Starmer v Badenoch at PMQ’s yesterday

Starmer may or may not be an awful man but he does have the ability to grate. He is obviously not bothered because his party has a huge majority and he will still in power whether he continues to annoy or not. Get used to it?

Whitewavemark2

It is amazing how far arrogance and a huge amount of self confidence can take you though.

Often by the time we wake up and realise how poor they are they’ve made promotion far above their capabilities.

How often did we see it in our working lives?

‘The Peter Principle’ ( apologies to anyone called Peter by the way). Everyone is promoted to the highest level of incompetence. With political leaders we all just have to hope that we’ve struck lucky. I mean, look at Trump .

I don’t think personal popularity is as important as who people have confidence in. This is the latest YouGov survey, it’s a pretty consistent picture over the months.
yougov.co.uk/politics/articles/52251-who-would-be-the-best-prime-minister-may-2025

ronib

Starmer may or may not be an awful man but he does have the ability to grate. He is obviously not bothered because his party has a huge majority and he will still in power whether he continues to annoy or not. Get used to it?

Yes, you have to get used to it.

Personal charm or charisma is largely irrelevant to someone's political abilities. How is he supposed to change what is basically his personality? Isn't it his character that matters?

Why should he change himself so he doesn't grate on you? He might just change into something that would irritate other people, and anyway - he has better things to do, like running the country .

It is amazing how far arrogance and a huge amount of self confidence can take you though.
Yet, a UK private school education can't be blame on this occasion! Nor Cambridge.

Sorry, I can't comment on anything else. I'm out of the country for a month - following foreign politics. (Macron was on TV fir 2 hours last night talking discussing Urgence Ocean).

escaped

^It is amazing how far arrogance and a huge amount of self confidence can take you though.^
Yet, a UK private school education can't be blame on this occasion! Nor Cambridge.

Sorry, I can't comment on anything else. I'm out of the country for a month - following foreign politics. (Macron was on TV fir 2 hours last night talking discussing Urgence Ocean).

Not a UK private school, but a Nigerian one. Badenoch went to one of the most exclusive private schools in Nigeria. Her A level results weren't good enough to get into Oxford or Cambridge.

Her mother was a professor, who worked at Harvard for a while and her father was a GP, who owned a clinic and was a respected political leader.

https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202506/medium-98lczm-screenshot-2025-06-12-at-10-38-50.png https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202506/medium-fb7nap-screenshot-2025-06-12-at-10-40-01.png

growstufff There most certainly are two hospitals in her constituency, but I'm not surprised she doesn't know. She's never here and doesn't know much about the constituency or people who live here. She owes Starmer an apology.

We both know there are two.

Here’s the evidence she has visited them both. What an odd thing to say. She’s made herself look an arrogant fool.

I don’t know exactly where she lives. You probaby do.

She claims £2,700 a month to rent a grade II-listed farmhouse with six bedrooms, another £4,000 a year for band H council tax and thousands in energy bills.

Her expenses claims:

www.theipsa.org.uk/mp-staffing-business-costs/your-mp/kemi-badenoch/4597

She isn’t breaking any rules but it’s still eye-wateringly excessive. She’s only 50 miles from London, a commute people do daily.

So Badenoch’s husband is living rent free?

Not bad is it!

Silverbrooks

growstufff There most certainly are two hospitals in her constituency, but I'm not surprised she doesn't know. She's never here and doesn't know much about the constituency or people who live here. She owes Starmer an apology.

We both know there are two.

Here’s the evidence she has visited them both. What an odd thing to say. She’s made herself look an arrogant fool.

I don’t know exactly where she lives. You probaby do.

She claims £2,700 a month to rent a grade II-listed farmhouse with six bedrooms, another £4,000 a year for band H council tax and thousands in energy bills.

Her expenses claims:

www.theipsa.org.uk/mp-staffing-business-costs/your-mp/kemi-badenoch/4597

She isn’t breaking any rules but it’s still eye-wateringly excessive. She’s only 50 miles from London, a commute people do daily.

She used to live in a village between Saffron Walden and Bishops Stortford. She now lives in another village slightly to the south in a more expensive house. Well, actually she doesn't. She lives in Wimbledon. She only ever spends odd days in the constituency. AFAIK she hasn't held any surgeries in the constituency. The Conservative Party office in Saffron Walden looks run-down with dirty windows and there are no posters outside, as there used to be.

It's concerning that she doesn't know how many hospitals there are. I assume the one she's overlooked is the community hospital in Saffron Walden. Presumably she doesn't know the history of the hospital or about the campaigning to keep it. It has 21 inpatient rehabilitation beds for older people, an Xray machine and offers numerous outpatient appointments, so that people don't have to travel to a more distant general hospital. Confusingly, our "default" hospital isn't the general hospital in north Chelmsford, but in Harlow or Epping. Some specialisms are in Hertfordshire hospitals. Most people in the north of the constituency opt to go to Cambridge. Some constituents have complained about the system for years, especially maternity care. There isn't any continuity. Pregnant women are seen for their ante-natal care by midwives from one area, but then give birth in their nearest hospital, which is in another area and there is no continuity with poor communication. I had something similar with breast cancer and there were delays during the transfer.

I know some people have written to Badenoch about the situation. It's no wonder she doesn't respond, if she doesn't even know how healthcare is organised in her own constituency. I doubt very much if she's ever availed herself of the services as a patient.

Whitewavemark2

So Badenoch’s husband is living rent free?

Not bad is it!

Well, no, they don't live in the constituency house. I expect they have a mortgage on the Wimbledon house.

So she can claim all those expenses for a house in the constituency … that she doesn’t even live in!!!

Watching Starmer yesterday I thought just how much he has gained confidence and yes, personality.

He really was wooden at first, I'd be the first to admit, but he really has improved.

I think it's been the foreign affairs - tariffs, Trump, Ukraine, Gaza - he's had to deal with has brought out the confidence and ability to be more personable when it counts? And his behind the scenes set up is better too.

Starmer has nothing going for him...apart from a stonkin' majority in the House of Commons.

Which is pretty much the most important thing you need to be Prime Minister. We don’t need to like him for him to remain in post. However to regain some ground at the moment, the Tories do need a popular leader.

nanna8

Well I like her. She is a breath of fresh air. I do not like Starmer at all and every time he opens his mouth it makes me want to scream. Thank goodness he is not my PM.

I have to utterly disagree.

But then possibly our political allegiances are very different.

I think she’s just plain ignorant!

Maremia

Starmer has nothing going for him...apart from a stonkin' majority in the House of Commons.

Plus a great deal of integrity.

Maremia

Starmer has nothing going for him...apart from a stonkin' majority in the House of Commons.

In your (less than) humble opinion!

Many of us still have respect for Starmer, many of us believe he has “plenty going for him”

Imo, he’s measured, polite, well educated, with an understanding of “real” people as he had a pretty normal upbringing, he’s very bright.

I don’t need a flashy, gregarious, charismatic PM, I simply ask for a stable, sensible, safe pair of hands, and I truly believe this is Starmer.

LizzieDrip

So she can claim all those expenses for a house in the constituency … that she doesn’t even live in!!!

It’s bloody disgraceful!

I shall be very interested to see if Farage claims expenses for his Clacton house, which is purchased and in his current girlfriend’s name.

Another MP rarely there and never held surgeries nor ever will (stated by Farage)

Hear, hear Cossy. I second that!

To both your above posts Cossy.

LizzieDrip

To both your above posts Cossy.

So do I - well said Cossy
Starmer is genuine, has integrity, a good track record in his legal and now political work
He’s also the best prime minister we’ve had in over fourteen years

Iam64

So do I - well said Cossy
Starmer is genuine, has integrity, a good track record in his legal and now political work
He’s also the best prime minister we’ve had in over fourteen years

👏👏👏

Maybe wait slightly longer than 11 months in the post before jumping to conclusions? To the Starmer fans …

ronib

Maybe wait slightly longer than 11 months in the post before jumping to conclusions? To the Starmer fans …

I guess that also applies to the detractors.