The Tory leader had the Prime Minister on the rack during fiery Commons clash.
Kemi Badenoch listens during Prime Minister’s Questions (Image: PA)
Once again, Kemi Badenoch left Keir Starmer squirming on the floor of the House of Commons. After toasting him over Peter Mandelson and China in recent weeks, the Tory leader savaged the Prime Minister over his handling of the grooming gangs scandal.
Mrs Badenoch pulled no punches during PMQs as she accused the government of “engaging in a briefing war” against survivors, even reading out a question from one of the victims of the horror.
It comes as two survivors of child sexual abuse quit their roles in the probe as they hit out at the Home Office’s handling of the issue.
Sir Keir attempted to appear sombre, saying “injustice will have no place to hide” and telling MPs that Dame Louise Casey will support its work.
But the Tory leader was not done yet, accusing Labour ministers of attacking the victims, while her party is standing up for them.
Whether it is rape or Chinese espionage, she said, the Prime Minister always finds someone else to blame.
PMQs (Image: PA)
She said he should “hang his head in shame” for calling the grooming gang theory a “far right bandwagon”.
And blitzed Lucy Powell, who’s on course to win the Labour deputy leadership election, for branding grooming gang claims a “dog whistle”.
Some of Mrs Badenoch’s most brutal words were for Labour’s safeguarding minister, Jess Phillips, who she said should be removed because of her behaviour over the past days.
It was another effective performance from Mrs Badenoch who is making PMQs her own.
