Starmer in livid bust-up with the Commons Speaker after he is ordered to lastly begin answering Kemi’s questions
Sir Keir Starmer erupted in fury at the Commons Speaker today after he was ordered to answer Kemi Badenoch’s questions.
Sir Lindsay Hoyle interrupted the PM to remind him that it was questions to the Prime Minister – rather than the leader of the opposition.
‘Prime Minister, it’s Prime Minister’s Questions. We’ve got to concentrate,’ he told Sir Keir as the pair clashed.
Following the heated exchange, the PM was seen to approach Sir Lindsay’s chair as he left the Chamber to speak to him.
One MP who witnessed the scene at close quarters said Sir Keir was clearly incensed at the Speaker.
‘He was fuming with Lindsay,’ they told the Daily Mail.
In a dramatic moment during the exchange, Sir Keir was even seen to whack his fist on the side of Sir Lindsay’s chair.
The Speaker later issued a statement saying that he occasionally had to remind PMs of the ‘rules of engagement’ in the chamber.
Sir Keir Starmer in furious bust-up with the Commons Speaker after he’s ordered to finally start answering Kemi’s questions
Mr Speaker Lindsay Hoyle interrupted the PM to remind him that it was questions to the Prime Minister rather than the leader of the opposition
He added, pointedly, that the point had been made to No10 officials ‘on several occasions recently’ following similar interventions on previous weeks.
A spokesman for the Speaker’s Office said: ‘The Speaker is not responsible for the questions asked by Members or the answers given by Ministers.
‘Questions to Ministers should relate to matters for which they are officially responsible. Equally, answers should be confined to the points contained in the question.
‘Every so often the Speaker has to remind Prime Ministers – and Ministers – of the rules of engagement in the Chamber.
‘The Speaker has made this point to officials at No 10 on several occasions recently as well.’
A Tory source said: ‘Starmer is so out of depth he doesn’t even know how to answer questions at an event literally titled Prime Minister Questions. The British public deserve so much better than this hapless fool.’
Reform MP Sarah Pochin tweeted: ‘I welcome the Speaker holding Keir Starmer to account for failing to answer questions.
‘It is not acceptable for the Prime Minister to treat Parliament, PMQs and the public with such contempt. PMQs is not a soapbox for political point scoring, often aimed at Reform, it is a forum for scrutiny.
‘He is the Prime Minister, for now. He should start acting like it.’
