Onto the serious stuff: The defeated Tory leader then opted to focus his questions on Ukraine and national security — issues the old and new leaders are broadly aligned on.
The Sunak/Starmer exchanges were all a bit … low-key. Both stressed the U.K.’s unity on countering Russian aggression, with Sunak welcoming Starmer’s responses as he pressed him on Ukraine’s NATO membership bid, sanctions on Russia and aid to Ukraine — again, all issues the Labour and Tory leadership agree on. Sunak opted to finish without even asking a final question, instead assuring Starmer that the opposition would support him if the PM “deems it necessary” to use military action without notifying parliament first. Starmer thanked his opposite number for his support. Yay for unity.
Vibe shift: Regular readers will note the marked difference from the often bad-tempered verbal sparring between the two leaders before the election. But watch out for trickier exchanges for Starmer after the summer recess — and once the Tories finally elect a permanent leader who is eager to land blows on the PM.
Another new dawn: As well as swapping Starmer and Sunak’s places at the despatch box, the election result also provided Lib Dem boss Ed Davey with a new platform at PMQs — the guaranteed two questions given to the leader of the third largest party. Staying very much on brand, he pushed Starmer to do more for carers who are being forced to repay overpaid carer’s allowance payments.
And Starmer couldn’t resist … having a jokey pop at Davey over swapping his election-campaign wet-suit for a real suit. He then blamed the whole problem on the Tory government leaving a “more severe crisis than we thought,” (riling up the opposition as he did so). Expect to hear a lot more of that.
It wasn’t all easy questions: Plenty of Starmer’s footsoldiers used their questions to the PM to raise constituency issues — the classic softball. But some backbenchers did use the moment to make demands of the new government. Labour MP Nadia Whittome — on the left of the party — pressed Starmer on his government’s new restrictions on puberty blockers for children seeking to change gender. Starmer offered her a meeting with the relevant minister. Labour MP Mohammad Yasin asked the PM to apply “further pressure” to bring about a cease-fire in Gaza.