Kemi Badenoch faced criticism from Labour MPs after a fractious Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday, where she called Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson a 'spiteful class warrior' and suggested Keir Starmer had '400 knives stuck in his back'.
Speaker's Rare Rebuke
In a rare move, Speaker Lindsay Hoyle chastised Badenoch for her language. 'Let us think about the language we use,' Hoyle said. 'Because when we leave this chamber, don’t be surprised when constituents feel they can use the same language. Let us show a little bit more decorum and respect.'
Badenoch's Attack on Phillipson
The Conservative leader targeted Phillipson over Labour's policy to apply 20% VAT to private school fees from 2025. Badenoch claimed Phillipson had 'taxed private schools to pay for more teachers, but the number of teachers has gone down' and had let Starmer down with 'her incompetence'. She added: 'It turns out appointing a spiteful class warrior as education secretary was a disaster.'
Starmer defended Phillipson, who experienced childhood poverty in the north-east of England, calling her an 'incredible story of social mobility and success'. He said: 'I am so proud … It drives every single priority and value that she has. I would have thought the party opposite would recognise and understand some of that, but they’ve fallen so low, they don’t.'
Altercation After PMQs
After PMQs, a row broke out between Badenoch and Phillipson. Labour sources said Technology Secretary Liz Kendall told Badenoch: 'What you said was absolutely outrageous,' to which Badenoch replied to Phillipson: 'You are spiteful. I will keep talking about how spiteful you are.' An ally of Phillipson said Labour whips were referring the incident to the Speaker, while Labour MP Tulip Siddiq said she would make a point of order.
'Badenoch has yet again disgraced herself,' said an ally of Phillipson. 'She’s chosen to attack the only working-class woman from the north-east of England in the cabinet, because the Tories hate working-class people who do well. If standing up for the 94% of kids in state schools makes Bridget a “spiteful class warrior”, then she’ll wear it with pride.'
Conservative Response
Conservative sources disputed this version, saying Phillipson had 'aimed a barb' at Badenoch, to which the opposition leader said: 'I’ll fight you all the way. You’re destroying children’s lives.' Asked if Badenoch would apologise, her spokesperson said 'absolutely not'. A Conservative source said: 'The fact is that the vindictive and class war tax hike on independent schools has forced the closure of several of them, disrupting children’s lives, forcing them into state schools in the middle of their studies, putting further pressure on the state school sector, and we are absolutely determined to oppose it all the way.'
Badenoch later posted on social media: '“I grew up on a council estate” is not an excuse for failure. You are sacrificing the future of generations of kids on the altar of your class envy – reversing even Labour’s academy reforms.'
Labour Defends Phillipson
Senior Labour figures defended the education secretary. David Lammy said the attack laid bare 'something deeper about the direction of their politics'. Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner said: 'I’m proud that this Labour government has the most state-schooled cabinet in the postwar era – people who didn’t grow up with privilege, but earned their place through hard work.' Scotland Secretary Douglas Alexander added: 'Like Bridget, I’m proudly state-schooled: we’re the most state-schooled cabinet in the postwar era. We’re not motivated by spite but by tackling poverty and extending opportunity.'
