The Prime Minister of the UK, Keir Starmer on Wednesday dismissed the assertion by the leader of the Conservative Party, Kemi Badenoch, that he had followed her advice on cutting the aid budget.
The prime minister also took a swipe at her political stance, calling her a “self-appointed saviour of Western civilisation” in what appeared to be a pointed jab at her rhetoric.
Badenoch had during the plenary session, suggested that Starmer had acted on her recommendation to reduce aid spending while questioning inconsistencies in the government’s defence budget figures.
Ms Badenoch said, “Over the weekend I suggested to the prime minister that he cut the aid budget, and I am pleased that he accepted my advice. It’s the fastest response I’ve ever had from the prime minister.”
The Nigerian-born Tory Leader also added, “However, he announced £13.4 billion of additional defence spending yesterday. This morning, his defence secretary said the uplift is only £6 billion. Which is the correct figure?”
Reacting to her claims, Starmer flatly denied being influenced by Badenoch’s suggestion and dismissed her claim with sarcasm.
“I’m going to have to let the leader of the opposition down gently. She didn’t feature in my thinking at all. I was so busy over the weekend I didn’t even see her proposal,” he remarked.
Taking his criticism further, Starmer quipped, “She’s appointed herself, I think, the saviour of Western civilisation. It’s a desperate search for relevance. If you take the numbers for this financial year, and then the numbers for financial year 27/28, that’s a £13.4 billion increase—the largest sustained increase in defence spending since the Cold War.”
The prime minister’s remarks elicited laughter from the MPs on the House floor, with the Conservative leader herself seen smiling at the exchange.
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