Onto the intense stuff: The defeated Tory chief then opted to focus his questions on Ukraine and nationwide safety — points the previous and new leaders are broadly aligned on.
The Sunak/Starmer exchanges have been all a bit … low-key. Each harassed the U.Okay.’s unity on countering Russian aggression, with Sunak welcoming Starmer’s responses as he pressed him on Ukraine’s NATO membership bid, sanctions on Russia and help to Ukraine — once more, all points the Labour and Tory management agree on. Sunak opted to complete with out even asking a ultimate query, as an alternative assuring Starmer that the opposition would help him if the PM “deems it mandatory” to make use of navy motion with out notifying parliament first. Starmer thanked his reverse quantity for his help. Yay for unity.
Vibe shift: Common readers will word the marked distinction from the usually bad-tempered verbal sparring between the 2 leaders earlier than the election. However be careful for trickier exchanges for Starmer after the summer time recess — and as soon as the Tories lastly elect a everlasting chief who is keen to land blows on the PM.
One other new daybreak: In addition to swapping Starmer and Sunak’s locations on the despatch field, the election consequence additionally supplied Lib Dem boss Ed Davey with a brand new platform at PMQs — the assured two questions given to the chief of the third largest social gathering. Staying very a lot on model, he pushed Starmer to do extra for carers who’re being compelled to repay overpaid carer’s allowance funds.
And Starmer couldn’t resist … having a jokey pop at Davey over swapping his election-campaign wet-suit for an actual swimsuit. He then blamed the entire drawback on the Tory authorities leaving a “extra extreme disaster than we thought,” (riling up the opposition as he did so). Anticipate to listen to much more of that.
It wasn’t all simple questions: Loads of Starmer’s footsoldiers used their inquiries to the PM to lift constituency points — the traditional softball. However some backbenchers did use the second to make calls for of the brand new authorities. Labour MP Nadia Whittome — on the left of the social gathering — pressed Starmer on his authorities’s new restrictions on puberty blockers for youngsters looking for to alter gender. Starmer provided her a gathering with the related minister. Labour MP Mohammad Yasin requested the PM to use “additional stress” to carry a couple of cease-fire in Gaza.
