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UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, on Wednesday, delivered a sharp rebuke to Tory leader Kemi Badenoch, criticizing her as a self-proclaimed champion of Western civilization eager for attention.
During Wednesday's plenary session, Badenoch claimed that Starmer had taken her advice on reducing aid while raising questions regarding the defense budget.
“Over the weekend, I advised the prime minister to cut the aid budget, and I’m happy he accepted my recommendation. It's the quickest reply I've ever received from him,” Badenoch stated.
She further questioned the inconsistency in defense spending figures, mentioning, “However, he announced £13.4 billion of additional defense spending yesterday. This morning, his defense secretary said the uplift is only £6bn. Which figure is accurate?”
In response, the prime minister dismissed Badenoch’s assertion and mockingly referred to her as a “self-appointed savior of Western civilization.” “I must gently inform the leader of the opposition that she didn’t enter my considerations at all.
I was so busy over the weekend that I didn’t even notice her suggestion,” Starmer remarked.
He continued, “She has deemed herself, I believe, the savior of Western civilization. It's a desperate bid for relevance.
If you examine the figures for this financial year compared to those for the 27/28 financial year, there’s a £13.4bn increase—the largest sustained rise in defense spending since the Cold War.”
Starmer’s scathing response elicited laughter in the House, with Ms. Badenoch also seen laughing.
