She’s Appointed Herself the Saviour of Western Civilisation” – Starmer Mocks Badenoch in Fiery Exchange

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer delivered a sharp rebuke to Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch during a parliamentary session on Wednesday, dismissing her as a “self-appointed saviour of Western civilisation” in a scathing exchange that drew laughter from MPs.

The confrontation began when Ms Badenoch took credit for influencing Mr Starmer’s decision to cut the aid budget, while also questioning the accuracy of the government’s latest defence spending 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 then challenged him on defence spending, noting that while he had announced a £13.4 billion increase, his defence secretary later stated the uplift was only £6 billion.

Mr Starmer swiftly dismissed her claim, making it clear that her input had no impact on his decision-making.

“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. He then took a direct swipe at her political positioning, adding, “She’s appointed herself, I think, the saviour of Western civilisation. It’s a desperate search for relevance.”

Defending his government’s figures, he clarified, “If you take the numbers for this financial year, and then the numbers for financial year 27/28, that’s a £13.4 billion increase—the largest sustained increase in defence spending since the Cold War.”

His pointed remarks triggered laughter across the House, with even Ms Badenoch seen smiling at the exchange.