Keir Starmer in 'F-off' low blow during PMQs as Sunak mocks Labour over scripted questions
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Sir Keir Starmer took a swipe at Rishi Sunak during PMQ's saying the public want a chance to tell him to 'F-off'.
The Labour leader made reference to the Conservative candidate for Tamworth, who was found telling struggling families to "f*** off" in an old post shared to Facebook.
In his final question to the Prime Minister, the Labour leader said: “Across our country, the British people are rolling up their sleeves and getting on with it, doing their best in the face of a punishing cost-of-living crisis and a Government that has abandoned them. Abandoned renters at risk of being kicked out, abandoned mortgage payers struggling to make ends meet, abandoned those who dream of owning their own house.
“The truth is his candidate in Tamworth summed up perfectly just how his and his Tories are treating the British public. So will he just call a general election and give the British public the chance to respond as they did in Selby, Mid Beds and Tamworth?
“They have heard the Government telling them to ‘eff off’ and they want the chance to return the compliment.”
Rishi Sunak replied: “As we saw with his recent decisions on actually building new houses, politicians like him always take the easy way out. We are getting on making the right long-term decisions to change this country for the better, on net zero, on HS2 on a smoke-free generation, on education and energy security.
“Contrast that to his leadership: too cautious to say anything and hope that nobody notices. Let me tell him, come that general election the British people will.”
PMQs also saw Starmer be brutally mocked by Rishi Sunak for bringing "prepared scripts" to PMQs.
The Commons erupted in laughter after Sunak tore into the Leader of the Opposition for reading from a script during the back and forth.The Prime Minister said: "These prepared lines really aren't working for him anymore.
"He literally asked a question about the support we're providing for mortgage holders.
"I gave him the answer to that question and then he read from his scrip to say that we hadn't answered the question."
He added: "We're providing significant help for all these people. He's moved onto housing targets but here's the record. Two and a half million homes. Housing supply up ten per cent. On track to deliver a million new homes and a record number of first-time buyers."
Sunak opened PMQs by welcoming the new Labour MP for Mid Bedfordshire, joking that the new member might “actually support me a little bit more than the last one”, referring to former Tory MP Nadine Dorries.
The Prime Minister’s comments came after Starmer said at PMQs: “Can I start by welcoming the new member for Mid Bedfordshire (Alistair Strathern)? The first Labour MP ever to represent those beautiful towns and villages. He defied the odds of history and of course the fantasy Lib Dem bar charts.
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“Can I also welcome the new member for Tamworth? She will be a powerful representative for her constituents. Is the Prime Minister as relieved as I am that those constituents are not burdened with his defeated candidate who told them, don’t worry Mr Speaker, I am going to sanitise this, to ‘eff off if they’re struggling with the cost of living?’
Sunak replied: “Can I in fact join him in welcoming the new members to their places? After all, I suspect the new member for Mid Beds might actually support me a little bit more than the last one.”
As laughter erupted across the Commons chamber, Sunak continued: “Although, I did notice that the new member said that they will be opposing new housing in their local area while the new member for Tamworth claimed that they will protect green spaces. I would urge them to have a word with their leader because that’s not exactly his position, although with his track record of U-turns, who knows what his housing policy will be next week.”