Keir Starmer torpedos election petition after sinking bizarre Kemi Badenoch question at PMQs

In a unusual speech astatine Prime Minister's Questions, the Tory person Kemi Badenoch suggested Keir Starmer should "resign" arsenic Prime Minister to observe the Conservatives' plans connected taxation and spending

Keir Stamer laughed disconnected a bizarre question from Kemi Badenoch astir a petition calling for a General Election arsenic it neared 3 cardinal signatures.

Prime Minister's Questions started with Mr Starmer welcoming the ceasefire betwixt Israel and Lebanon successful the aboriginal hours of the morning. He said it is agelong overdue but demonstrates diplomacy does work. He besides praised those moving those affected by floods successful the UK.

Then successful a bizarre exchange, the Tory person Kemi Badenoch suggested Keir Starmer should "resign" arsenic Prime Minister to observe the Conservatives' plans connected taxation and spending.

It came aft Ms Badenoch suggested she wouldn't reverse the hike successful nationalist security contributions for employees acceptable retired astatine the Budget - contempt attacking the £20billion taxation increase. She besides raised the petition calling for the PM to resign but didn't expect his response.

Ms Badenoch said: "There's a petition retired there, 2 cardinal radical asking him to go. He's the 1 who doesn't cognize however things work... It is not authorities that creates growth, Mr Speaker, it is business. His employment secretary, she wants much young radical successful enactment but businesses accidental they are cutting jobs due to the fact that of the chancellor's budget.

"The CBI said connected Monday that the dots of the government's argumentation bash not articulation up. They're close aren't they?"

Starmer deed backmost to large cheers: "She talks astir a petition, we had a monolithic petition connected the 4th of July successful this country. We spent years taking our enactment from a enactment of protestation to a enactment of government. They're hurtling successful the other direction."

The petition, created by a Michael Westwood, received a immense boost successful signatures aft being promoted by Elon Musk connected his X platform. Tory person Kemi Badenoch uses her archetypal question astatine PMQs to grill Keir Starmer connected Rachel Reeves' committedness connected nary much taxes.

Asked to repetition the pledge, the PM says the government's presumption was acceptable retired astatine the Budget. "I'm not going to constitute the adjacent 5 years of Budgets astatine the despatch box, " helium says.

Kemi Badenoch says helium has refused to repetition the Chancellor's pledge. Mr Starmer says: "Two weeks agone she stood determination saying she wanted each the concern [in the NHS].... they truly haven't got a hint what they are doing."