Starmer suggests MPs should place shield in Commons chamber in honour of Widdecombe, as for Jo Cox and David Amess
Keir Starmer thanks the speaker, but says he must start by saying how horrified he is by the murder of Ann Widdecombe.
It is chilling that three MPs or former MPs have been killed since he became an MP 11 years ago.
He says he can see the shields in honour of Jo Cox and David Amess in the chamber. He says it would be fitting to have one for Widdecombe.
And he says he has urged officials to look at the best ways of taking forward work on defending democracy.
Key events
Will Forster (Lib Dem) asks if there will be a bank holiday if England win the World Cup.
Starmer says he does not want to jink tonight’s match. He says Forster should ask on Sunday.
Rupa Huq (Lab) praises the accountability bill (the Hillsborough law) passed yesterday. But she asks if the PM also backs the idea of an accountablity law for “the gutter press”.
Starmer says the bill will stop other injustices like Hillborough. He does not address the press point.
Perran Moon (Lab) says even GB News is now admitted that the PM’s strategy to stop small boats is working. Does the PM support setting up a safe and legal asylum route between Sigma 9 [Count Binface’s planet} and Clacton?
Starmer says migration is down 82%, and small boat crossings are down 40%.
Alison Bennett (Lib Dem) says 1,200 pupils were sent home from school last week in her constituency because South East Water could not provide proper water.
Starmer says that was completely unacceptable.
Danny Kruger (Reform UK) thanks the PM for his service, calling him a “good man”.
But he says Reform UK is the only party putting forward a proper candidate in the Clacton byelection.
He asks who the PM wants to win.
Starmer says Reform believes in recycling politicians. But he says he does not think Kruger expected to spend his time arguing with a bin when he defected.
Alistair Carmichael (Lib Dem) asks if the government will ensure coastguards get proper pay.
Starmer says this is an important issue, and he hopes the government finds a proper solution.
Lola McEvoy (Lab) mentions a constituent who was instrument in persuading the government to stop stranger contact for under-16s on social media. Will the PM any social media moments that have had cut-throught in his household?
Starmer says he got into trouble on a school visit for doing the 6-7 thing. The head told him afterwards this was banned. He says he was ‘“pathetic” in his response, and just said he did not start it.
Julia Buckley (Lab) asks if the PM will agree funds for a new construction centre at a college in her Shrewsbury constituency.
Starmer says he wants more rebalancing, with more focus on further education.
Richard Tice, the Reform UK deputy leader, says 76% of England matches have been won while Starmer has been PM – the best record for any PM.
Starmer says England have won 22 out of 29 matches while he has been PM. They have to get that to 24 out of 31, he says. It is only under Labour governments England wins the World Cup, he says.
Ed Davey, the Lib Dem leader, says he would recommend the new Toy Story movie to Keir Starmer now he has got more time on his hands.
For those of you who don’t know, Toy Story, its main character, used to be in law enforcement, but was mainly known for being little wooden.
So it was replaced by shiny new action figure from far away who thinks he can fly, and the name Andy’s on everyone’s lips.
He asks if Starmer agrees that, on debt, Andy Burnham’s plan is “To Infinity and Beyond”.
Starmer points out that Chessington world of adventure is in Davey’s constitutency, and he says Davey and his family could save nearly £20 when they visit this summer under the government’s discount scheme.
Davey says, while they have not always agreed, he has admired the way Starmer has led his party. And he particularly admires him for his experience as a carer.
Starmer jokes about being free to visit with Chessington at noon on the first Wednesday of September.
Badenoch says it is a tribute to Starmer that no sitting MPs was able to beat him – not Angela Rayner, or Louise Haigh or Wes Streeting.
She says she knows Starmer’s family are in the gallery.
He says:
I know how much his wife and children mean to him, and that they are in the gallery today.
As everyone here knows, all families make a huge sacrifice for our choice to enter public life.
So I hope he will allow me to draw our time together to a close by thanking them for the love and support they have given him throughout his time in office.
Starmer seems genuinely moved by this. He thanks Badenoch for what she said.
We have had robust exchanges across this despatch box. but she has extended kindness to me privately at very difficult times, including when there was an attempt to burn down our family home, which deeply affected my family. She reached out to me.
And when my brother died of cancer, she reached out to me privately, not across this despatch box.
And I thank her for that and the tribute that she’s just made to my wife and children who mean the world to me, I do thank her for that.
She knows this is robust and it has to be robust. And that’s the way politics is done.
But the kindness is that sit behind it privately are often just as powerful, if not more powerful, and I thank her for that.
Starmer goes on to sum up his time in office.
I also stood at that despatch box for four years as leader of the opposition,
I know first hand it’s the most difficult job in politics and that is what she is doing.
When I did so, we had just lost the 2019, election, which nearly broke my party. It was the worst result since 1935 and we were found to be institutionally antisemitic and I picked up our party. I turned it round. I made a promise to antisemitism out of my party, and I did.
I turned my party to face the country, and we won a landslide, Labour general election.
And after two years, we’ve stabilised the economy. We have invested heavily in our public services. We put better protections in for children, particularly on child poverty. We strengthened our defence and we’ve enhanced our international reputation.
I’m proud to leave this country in a better shape than I found it.
Badenoch says the Tories are in a position to tell Labour that changing your leader does not always solve your problems.
She says Starmer once said nothing happened when he pulled levers. Why was that?
Starmer says there are plenty of areas where he has pulled levers and things have happened.
I’ll be pulled the levers to strengthen our public services and NHS waiting lists are coming down at the fastest rate for 17 years. We pulled a big lever on child poverty. And this government will be doing more on child poverty than any government ever, including previous Labour government.
Badenoch says Starmer used to say she would not last the year. “Life comes at you fast,” she says. She says he should have paid more attention to his party, not hers.
She asks if he has any advice for his successor.
Starmer says he will give any advice to Burnham in private.
He mentions another person in the gallery, a mother who campaigned for restrictions on knife sales by post after her son was murdered.
Badenoch jokes about how much Starmer enjoys her contributions. It is important to respect parliament. Does the PM agree that Andy Burnham should come to the Commons and answer question.
Starmer says he has attended 60 PMQs. And he has “answered, or given answers” on 2,800 times.
Turning again to the gallery, he mentions a teacher who had breast cancer, who advocated for the cancer plan the government introduced. He is pleased to say her cancer is in remission.
Badenoch says Starmer won’t emulate Harold Wilson by winning many elections. But he may copy him by being PM when England wins the World Cup. He says all MPs should get behind that – including the SNP.
She says she wants to lead her party to a landslide victory too.
She says any politician who wants to lead the country should set out their views.
So does the PM agree that the country needs a debate between Nigel Farage and Count Binface.
Starmer says his advice to the people of Claction is – “put your vote in the bin”.
He says there are people in the public gallery watching today who are important to him. He mentions two workers from JLF, whose jobs were protected by the trade deal with the US.
Kemi Badenoch starts by thanking the PM for the way he commemorated.
She says this is her first chance in the chamber to pay her own tribute.
While a lot has been said about how Widdecombe died, Badenoch says she wants to focus on how she lived.
She was a woman of high principle, profound beliefs with a wicked sense of humour, a wonderful combination of being a serious person who did not take herself too seriously.
She changed her faith from Anglican to Catholic, and from the Conservative Party to the Brexit Party, but she always remained part of the conservative family.
You may not always have agreed with her, but Ann Widdecombe was a woman who said what she meant and meant what she said.
Hers was an honesty that made our politics better. Her wit and forthrightness served alongside a deep humanity and decency.
Turning to the PM’s final PMQs, she says she wants to get the tone right.
So she looked up what Starmer said when Boris Johnson was leaving. She will be more positive, she says.
She pays tribute to Starmer in particular for the way he invited President Zelenskyy to No 10 after his confrontation in the Oval Office to show solidarity.
Starmer thanks Badenoch.
He recalls the meeting with Zelenskyy. He says he made a point of showing Zelenskyy the crowds outside cheering, showing him what people in Britain felt about how he had been treated.
Graham Stuart (Con) starts with a football joke, saying Starmer has had the red card from his MPs. He asks if he has advice for his successor.
Starmer says he won’t be giving advice to his successor, or to the England team.
He ends saying:
I don’t care what the score is tonight. As long as we win.
Starmer reads out the usual spiel about appointments, and ends with a joke about an important appoinment he has tonight at 8pm with his TV.
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