UK (Parliament Politics Magazine) – At Prime Minister’s Questions, British PM Keir Starmer labels the Tories as a ‘coalition of blockers,’ while Kemi Badenoch criticizes his Employment Rights Bill.
On Wednesday, after Rachel Reevees’ speech, Sir Keir Starmer, during PMQs, backed his administration’s proposals for economic growth and reforms to employment regulations.
In his remarks, Sir Keir pointed out the opposition from Tory frontbenchers on both airport expansion and a rail project, triggering Tory leader Kemi Badenoch to label Labour as hypocritical for voicing similar concerns in the past.
What are the Keir Starmer and Kemi Badenoch remarks during the Prime Minister questions session?
Sir Keir described the Government as the “coalition of builders,” while Ms Badenoch called for the removal of key provisions of the Employment Rights Bill, arguing they “fail his growth test.”
When Ms Badenoch urged Keir Starmer to “stop being a lawyer and start being a leader,” the Prime Minister responded, saying,
“We know she’s not a lawyer, and she’s clearly not a leader. If she keeps on like this, she’ll be the next lettuce.”
Ms Badenoch pointed out that Chancellor Rachel revealed many of the policies in her Oxford speech today based on the Conservative proposals.
She highlights Starmer’s “growth test” introduced yesterday, repeating his words, “If a policy is good for growth, the answer is yes. If it’s not, the answer is no.”
In response, the Prime Minister cited multiple organizations backing the government’s growth strategy, including the ONS, which shows that Labour has achieved the highest level of investment in 19 years.
He also refers to earlier remarks from his opponent, saying,
“There’s no point in me just complaining about Labour,“
she [Badenoch] said,
“it’s obvious that we Conservatives lost the confidence of business,”
She remarked.
The Tory leader accused Keir Starmer of avoiding discussing the employment bill, claiming he “does not know” the details. She further accused him of misleading the Commons about his government’s education policy last week.
She then argued that Keir Starmer is unaware of both internal and external matters. She stated that the employment bill would burden businesses, making it more of an unemployment bill. Ms Badenoch inquired whether he would reconsider it.
In reply to this, Keir Starmer defended Labour’s track record of supporting workers’ rights, insisting that the government is driving growth to assist the working class. He also slammed Badenoch, stating that her approach is solely to reduce pensions.
According to Kemi Badenoch, Keir Starmer’s ideas are nothing new, as the Conservatives had already considered them while in office. She further highlighted that government estimates reveal the employment bill will raise business costs by £600 million to £1 billion annually in sick pay.
Sir Keir immediately rejected the criticism, stating that the bill is focused on protecting workers’ rights, which is the primary purpose of such policies.
Who will benefit from the Employment Rights Bill, according to Kemi Badenoch?
Ms. Badenoch continued her criticism of the proposed bill, arguing that it serves the interests of trade unions rather than businesses. This argument drew loud cheers from her fellow party MPs. She asserted that instead of assisting workers, the legislation would drive up costs for businesses.
She criticized Starmer for neglecting business deregulation, which she says would boost economic growth. Ms. Badenoch warns the bill will allow employees to call strikes on short notice.
The Conservative leader criticized Sir Keir for his “arrogance,” insisting that businesses rather than government policies drive economic growth.
She stated,
“Other countries are serious about freeing business from red tape. President Trump is doing it in America; Argentina is taking a chainsaw to regulations. Even the EU is not going as far as this left-wing Government.”
The Prime Minister, in response, said,
“She’s got a nerve. They broke the economy and destroyed it. They broke the health service and destroyed it. They ruined us in prisons and everything else you can mention; they failed on every front, and they’re in no position to give us lectures on anything.”
What matter did Tory MP Andrew Rosindell raise during PMQs, and how did Keir Starmer respond?
The Office for National Statistics revealed that net migration could spike the UK’s population to 72.5 million by 2032. This matter was raised in the final question of the day, with Conservative MP Andrew Rosindell stating that his constituents in Romford are “shocked and angry.”
Mr Rosindell stated,
“That’s 500,000 people a year, which is unsustainable,” adding that there is “no mandate for such a colossal increase in immigration.”
In response, the Prime Minister advised Rosindell to speak with Tory leader Kemi Badenoch, highlighting that net migration “spiked through the roof” during the previous government.
What are the essential points in the Employment Rights Bill?
- Under new rules, workers will now have the right to claim unfair dismissal from day one, removing the previous two-year wait.
- Company heads will now be required to provide zero-hours workers with a guaranteed hours contract after 12 weeks of working.
- From day one, employers must approve flexible working requests, making them the “default” unless they can justify them as “unreasonable.”
- Under the new proposed bill, workers will receive Statutory Sick Pay from the day they are diagnosed with an illness. Those earning under £123 a week will also qualify.
- Businesses will refrain from using “fire and rehire” tactics to change employees’ terms and conditions, except in special situations requiring cost-cutting.