In a spectacular display of political combat, Rishi Sunak turned Prime Minister's Questions into a forensic dissection of Labour's policy vacuum, leaving Sir Keir Starmer floundering like a "fresh-caught eel" in what commentators are calling one of the most brutal parliamentary performances of the year.
The Anatomy of a Political Ambush
The Prime Minister executed a meticulously planned counterattack against Starmer's opening salvo on mortgage rates. With the precision of a master strategist, Sunak dismantled Labour's position by highlighting their refusal to support the Government's decisive action to curb inflation.
"The Labour Party opposed every single measure we took to bring inflation down," Sunak declared from the despatch box, his words striking with the force of political artillery. "They have no plan and it is absolutely clear that they are not fit to govern this country."
Starmer's Great Unravelling
As Sunak's blows landed, Starmer's composure visibly fractured. The Labour leader, usually the picture of legalistic precision, descended into what observers described as "word-spooling verbosity" - a desperate attempt to talk his way out of an inescapable corner.
His performance grew increasingly frantic, with sentences trailing into grammatical chaos and arguments collapsing under their own weight. The more he spoke, the deeper he sank into the quagmire of his own making.
The Mortgage Rate Miscalculation
Starmer's critical error came when he attempted to weaponise the issue of mortgage rates, seemingly unaware that this would open the door to Sunak's devastating response about Labour's economic credibility.
The Prime Minister's team had clearly done their homework, armed with a comprehensive list of Labour's oppositions to anti-inflation measures. Each point landed like a hammer blow, leaving Starmer with nowhere to retreat except into increasingly convoluted explanations.
A Study in Political Body Language
The contrasting physical responses told their own story. While Sunak stood firm, delivering his lines with controlled intensity, Starmer exhibited all the classic signs of political discomfort:
- Excessive hand gestures and podium gripping
- Verbal floundering and sentence abandonment
- Facial expressions shifting between anger and confusion
- A noticeable loss of his usual legalistic precision
The Aftermath: Damage Assessment
This PMQs session will be remembered as a case study in how to dismantle an opponent's credibility. Sunak didn't just win the exchange; he exposed what many Conservatives have long argued is Labour's fundamental weakness: the absence of a coherent economic alternative.
For Starmer, this represents more than just a bad parliamentary day. It raises serious questions about his ability to withstand the pressure of high-stakes political combat when the stakes are highest. As one observer noted, it wasn't just that he lost the argument - it was how visibly he unravelled under pressure.
The image of the squirming opposition leader may well define the political narrative for weeks to come, creating a potent visual metaphor for Conservative attacks on Labour's readiness for government.
