Kemi Badenoch launches stinging attack on Starmer for ‘punching Brits in the face’ as PM accused of Brexit vote betrayal
KEMI Badenoch has accused Labour of “punching the British people in the face” and planning to “give away our hard-won Brexit freedoms”.
The Tory leader tore into Sir Keir Starmer at PMQs, warning his plans would hand power back to Brussels.
It comes as Labour is preparing to reopen talks with the European bloc, with the PM telling The Sun he wants to “reset relations” to get a “better deal” for our readers.
But EU demands recently uncovered in documents include fresh raids on British fishing waters, free movement for under-30s, and a return to European Court of Justice oversight in exchange for softer goods checks and a security pact.
As she also attacked Labour’s policies on tax and pensioner benefits, Ms Badenoch told the Commons: “The truth is, this winter people will be suffering because of his choices.
“The economy is shrinking, inflation is going up and jobs are being lost because of his budget. Pensioners won’t be able to heat their homes because of his Government’s decisions.
“They raised people’s hopes, but then smashed them with broken promises.
“And now we learn he is about to give away our hard-won Brexit freedoms.
“The truth is they are punching the British people in the face, literally in the case of one of his MPs, and he will pretend that this is about the past but we all know these are his choices, bad choices.
“If he’s looking for a new year’s resolution, why doesn’t he start by telling the truth?”
Sir Keir replied: I’ll do it now: £22 billion black hole left by them; record numbers on the waiting lists … they should hang their heads in shame; immigration completely out of control, nearly a million net migration, she was the cheerleader for all of that.
“She wants the truth, that’s the truth, that’s why they’re sitting there.
“Whilst they carp from the sidelines talking the country down, this Government is getting on with the job.”
In a video released on X, Ms Badenoch also took aim at Labour’s Brexit stance, saying: “Four years ago, I warned that Labour will always take the knee.
“Now we see what that means for our country.”
Ms Badenoch blasted Labour’s record, claiming they “cannot negotiate” and had “given away the Chagos Islands and paid Mauritius to take them,” only for Mauritius to “come back asking for more.”
She added: “Labour handed train drivers a £135m pay rise with nothing in return, and now those same drivers are refusing to work over Christmas…
“Keir Starmer is restarting the Brexit wars after we ended them.
“The deal he wants will give power to the European Court to overrule the British Parliament every time labor negotiates the UK lose.