Keir Starmer goes head-to-head with Kemi Badenoch today after the resignation of one of his ministers.
The PM will face the Tory leader less than 24 hours after Tulip Siddiq quit amid a row over a Bangladesh corruption investigation into her aunt – former PM Sheikh Hasina. Ms Badenoch is likely to raise the case – the second resignation from the new Labour government in six months – at Prime Minister’s Questions.
But Mr Starmer and his Chancellor Rachel Reeves were given a small boost on Wednesday as official figures showed a surprise fall in inflation figures.
Former Bank of England policymaker Michael Saunders said Downing Street will be breathing a “sigh of relief” after the dip in inflation. He added that it will be “some help” in easing some of the “worries about the outlook for the UK”.
Follow the latest updates from PMQs below
‘Rachel Reeves’ critics seizing on slightest setback to claim country faces financial armageddon’
“If you want to be popular don’t take a job in the Treasury. Rachel Reeves has found this out the hard way”, writes The Mirror’s Jason Beattie.
“The Chancellor has angered pensioners by removing winter fuel payments, enraged Waspi women by refusing to pay compensation for the Tory pensions blunder and riled Britain’s farmers.
“Taxes have gone up but growth remains sluggish. To add to her woes, the markets have smelt blood which has pushed up the cost of government borrowing.”
Top minister gives update on whether Labour will call an emergency budget
A top Labour minister has said there is no need for an “emergency budget” as he sought to calm market turbulence.
The Chief Secretary to the Treasury Darren Jones insisted the Labour government would only hold one major fiscal event each year, with the next Budget already pencilled in for the autumn.
It came as the Chancellor Rachel Reeves was given a small boost after days of intense pressure with a surprise fall in inflation. Official figures on Wednesday showed the rate of Consumer Prices Index inflation fell to 2.5% in December – down from 2.6% in November.
Keir Starmer set to face questions after minister’s resignation
Keir Starmer goes head-to-head with Kemi Badenoch today after the resignation of one of his ministers.
The PM will face the Tory leader less than 24 hours after Tulip Siddiq quit amid a row over a Bangladesh corruption investigation into her aunt – former PM Sheikh Hasina. Ms Badenoch is likely to raise the case – the second resignation from the new Labour government in six months – at Prime Minister’s Questions.
In a letter to Keir Starmer, Ms Siddiq wrote on Tuesday that while there is “no evidence” of any wrongdoing, continuing in her role would be a “distraction”.
The Prime Minister has come under pressure to sack Ms Siddiq after Bangladesh’s anti-corruption commission (ACC) filed a case against Ms Hasina and her wider family. Ms Siddiq, who denies wrongdoing, faces questions over reports she lived in properties in London linked to allies of her aunt.