Kemi Badenoch will not apologize for her language during a recent, impassioned session of Prime Minister's Questions, a spokesperson for the Conservative minister confirmed.
During the session, Badenoch directed sharp criticism at government ministers and Labour MPs. She stated that Labour MPs were cheering on then-leader Sir Keir Starmer despite him facing significant internal challenges, using the metaphor of "400 knives stuck in his back." Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle urged participants to maintain "a little bit more decorum and respect."
Badenoch also referred to many Labour MPs as "traitors and deserters" and characterized Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson as a "spiteful class warrior." Following the session, Badenoch and Phillipson engaged in a heated exchange in person and subsequently on social media.
The remarks from Badenoch came in the first Prime Minister's Question session after Sir Keir Starmer announced his resignation as Labour leader, a move that opened the path for a new leader to be chosen potentially within a month. Badenoch suggested that Labour MPs had "abandoned" Starmer for a new leadership contender, referencing the perceived appeal of Andy Burnham, the new MP for Makerfield and a frontrunner for the leadership. Badenoch also accused Chancellor Rachel Reeves of "killing jobs" and Energy Secretary Ed Miliband of "killing industry."
Sir Lindsay intervened during the proceedings to emphasize the importance of language used in the Commons, warning that "when we leave this chamber, don't be surprised when constituents feel they can use the same language."