United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Starmer has dismissed claims by Tory leader Kemi Badenoch that he acted on her advice to cut the aid budget, sarcastically describing her as a “self-appointed saviour of Western civilisation.”
Badenoch had asserted that Starmer followed her recommendation to reduce aid spending while raising concerns about discrepancies in the government’s defence budget figures.
“Over the weekend, I suggested to the prime minister that he cut the aid budget, and I am pleased that he accepted my advice. It’s the fastest response I’ve ever had from the prime minister,” she said.
She further questioned the government’s figures, adding, “However, he announced £13.4 billion of additional defence spending yesterday. This morning, his defence secretary said the uplift is only £6bn. Which is the correct figure?”
Speaking during a plenary session on Wednesday, Starmer flatly denied being influenced by Badenoch’s remarks and dismissed her claim with sarcasm.
“I’m going to have to let the leader of the opposition down gently. She didn’t feature in my thinking at all. I was so busy over the weekend I didn’t even see her proposal,” he said.
Taking a swipe at his opponent, he added, “She’s appointed herself, I think, the saviour of Western civilisation. It’s a desperate search for relevance. If you take the numbers for this financial year, and then the numbers for financial year 27/28, that’s a £13.4bn increase—the largest sustained increase in defence spending since the Cold War.”
His remarks sparked laughter in the House of Commons, with Badenoch herself seen smiling at the exchange.
