Kemi Badenoch accused Sir Keir Starmer of “punching the British people in the face” as she attacked his policies on tax and pensioner benefits.
The Conservative Party leader criticised the Prime Minister for withdrawing winter fuel payments from more than nine million pensioners, claiming the changes could contribute to deaths and end up costing taxpayers more money.
She also took aim at legislation to increase employers’ national insurance contributions from April 2025 and warned the “jobs tax” would hit care homes, hospices, nurseries and charities.
Sir Keir defended the Government’s approach and labelled the Tories “blockers” who were trying to disrupt Labour’s attempts to “rebuild” the country.
Speaking at Prime Minister’s Questions, Mrs Badenoch told the Commons: “The truth is, this winter people will be suffering because of his choices.
“The economy is shrinking, inflation is going up and jobs are being lost because of his budget. Pensioners won’t be able to heat their homes because of his Government’s decisions.
“They raised people’s hopes but then smashed them with broken promises. And now we learn he is about to give away our hard-won Brexit freedoms.
“The truth is they are punching the British people in the face, literally in the case of one of his MPs, and he will pretend that this is about the past but we all know these are his choices, bad choices.
“If he’s looking for a new year’s resolution, why doesn’t he start by telling the truth?”
Sir Keir said: “I’ll do it now: £22 billion black hole left by them; record numbers on the waiting lists … they should hang their heads in shame; immigration completely out of control, nearly a million net migration, she was the cheerleader for all of that.
“She wants the truth, that’s the truth, that’s why they’re sitting there.
“Whilst they carp from the sidelines talking the country down, this Government is getting on with the job. Record funding for the NHS, money for our trains, buses and, yes, potholes.
The tragic reality this Christmas is pensioners will suffer and may even die as a result of this cruel policy. Did the Chancellor (Rachel Reeves) consider the impact on councils and on the NHS, or does she just not know what she’s doing?
“Pay rises for three million of the lowest paid, wages growing faster than inflation, planning laws reformed, Great British Energy set up.
“We’re only getting started. Next year we’ll continue to rebuild no matter what the blockers opposite say.”
Earlier in the pair’s exchanges, Mrs Badenoch accused Sir Keir of having “played politics” with the Women Against State Pension Inequality (Waspi) campaigners after the Government decided not to award financial compensation to women affected by state pension age changes.
She said: “The Deputy Prime Minister (Angela Rayner) said Conservatives were stealing their pensions. She promised to compensate them in full, another broken promise.
“Now they admit we were right all along.”
As the leaders clashed over support for pensioners, Sir Keir noted that shadow chancellor Mel Stride believed the triple lock on pensions was “unsustainable”.
Mrs Badenoch countered: “We protected the triple lock during all our time in government, meanwhile, energy bills are increasing despite his promise to cut them by £300. In Scotland, his party leader wants to restore the winter fuel payments, across England councils are scrambling together funds for struggling pensioners.
“The tragic reality this Christmas is pensioners will suffer and may even die as a result of this cruel policy. Did the Chancellor (Rachel Reeves) consider the impact on councils and on the NHS, or does she just not know what she’s doing?”
Sir Keir used his reply to mock Mrs Badenoch for previously expressing her distaste for sandwiches and how she would sometimes “get a steak”.
The Prime Minister said: “We’re pushing up pension credit, but she now says they are committed to the triple lock, her shadow chancellor says they’re not, that it’s unsustainable.
“Maybe over a sandwich or a steak, they could sort it out and come back and tell us what their policy actually is.”
