Sir Keir Starmer appeared visibly angry and less restrained than usual during his final Prime Minister's Questions before stepping down, sources observed. The outgoing Labour leader launched a series of sharp attacks on opponents, showing little regard for political niceties.
Mr Starmer first berated a Liberal Democrat MP who complained about a hospital being built on a golf course in his constituency. He then turned his ire on Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch, accusing her party of hollowing out the armed forces during 14 years in power while now criticising his defence spending. He insisted he was committing more funds than any previous Tory defence secretary.
Ms Badenoch, in contrast, appeared disconnected and seemed to have mentally checked out for the summer. She avoided escalating the confrontation, backing down from a fight for the first time in her career according to observers. She had questioned how the government would fund the £4.7bn shortfall in defence investment over four years.
Mr Starmer defended the shortfall by pointing to the £22bn black hole left by the Tories, suggesting his was an improvement. He also noted he had left £22bn of headroom in his last budget, implying it could be used to cover the gap. This appeared to contradict his previous statement that he would not borrow to fund defence spending, but he seemed unconcerned.
The session also featured lame jokes about football, with MPs boasting about their sporting credentials ahead of England's match against DR Congo. The atmosphere was described as unusually fiery, with Mr Starmer showing more emotion than in previous encounters.
