Image source, parliamentlive.tv

Another lively PMQs saw Prime Minister Keir Starmer challenged on immigration, the new farming inheritance tax, housing and the latest developments in the Middle East.

Opposition leader Kemi Badenoch pressed Starmer on the latest immigration figures, and questioned why cutting immigration was not one of his six milestones announced last week.

Our political editor Chris Mason described the exchange as punchy in his latest analysis.

The prime minister was also pressed on farming inheritance tax, as farmers took to the streets this morning at Westminster over changes to inheritance tax announced in the Budget in October.

Starmer reiterated that the "vast majority" of farmers are unaffected by the proposed inheritance tax changes.

We'll be back for another round of PMQs next Wednesday.

Did Badenoch support the removal of caps on migration?published at 12:59 Greenwich Mean Time 11 December 2024

12:59 GMT 11 December 2024

By Anthony Reuben

The prime minister criticised the previous Conservative government for allowing net migration to the UK to reach record levels.

He also said that leader of the opposition Kemi Badenoch “stood up and praised the then-Tory Home Secretary for listening to her on removing caps on migration visas”.

In December 2018, Badenoch said in the Commons: “I especially thank the Home Secretary [Sajid Javid] for removing the annual limits on work visas and on international students - I lobbied for both, external.”

But at the end of November 2024, as the new leader of the Conservatives, she held a news conference to announce that a future Conservative government would have a “strict numerical cap” on migration, although she did not say what that cap would be.

Kemi Badenoch's questions to the prime minster today focussed heavily on immigration.

As it stands, the latest official figures confirm that more than 20,000 people have crossed the English Channel in small boats since Labour took office.

Meanwhile, there's been an uptick in crossings this October compared to last year.

The government says it will attempt to reduce crossings by taking action against the gangs that smuggle people into the UK.

The number of crossings this year is still below those recorded in 2022.

Last year, under the Conservative government, net migration hit a record high of over 906,000.

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has said her party got its migration policy "wrong" and has pledged to set a "strict numerical cap" - although she has yet to commit to a number.

• Why so many prime ministers have failed to cut migration

Image source, parliamentlive.tv

Prime Minister's Questions has come to end for another week.

Let's have a look back at some of the key points discussed in today's session.

• Leader of the opposition Kemi Badenoch focussed her questions this week on immigration. She asked Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer why cutting immigration was not one the six milestones announced last week. He responded that the government would drive down both lawful and illegal immigration
• The pair criticised each other's records - with Starmer suggesting the Conservatives "lost control" of the borders - to which Badenoch replied that the only thing he smashed is "his reputation"
• Asked by Labour MP Noah Law about clean energy, Starmer said the government is committed to clean power by 2030 and will set out a white paper next week on their ambitions
• Speaking about Syria, the prime minister agreed it is a "serious" moment for the country, adding he has been speaking "intently" with allies
• The PM was pressed again on the farming inheritance tax - but repeated previous comments that the "vast majority" of farmers would be unaffected by the changes
• As for flood defences, Starmer spoke of a £2.4m sum that will be invested this year

Immigration was a hot topic in the House of Commons today.

Watch below as opposition leader Kemi Badenoch grills the prime minister on his immigration policies.

The final quesiton comes from Greens MP for North Herefordshire, Ellie Chowns. She points to a case in her community where ambulances were queued outside a hospital and could not be sent to a patient who needed one.

Chowns asks what the government will do to fix social care so that ambulances can get back to saving lives.

Starmer responds that this is an example of something that is all too common due to the previous government which "broke the NHS". There are groans from the benches opposite, which Starmer admonishes, telling his opposition that they should be "utterly ashamed of themselves".

He says Labour has set out its priorities in the Budget and will work to achieve them "at pace", and, delivering the final sting for the session, says that the Conservatives should hang their heads in shame.

Conservative MP Paul Holmes says in the last few weeks of his government, they awarded "millions of pounds to remote train stations" under the "Access for All" plan.

The plan was scrapped by the Labour government. Holmes asks if the prime minister will "give us our money back."

Starmer says the issue is the previous government "made lots and lots of promises, but they never set aside the money to pay for them."

Kirith Entwistle, Labour MP for Bolton North East, asks the prime minister what the government can do to tackle shoplifting and support retailers throughout the holiday period.

Starmer responds by saying shoplifting went out of control under the last government, and that his government is working to bring it under control.

He says his government will train police forces and staff to deal with the issue.

Iain Duncan Smith, Conservative MP for Chingford and Woodford Green, raises the case of Ryan Cornelius, who has been detained in the United Arab Emirates for alleged bank fraud since 2008.

Smith asks whether Starmer demanded Cornelius's freedom in his visit to the UAE earlier this week and whether he will implement sanctions against those responsible.

Starmer says this is important case raised by the government a number of times including by the foreign secretary on the trip.

He says the government will continue to press for the outcome he and his family desperately want.

Image source, parliamentlive.tv

Referencing Russia, Conservative MP Rebecca Paul asks if Starmer will "commit to spending at least 2.5% of GDP on defence".

Starmer says she is right about "the importance of national security, particularly at the moment."

He says the government delivered a "£2.9bn increase" in the MoD budget and provided the largest pay rise for the armed forces in 22 years.

They will set out the path to 2.5% in due course, which he says "wasn't met once" in the 14 years the Conservatives were in power.

Labour MP for Carlise, Julie Minns, asks the prime minister for assurances that flood defences will be completed under this government.

The prime minister responds by saying last government left flood defences in a "state of absolute disrepair".

He says his government is investing £2.4m towards the issue this year, adding the environment agency is studying options to protect constituents in Carlisle.

Image source, parliamentlive.tv

Chris Law, the SNP MP for Dundee Central, says that the SNP scrapped the two-child benefit cap and reinstated winter fuel payments. Referencing polls he says show support for Labour "plummeting" and the SNP leading, Law asks Starmer who makes better decisions for Scotland.

It's a brief response from Starmer: Those who were elected in the general election on 4 July sitting here.

Conservative MP Jerome Mayhew takes the House back to the theme of farming, referencing a comment he says Starmer made to the National Farmers' Union pre-election that losing a farm is not like losing another business, becase "you can't get it back."

He asks the prime minister if he understands why farmers across the country think his administration is "duplicitous".

Starmer repeats previous comments that the "vast majority" of farmers are unaffected by the proposed inheritance tax changes.

Katrine Murray, Labour MP for Cumbernauld and Kirkintilloch, says her constituents are experiencing a housing emergency.

She asks if Starmer agrees that the Scottish government "should be prioritising" repairing housing and giving local authorities more funding.

Starmer says in Scotland "house building has ground to a halt, homelessness is at record numbers, children in temporary accommodation record numbers."

He says this Budget has given Scotland the "biggest settlement" since devolution.

Image source, parliamentlive.tv

Social Democratic and Labour Party MP for Belfast South and Mid Down Claire Hanna asks the prime minister about the situation in Gaza, saying it is getting worse.

She asks when Israel will be held to the same standards as Russia.

Starmer responds by saying he is pleased about the ceasefire in Lebanon, says the same is needed in Gaza. He adds that aid needs to be delivered rapidly to Gaza.

Starmer says talks are ongoing to secure a hostage deal.

Chris Mason
Political editor

That was a punchy set of exchanges between Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch.

It is fascinating to see immigration as the central topic, as each traded insults on values, instincts and track records.

Sir Keir used again his rhetorical line about the Tories having an "open borders policy" - clearly an exaggeration, but one with bite given the sky-high net migration numbers in the latter years of Conservative government.

And Badenoch pointed out her commitment to have a net migration cap, something Sir Keir won’t promise.

Alongside the economy and the NHS, success in driving down levels of immigration, both legal and illegal, are a likely key metric in how this government will be judged.

And all this as both Labour and the Conservatives look nervously over their shoulders at Reform UK.

Image source, parliamentlive.tv

Davey turns next to farmers, who are protesting outside in Westminster today. He says family farms were let down by the previous Conservative government, and now feel that the changes to inheritance tax in the Budget will be the final blow.

He asks whether Starmer will change course on the inheritance tax.

Starmer points to a £5 billion commitment to farming in the Budget and says that the vast majority of farmers will be unaffected by the changes to tax, despite "fearmongering" from the Tories.

Leader of the Liberal Democrats Ed Davey now asks Starmer about the situation in Syria, referencing potential threats including extremism and unsecured chemical weapons.

Davey raises comments from US President-elect Donald Trump, who says that the US should have nothing to do with it.

He asks Starmer if the UK will step up with other countries if America walks away.

Starmer agrees this is a "serious" moment and says they have been speaking "intently" with allies.

He says this could be a "turning point" for Syria but caveats that we don't know what will come next.

Noah Law, Labour MP for St Austell and Newquay, asks about clean energy.

Law says there's a need for social and industrial investment in Cornwall and says in the last few months they have seen positive progress.

He asks if the prime minister will join a visit in spring to meet with the industry to help Britain become a "clean energy superpower."

Starmer says they are committed to clean power by 2030, and next week will publish a white paper setting out their ambitions to move power from Westminster to "every part of England."

The deputy prime minister is meeting Law and his colleagues to discuss this next week, he adds.

Brian Wheeler
Reporting from the House of Commons

Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp is now deep in conversation with Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch after her questions have finished.

He's nodding along enthusiastically as she explains something to him. The Tory front bench seem to think that went well.