PMQs

Yes, that’s what I meant about it being like a ballet LemonJam. It’s rehearsed, the questions and answers are predicted in advance, and they all dance around point scoring. For any opposition question to get a meaningful answer it has to be well researched, to parry the initial government response and put the PM or minister who is responding on the spot with a more incisive second and third part of the question.

2) KB's second question- was about TEACHERS. I do apologise- it took me a long time to research her facts and figures- plus she did jump around a lot....

The trouble with Kemi Badenoch is she is not very bright, doesn't know her numbers, facts or figures well and makes herself look a bit foolish as a result to those who care to check the facts. She mis quotes labour manifesto pledges to answer questions to try and show Labour up for not achieving pledges in 17 months when they are pledges for 5 years. Plus whenever did the Conservatives achieve against their manifesto pledges in all their many years of office! So she's starting from quite a failure base of issues her party, in which she served didn't achieve the things she blames labour for not achiveing. Not many parties do- but its the dance of PMQs...twas always thus.

she mis quotes also in her questions on occasion. pledges for a 5 year term of office. KB also makes too many statements rather than sticking to asking questions so doesn't do herself any favours.

Anyone who cares to fact check KB's questions and answers at yesterday's PMQ can easily find that out how KB gets it wrong and creates an own goal. No wonder she's lost 21 Conservative members to Reform! She gets 6 questions here are some from yesterday:

1) KB "Wes Sreeting said he'd end doctors strikes- how many appontments have been lost since Labour came to office?' ie July 2024. All Starmer has to do was answer less than the conservatives and he was correct. These are the facts:
- There was a prolonged period of NHS strike action for some years under conservative government.
- From July 2023 to February 2424- 7/8 months, under Conservatives 507, 000 appointments and operations were cancelled due to strike action.
- Labour came to power July 2025 and doctors staged a 5 day strike action in July. Wes Streeting said " My message to doctors after 5 days of strikes- work with us- if you go to war with us you'll lose". By 19th September the doctors settled with him and between coming to office July 2024 and November 2025, ie 17 months approximately 54,000 to 55,000 appointments and procedures were lost, just under 10% of the number lost between 2023 and February 2024 in 7 months under Conservatives! Why would KB want to highlight that. KS misses a trick in not making more of his reply.
- In November 2025 the doctors staged another 5 day strike, yet 850,000 procedures and appointments STILL took place and NEARLY ALL scheduled care took place. Hospitals reported low disruption as widely reported in the press.

So in light of the facts a failed, own goal question from KB and the fact is Labour has performed much, much better regarding cancelled operations and appointments than Conservatives due to strike action so far.

2) KB asks "Labour promised to recruit 13,000 new police officers- how many have they recruited?" Keith Starmer: '3,000 and rising" He missed the nuance and could have made more of his answer again....
- Kemi should have left it there, but in light of KS's not so good response instead pushed it further "Wrong again there are 1,300 fewer than at the last election"
- facts available on Dfe website:
a) teacher trainees who began 25/26 cohort grew by 11% ie 32,175 entrants compared to 28.988 the year before
b) Increased numbers of teacher returners returning to state sector education reached 17,274 in 24/25, highest number since 2024/15.
c) improved retention- 1 year retention for newly qualified teachers rose to 89.7%- highest record for 15 years!
d) Against the background of demographic predicted teacher retirements, and given that Labour is only 17 months into office and has nearly 4 more years in government its doing better to work effectively towards its manifesto pledges than the Conservatives.

Similar story with KB's question yesterday about police officer recruitment. Labour actually pledged to increase neighbourhood policing numbers, that is to have 13,000 neighbourhood officers by 2029. That total number includes Special Community Support Officers ( like Penny Lancaster, Rob Stewart's wife) and Special Constables. Labour pledged that 13,000 increased number total would include 3,000 newly recruited actual Police officers, i.e. not just moving Police Officers from other roles. Facts- by March 2025, 6/7 months later- the number of neighbourhood community officers had risen to 11,104 in Toal number towards the 13,000 target, and 489 of that number were newly recruited police officers. If progress continues there will be 3,000 newly recruited police officers in neighbour hood posts in 3/4 years not 5.

Maybe thats what Casdon meant by its like a ballet e.g dancing around with questions, playing hard and fast with facts to undermine current Prime Minster and sitting government. Twas always thus. Some are good at it- KB is not. Neither KS not KS dance it like a ballet thats for sure!

I can tell you don’t watch by your comment about Ed Davey’s questions eazybee, because what you say isn’t true, his questions are the most incisive ones.

I can’t think of one, but could you name any PM who has directly answered questions posed by the opposition? I’m not defending Starmer obfuscating, just saying it is what they all do.

These are serious issues, not a court masquerade.
Ed Davey gets considered answers because his questions are generally pointless and a useful way of wasting time.

Starmer does not like being questioned, and his attitude is increasingly contemptuous. He is Prime Minister, and should show some courtesy as befits his office, even when answering the Opposition, and a woman at that.

A union official in Birmingham was interviewed today, and evaded each question; at the end the aside from the studio was, just like the Prime Minister.

Casdon what is blunderbuss about a straight question- “How many appointments been lost in the NHS due to strike action?”! The answer appears to be 93,000 which Kemi Badenoch had great pleasure in announcing.
It just makes the prime minister look foolish. And I don’t think for one moment, that Starmer did not know the figures.
A ballet Casdon is usually graceful and a thing of beauty. PMQs is more like Charge of the Light Brigade? The format needs to be updated.

That’s how PMQ works ronib. Look back at old footage, with any PM you care to name, to see that it’s a ballet. The best approach from an opposition leader this parliament is from Sir Ed Davey, who behaves like a gentleman, and gets considered responses in return. The blunderbus approach is a waste of time.