch’s attacks by highlighting divisions within the Conservative Party, accusing it of losing members to Reform UK and branding Nigel Farage’s party a “laundry service for disgraced Tory politicians”.
The exchange also ranged widely across policy areas. Badenoch pressed Starmer on business rates, citing warnings from the tax office about the impact of revaluation, while Starmer accused the Conservatives of neglecting pubs and small businesses during their time in power.
Earlier, Starmer condemned the killing of protesters in Iran and announced a new rail strategy. Labour MPs raised issues including the Hillsborough law and antisemitism concerns after claims a Jewish MP was barred from a school visit.
Following PMQs, ministers were scheduled to deliver statements on Northern Powerhouse Rail, policing issues in the West Midlands, and offshore wind power auctions, rounding off a politically charged day in Parliament.
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