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James O’Brien and LBC’s Natasha Clark reflect on Prime Minister's Questions as Keir Starmer goes head to head with Leader of the Opposition Kemi Badenoch. Listen to the full show on the all-new LBC App: https://app.af.lbc.co.uk/btnc/thenewl... #jamesobrien #natashaclark #ukpolitics #LBC LBC is the home of live debate around news and current affairs in the UK. Join in the conversation and listen at https://www.lbc.co.uk/ Sign up to LBC’s weekly newsletter here: https://l-bc.co/signup
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0:00
It certainly wasn't gracious
0:01
No, it really wasn't, James. Every hope that we had that it might be a little bit more of a coming together moment
0:06
where she might pay tribute to the Prime Minister was completely dashed
0:11
Every question really trying to trash the Prime Minister's record. And he obviously coming back with, I've got a lot of stuff I've done
0:18
I'm proud of my record. I feel like I've left the country in a better place than I inherited it
0:23
But yes, she went on the economy. She went on education. She went on the defence investment plan
0:28
basically a sort of who's who of all of the policies that she feels that he's most failed on
0:33
during his time as Prime Minister. But I could say, I think he had a bit of fire in his belly
0:37
when he came back to her with all of those retorts, basically saying, no, I'm really happy with my
0:42
record. And the problem is that she can always come back, James, with the, well, why are you
0:47
resigning then? Why is this happening? If you've got such a great record, then why is it all
0:51
tumbling down? It's tough. It's foolproof, absolutely watertight. And it makes a mockery
0:56
of PMQs really until he has been replaced because the backbenchers can't really argue that they are
1:02
responsible for his departure. Well some of them definitely are because they're the ones that called
1:06
for him to go and arguably some of those people you know sitting in on his front bench today his
1:10
cabinet colleagues the ones that we understand some of them told him to go are partly responsible
1:15
for that I'm afraid and some of those Labour backbenches more than a hundred have called for
1:19
him to go some of those people who are cheering the Prime Minister on today are the same people
1:23
that have called for him to quit. So, you know, whose fault is it that Keir Starmer is resigning
1:28
A big part of them is theirs, for sure. Well, it's certainly not hers, albeit that she would no doubt like to claim some of the credit
1:34
I mentioned earlier, and I wondered as I said it, whether or not I was being unfair
1:38
that a certain type of Tory enjoys cruelty. There's a cruelty stretch, probably true of other parties as well
1:45
But it's interesting that my inbox today is, I mean, really unimpressed by the unpleasantness
1:51
but her backbenchers would probably be slightly delighted by it. Yeah, and can I just say the speaker also was unimpressed by her language
1:57
He said, you know, can we just watch what we're saying? And, you know, as MPs and politicians face threats repeatedly
2:04
and we seen some of them killed it is you know difficult to argue that you should be using words like betrayal traitors and spiteful are three words that I noted from Kemi Bajan today
2:14
And it felt like maybe that wasn't, for me, the week for that. I think you can trash someone's record
2:19
and say that you don't think they've been a good Prime Minister without using words like that
2:23
And look, some people will say freedom of speech, we should be able to use these words, but... We are able to use them, we just choose not to
2:29
out of a sense of decency and decorum. She's not chosen to use words that may have been slightly softer
2:35
And she's chosen to go in incredibly hard on the Prime Minister on what is already a tough week
2:39
Some will say, well, that's her job. She's leader of the opposition. She's making political capital out of what is obviously a difficult situation for the Labour Party this week
2:46
And interesting that obviously Andy Burnham staying away. I've not seen, I don't think, I've talked to a few people, I've texted a few people in the chamber
2:53
It doesn't look like he's there at all. I think that's probably for the best. he would have absolutely distracted from Prime Minister's questions had he been sat in the back
2:59
chuckling along at the PM's jokes or whatever. And, yeah, that's probably a good thing for today that he's holed up, presumably, in that office in Westminster
3:09
We understand he is sorting out his top team, his priorities, his policies, and having those access talks with the civil service
3:14
Indeed, yeah. And what is the timetable now? Just reminders. I know that we've done this before, but in the absence of any other challenges, what happens next
3:24
Yes, so in the absence of any challenges, James, formally nominations will open for the Labour leadership on the 9th of July
3:30
This timetable seems to be entirely around the Prime Minister going to NATO, which is happening sort of 5th, 6th, 7th
3:36
And it doesn't seem like they want to do anything before then. The PM, we understand, is quite keen to get this defence plan off the ground and launched so it can be like his final act in office
3:47
There is obviously a lot of discussion going on about whether that should be allowed. Yesterday, Number 10 told us the Prime Minister's not going to be announcing any new policy, any new major funding
3:56
They consider this as something that's already in the can because it's already been signed off and agreed
4:01
But it hasn't been signed off and agreed. That's the whole point of this big row
4:05
And yes, by the 17th, I imagine we will get a new Prime Minister if, indeed, no one challenges Andy Burnham today
4:12
Darren Jones said he wouldn't be doing so. We were only really waiting to hear from one man That Al Qans the former Defence Minister who has suggested he might run I don think he going to get the 81 MPs needed so it going to be pretty tricky for him And also he probably got his head turned a little bit by the attention he received
4:27
because he hasn't received a great deal of attention since coming into Parliament. Or he's angling for Defence Secretary and under Andy Burnham government, which is possible
4:35
A bit like maybe Darren Jones is angling for a job in Andy Burnham's government too
4:39
A bit like Rachel Reeves probably is angling for a job in Andy Burnham's government. They are all thinking about what comes next and whether they can be a part of it
4:45
Paul in Somerset speaks for about 99.9% of my inbox when he says, Bedenock, absolutely disgraceful and disgusting, shame on her
4:53
And a couple of people, Annie included, pointing out that her time will come as well
4:58
And as you've already pointed out, Natasha, Starmer was pretty punchy himself
5:01
although the tone had already been set by the leader of the opposition
5:06
I'm just trying to find something positive to say about, So, warmer words about Kemi Bader
5:13
Here we go. This is Nick. James may bemoan Kemi's sometime misinformed pronouncements
5:19
What? I think she's absolutely magnificent. She's getting better every week. You do say that every week
5:24
I told you. You say that every week. I told you that she was about to... Other people are about to start believing that she's brilliant
5:30
Not just her, and it is now happening. But anyway... Are you manifesting Kemi Bader not to be a popular
5:35
I am. Like she used to do in the mirror. Yeah. You are a serious person and you're going places
5:40
and she is now. It's working. It's like Noel Edmonds. James may bemoan
5:44
Kemi's sometimes misinformed pronouns and refer to her as an NPC. What's that
5:52
NPC? Well, I don't know. I hope that's not rude. But she has more personality in one of her high heels
5:58
than Starmer's entire soul. That doesn't sound pervy at all, mate. Do keep in touch
6:04
29 minutes after 12 is the time. There's a good story here by
6:08
Natasha Clark on the LBC website that Kenny Badenock has demanded a stop to the noisy
6:14
Downing Street protests branding them a national embarrassment and this is a clever move by her
6:19
because she doing it after Keir Starmer resignation speech was disrupted whereas if she was doing it after one of her own speeches had been disrupted or one of her own people speeches had been disrupted it would sound less authentic and less persuasive
6:33
But I agree. I think that Steve Bray is his name, isn't it? I think he has delighted us for long enough
6:39
I personally agree. We haven't had a response yet from Mr Bray at this
6:44
but actually, you know, when we were talking about whether Keir Starmer was going to be sort of gracious in this now
6:49
then I read that letter that she wrote into Mark Rowley about Keir Starmer's resignation, and I thought, actually
6:55
maybe she will go in on PMQs and be quite a bit more kind to him
6:59
because that letter struck a very good tone. You know, she basically said, why is it that the Prime Minister is not able to resign with grace
7:06
and with the public being able to hear what he said, essentially
7:10
She makes a good point. I think she speaks for a lot of us, especially those of us in Westminster who have had to..
7:15
Well, I just wanted to hear the Prime Minister resign, frankly. I mean, sometimes it's quite fun to have people sort of, you know
7:21
trolled almost in real life but not at a moment of significant constitutional import he tried to
7:27
blame me Steve Bray did he? Will Guy has been in touch and I did know that Dominic Cummings uses
7:33
this phrase all the time a non-player character is like in a video game it's one of the one of the
7:39
characters in a video game who you're not controlling um but I don't think I've ever
7:43
used that phrase to describe Kemi Bader not but then again neither do I fantasize about her high
7:48
heels so there's clearly quite a lot that we don't have in common with that texter um yes he tried to
7:54
blame me he said that i'd revealed that his starmer's favorite music was ode to joy but in your
8:00
piece as you point out that's what he told moira stewart on classic fm isn't it that it was one of
8:04
his favorite pieces of music yes that's right happy to correct the record that it was not uh
8:08
in fact i get blamed for everything i can't believe it so eleanor said to me the other morning he said
8:12
steve bray's blamed you for playing the ode to joy i said oh don't be ridiculous and she said no
8:16
seriously she played me a clip of it and he was blaming me was it blame or was it i had a call
8:21
her earlier trying to blame me for brexit blame for brexit blame for steve bray ruining keir
8:27
starmer's resignation i'm getting blamed for keir starmer's resignation by some people as i get
8:31
blamed it's just not fair keith honestly is it too late for me to retrain as a music dj
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