UK politics live: Badenoch says Starmer should ‘resign and find out’ how Tories would fix things

Sir Keir Starmer hit back at Kemi Badenoch’s suggestion that he should resign in light of a petition calling for a general election during Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday, 27 November.

The Conservative leader told the prime minister: “There’s a petition out there, two million people asking him to go.”

Sir Keir referenced Labour’s large majority from this year’s general election as he dismissed Ms Badenoch’s calls for him to step down.

“She talks about a petition, we had a massive petition on the 4th of July in this country,” Sir Keir replied.

Away from the world of Westminster farmers are continuing to protest against the inheritance tax changes announced by chancellor Rachel Reeves in the Budget last month.

Gareth Wyn Jones said that more than 100 tractors are making their way through Dover, Kent, on Wednesday afternoon.

Sir Keir Starmer has been accused of being determined to defend the Tories “disastrous” Brexit policies that have left the UK out of the single market and customs union.

Liberal Democrat MP Charlie Maynard said: “We recognise that Labour is determined to defend the economically disastrous conservative policies of being outside the customs union and single market.

“However, does the prime minister agree with the principle that where it is in our country’s interest to maintain alignment with EU standards so we can better sell our products internationally, we align, and where it is in our interests to diverge, we diverge?”

Responding, the PM said: “We are determined to reset the relationship which we’ve already done. Obviously there will be no return to freedom of movement, customs union, the single market. But we can improve the situation when it comes to trading, security and cooperation. We’re actively working on that.”

The third clash between Sir Keir Starmer and Kemi Badenoch has finished.

Sir Keir Starmer was challenged at PMQs about the potential job losses caused by Vauxhall-owner Stellantis saying it would close its van-making plant in Luton.

Kemi Badenoch suggested Sir Keir “doesn’t seem to care” about young people who will “lose their jobs as a result of his Budget”, adding in the Commons: “Perhaps he can show more concern for the 1,100 people who found out yesterday that they could lose their jobs at Vauxhall’s plant in Luton.

“So while he flies around making unilateral commitments, back home the real world effects are businesses closing in Bedfordshire and Basildon. Does the prime minister stand by his promise to ban the sale of petrol cars by 2030 even if more jobs will be lost?”

Sir Keir replied: “The question of the position of jobs in Luton is a very serious one and families and workers will be very worried and we’re obviously engaging with them.

“I would remind the leader of the Opposition that the EV (electric vehicle) mandates that are an issue in this particular case were actually introduced by the last government. I would also remind her that she was the business secretary that introduced them. We’re getting on with supporting those communities, she’s shouting from the sidelines.”

Kemi Badenoch has challenged Sir Keir Starmer to resign, pointing to a petition signed by 2 million people calling for a general election in the UK.

After the prime minister told the Commons at PMQs that Ms Badenoch’s party hasn’t “got a clue what they’re doing”, the Tory leader responded: “If he wants to know what the Conservatives would do, he should resign and find out.”

“There’s a petition out there – 2 million people asking him to go. He’s the one who doesn’t know how things work, it’s not government that creates growth, it is business. Businesses say they are cutting jobs because of the chancellor’s budget”, she added.

Hitting back, Sir Keir said: “We had a massive petition on the fourth of July in this country.”

“We spent years taking our party from a party of protest to a party of government, theyre hurtling in the opposite direction”, the PM added.

Kemi Badenoch just rattled off a pun-riddled question which culminated in her dubbing Angela Rayner a “ginger nut”.

Referring to the boss of McVitie’s bakery products’ parent firm Pladis saying the case for investment in the UK is getting harder to see, Ms Badenoch said: “Let me give him another example of a real business.

“Following his Budget, the head of McVitie’s has said that it has been harder to understand what the case for investment in the UK is.

“So while the PM has been hobnobbing in Brazil, businesses have been struggling to digest his budget.” She added: “Isn’t it the case the Employment Rights Bill shows that it is not only the ginger nut that is causing him problems?”

Keir Starmer has refused to repeat Rachel Reeves’ commitment to not pushing through any further tax hikes.

The prime minister was asked by Kemi Badenoch if he could repeat the chancellor’s statement to the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), when she said: “I’m clear I’m not coming back with more borrowing or more taxes.”

The PM said he was “fixing the foundations” of the economy, but would not repeat the pledge.

And he hit back, saying Ms Badenoch herself would not repeal his national insurance hike in the Budget.

Firstly the prime minister comments on the ceasefire that was struck between Israel and Hezbollah last night.

Sir Keir said: “We must seize this opportunity to build trust, de-escalate tensions and push for a wider ceasefire.”

Keir Starmer is on his feet and PMQs has begun…