Adam Goldsmith
Live reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Keir Starmer and Kemi Badenoch earlier faced off in the last Prime Minister's Questions before MPs' summer break.

Following the revelation this week of a 2022 data leak on Afghans who supported British forces, Starmer placed responsibility on the previous Conservative government, who he said had "serious questions to answer".

But, with an unexpected inflation rise announced this morning, Badenoch was keen to switch the focus to the economy.

There were cheers and jeers on both sides as statistics were swapped on growth and taxes but, as the BBC's political editor Chris Mason writes, neither leader's sparring did much to move the dial of their respective arguments.

With MPs now looking forward to the end of term, we're closing our live coverage of PMQs and will return when the Commons does - in September.

If you're after more on this morning's inflation rise, or the Afghan case, you can read about each by following these links:

• UK inflation at highest for almost a year and a half
• Serious questions for Tories over Afghan data breach - PM

Does the UK have the highest inflation in the G7?published at 13:33 British Summer Time

13:33 BST

By Ben Chu, policy and analysis correspondent

At PMQs, Kemi Badenoch said "inflation is up again, the worst in the G7, we [the Conservatives] left him [Keir Starmer] with 2% inflation".

The Office for National Statistics reported today that annual Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation rose to 3.6% in June 2025, up from 3.4% in May.

Badenoch is correct that CPI was 2% year-on-year in June 2024, the month before the 2024 general election which brought Labour to power.

The OECD produces a monthly comparison of consumer inflation rates across the G7 - a group of seven largest developed economies - using a slightly different measure than that of the ONS.

On this measure, the OECD reported that in May 2025 inflation in the UK was 4% year-on-year, higher than any of the other G7 nations.

Image source, PA Media

If you're just joining us, or need a bit of a recap, here's how things played out in the House of Commons:

• Before taking questions, Starmer took a moment to reference the Afghan data leak - saying it revealed the failures of the Conservative government and that former ministers had "serious questions" to answer
• Moving on to his weekly back and forth with Badenoch, the prime minister, quizzed about higher taxes, said "14 years of Conservative government" is what's bad for growth and told the Tory leader that his government had achieved the highest growth in the G7
• Hitting back, Badenoch claimed UK inflation is the worst in the G7, that unemployment is up and spending is out of control - to which Starmer said his government has raised both national minimum and national living wages
• He also responded to questions from Badenoch about pensions and pension contributions by saying business confidence is at a nine-year high - something our colleagues at BBC Verify is true but requires context
• Meanwhile, Badenoch reflected on the PM's first year in office, asking him if the "worst is yet to come" - Starmer, having reeled off a list of his government's achievements, said "we're just getting started"
• ANALYSIS: Each leader managed to give their own side something to cheer about, but today's exchanges didn’t wildly move their respective arguments on, writes the BBC's Chris Mason

Fact-checking whether business confidence is at a nine-year highpublished at 12:55 British Summer Time

12:55 BST

By Ben Chu, policy and analysis correspondent

During PMQs, when he was challenged on the economy, the prime minister replied that "business confidence is at a 9-year high".

That claim is correct - according to one survey - but needs context.

The latest Lloyds release, external shows 64% of 1,200 businesses surveyed in June 2025 reported confidence was higher and 13% said it was lower, giving a net "balance of confidence" figure of 51% for the month - the highest since 2015.

However, other indicators of UK business confidence show a weaker picture.

A business economic confidence index of 449 firms compiled by the Institute of Directors - which ranges between a maximum of 100 and a minimum of -100 - fell back to -53 in June 2025.

The index had been in positive territory when Labour came to power in July 2024.

The Bank of England’s network of regional agents also points to a subdued, rather than buoyant, picture of business confidence.

The agents’ report for the second quarter, April to June, of 2025 said "several uncertainties are weighing on the confidence needed to commit to future investment plans".

Joshua Nevett
Reporting from the House of Commons

Fingers of blame have been pointed in all kinds of directions over the leak of data on Afghans who supported British forces.

At PMQs, Keir Starmer was the latest to wade into the blame game, saying his party was "warned about Tory management of this policy".

He said ministers who served under the previous Conservative government had "serious questions to answer".

But this was an episode that spanned years - and involved this Labour government and previous Tory ones.

As we know, the leak stemmed from an unintentional mistake made by just one official working for the Ministry of Defence. The government has not confirmed whether the official responsible for the leak had faced disciplinary action.

Ministers, past and present, are also facing tough questions about their role in this and the decisions they made.

The issues of who bears ultimate responsibility, and how they could or should be held accountable, were not answered at PMQs today.

Badenoch and Starmer's end-of-term arguments didn't do much to move the dialpublished at 12:29 British Summer Time

12:29 BST

Chris Mason
Political editor

There were end of term vibes in the exchanges between the prime minister and the Conservative leader.

Knockabout from the Tories around Labour’s first year in government and the bumps they have encountered, alongside Labour countering with the Conservative record in office.

Each leader managed to give their own side something to cheer about, although the exchanges didn’t wildly move their respective arguments on.

Let's hear now from Lib Dem leader Ed Davey, who says British Jews should not have to live in fear of hatred and racism, and asks Starmer if he'll read and respond to a new report setting out 10 recommendations to tackle antisemitism.

Starmer says he will, adding that "we will and we must fight antisemitism wherever we find it".

Davey also asks if the PM will make clear to the Israeli government that the UK will not "stand idly by" as the world looks on in horror at scenes from Gaza - and whether this could start with sanctioning Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu?

Starmer says he's appalled by recent events in Gaza, and civilian deaths, telling MPs he expects them to be fully investigated. He calls again for an immediate ceasefire, but stops short of responding to the question about Netanyahu.

Another PMQs dedicated to criticising not just Starmer, but Reeves toopublished at 12:20 British Summer Time

12:20 BST

Joshua Nevett
Reporting from the House of Commons

Almost every week in recent times, Badenoch has used PMQs to remind Starmer of the less–than-rosy state of the British economy.

There was more unwelcome evidence of that this morning, when the ONS said prices rose by more than expected to 3.6% in the year to June.

Badenoch blamed Starmer’s policies and those of his Chancellor Rachel Reeves for the spike in inflation and stuttering growth.

“His budget last year had high taxes,” Badenoch said. “That’s why the economy is contracting.”

The Tory leader has been vociferous in her criticism of Reeves in recent weeks, perhaps sensing a weakness in her position over economic performance and major policy U-turns.

Though it’s worth remembering that the causes of inflation are complex and can be determined by a number of factors, including government spending, trade issues, and economic shocks.

Image source, Parliament TV

Before her final question, Badenoch tells the Commons "the shadow of the last budget is hanging over the country" and then takes Starmer through her "end-of-term score card" after his first year in office.

She says the "economy is contracting, inflation is the highest in the G7, unemployment is up, borrowing costs are higher than Greece, spending is out of control".

Badenoch says Labour "should be ashamed" and then asks "given this is their first year, is the worst still yet to come?"

Starmer pushes back, listing off some of his government's achievements, including delivering on extra NHS appointments.

He mentions affordable housing investments, road and rail upgrades, and free trade deals, telling Badenoch: "We're only getting started."

Image source, Parliament TV

Badenoch continues on the theme of pensions, saying Starmer doesn't want to talk about pension contributions and refers to this as a matter of "choices". Her party, she says, knows there is an alternative to tax rises: cutting spending.

Badenoch says Labour is too scared to do this, and asks what the prime minister will do to get a grip on the cost of borrowing.

Starmer replies that the Conservatives left "an incredible mess", and demands an apology for the £22bn black hole or for Liz Truss's infamous mini-budget.

He asks whether Badenoch might like to stand up and make that apology now.

Badenoch is asking her next question - she'd moved onto pensions and the review the government is launching into contributions.

She accuses Labour of considering taxes on pension contributions, then asks Starmer whether he agrees that a tax on pension contributions is a tax on working people?

Starmer says his party made commitments in its manifesto and he won't write the Budget months out from it being published - and that he is proud of the decisions Labour's taken over public services and the NHS.

Business confidence is at a nine-year high, he adds - "longer than she's [Badenoch] been in government".

Image source, Parliament TV

Next, Badenoch asks Starmer if self-employed people will face a tax rise.

The PM says those who are self-employed repeatedly suffered under the previous Conservative governments - particularly during Covid lockdowns.

He adds that Labour has created 380,000 jobs, with employment up and inactivity down - the "opposite of what we inherited".

Badenoch gets to her feet again and presses the prime minister on the economy. She says "inflation is up again and is the worst in the G7".

She continues, saying "taxes are up under his government" and then asks Starmer to "clear up the confusion and explain what he thinks a modest income is" (at the weekend, Labour minister Heidi Alexander said Labour had ruled out tax rises for those on "modest incomes").

Starmer doesn't answer the question directly, but replies by saying the government has put the national minimum and national living wages up - as well as extending school breakfast clubs.

"We know exactly who we are working for," Starmer answers, before accusing Badenoch of coming to PMQs "every week" and "talking the country down".

Responding, Keir Starmer says what's bad for growth is "14 years of Conservative government".

There are jeers from both sides of the Commons at this point.

Starmer then repeats the claim that the Tories left a £22bn black hole in the public finances, and goes on to praise some of his own policies, which he says have resulted in the UK achieving the highest growth in the G7.

Image source, Parliament TV

Image source, Parliament TV

Now to Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch, who's asking her first question of today's session.

She says the Office for Budget Responsibility yesterday warned the government that "higher and higher" levels of taxes are bad for growth.

Does the PM agree, she asks.

Just before he answers questions from Kemi Badenoch, Keir Starmer issues a quick statement on the Afghan data leak.

He says there has always been support in the Commons for the UK fulfilling its obligations towards Afghans who served alongside British forces.

Labour warned in opposition about the Tories' management of this, he goes on, adding that yesterday's revelation of the data breach, super-injunction and secret resettlement route reveals their failures.

"Ministers who served under the party opposite have serious questions to answer about how this was ever allowed to happen," he says.

Image source, Parliament TV

The prime minister is on his feet so we're now ready for the last Prime Minister's Questions before Parliament's summer recess.

Remember, you can follow our text updates right here and you can watch the session live at the top of this page.

Here we go.

Ahead of PMQs, Lindsay Hoyle has been speaking to MPs about the super-injunction issued over the Afghan data leak.

Hoyle says it raises "significant constitutional issues", and he's "asked the clerks to consider whether any lessons need to be learned from this case".

"If so, I will be reporting back to the House in due course."

As our politics reporter Joshua Nevett mentions, this issue is the talk of Westminster today and could well come up during the back and forth between Keir Starmer and Kemi Badenoch.

Joshua Nevett
Reporting from the House of Commons

The green benches in the House of Commons are filling up, as MPs take their seats ahead of Prime Minister’s Questions.

I’ll be watching from the gallery above.

It’s Tory leader Kemi Badenoch’s last chance to make some political waves at PMQs before the summer recess.

So, what could come up this week?

The Afghan data breach (see more detail here) is the talk of Westminster today. It’s likely MPs will raise this.As for other topics, the rise in inflation, new data on the immigration status of universal credit claimants, and the two-child cap on benefits could also be in the mix.

As ever, though, it's a guessing game at this point.

As we've been reporting, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) published its monthly update this morning - and it showed that inflation rose to 3.6% in the year to June.

Inflation is the increase in the price of something over time - if a bottle of milk costs £1 but is £1.05 a year later, then annual milk inflation is 5%.

How are these figures calculated?

The ONS takes a representative sample of more then 700 goods and services - including things like flour, pork chops, streaming services and cereal - to calculate the figure.

Changes in the prices of these products are regularly checked at around 20,000 shops across the country.

Why does this matter for Starmer?

Labour was elected on a pledge to reduce the cost of living for ordinary people, and this news comes a few days after separate figures revealed the economy shrank unexpectedly in May.

Last week, Tory leader Kemi Badenoch accused Keir Starmer of letting inflation rise on his watch.