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Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch accused Sir Keir Starmer of making life harder for everyone during a heated PMQs clash.The two party leaders came to blows during Wednesday’s session (12 March) after Ms Badenoch accused the prime minister and his Labour government of “trashing the economy with their bad choices”.The lory leader accused the prime minister of “snatching” winter fuel payments from pensioners, as well as hiking taxes on jobs.She said: “This is a high tax, low growth, job killing government.”Sir Keir responded saying the Tory leader “attacks” what Labour has done, but “won’t reverse it”, because they want “all the benefits”. More

Jo Cox’s sister, the Labour MP Kim Leadbeater, has told Times Radio the abuse she has received over the assisted dying bill “doesn’t leave you feeling necessarily safe as you might want.”Ms Leadbeater, who is currently bringing forward the bill, was asked if she fears more for her safety following the criticism she’s received for the controversial proposed legislation.She replied: “Safety, as I said, and security is on your mind every day in this job… unfortunately, some of the abuse has been particularly unpleasant.” More

Richard Tice clashed with a Scottish journalist as he refused to give the surnames of two councillors who have defected from the Conservatives to Reform when questioned.The party’s deputy leader was speaking in Glasgow on Thursday, to announce that Ross Lambie of South Lanarkshire Council and John Gray of Renfrewshire Council had joined Reform.Footage showed Mr Tice referring to both councillors only by their first names when questioned.Mr Gray said his defection was driven by “years of disappointment with the Conservative party,” while Mr Lambie said his decision was driven by “legacy parties” letting down South Lanarkshire “time and time again”. More

Two Conservative peers have compared the case of Baroness Meyer, who twice called a British-Asian peer “Lord Poppadom”, to a playground argument.Debating a motion to remove the entitlement of members of either House to bring a complaint of harassment against a peer, former Tory Cabinet minister Lord Lilley said on Wednesday (5 March): “Surely the presumption is that we are old enough and sensible enough to deal with offensive remarks made by other colleagues without running off to teacher and saying ‘please miss, please miss, Ginny insulted me on the playground’.”Fellow Tory peer Lord Balfe said: “I was appalled by the report on Baroness Meyer, where really it seemed that a playground scrap had been elevated into a great controversy.” More

Former prime minister Rishi Sunak has revealed one of his biggest parenting “fails” to BBC broadcaster Nick Robinson.The former Tory leader appeared on Mr Robinson’s Political Thinking podcast, which was broadcast on Wednesday evening (5 March).After reflecting on his time as prime minister, Mr Sunak admitted he was “excited about this next chapter of my life” and also revealed he is enjoying spending time with his two teenage daughters.He told Mr Robinson: “I have failed to get my girls into football and Star Wars. I am having one last effort at cricket.“You are more likely to find me at a cosmetic skin care counter of Boots these days.” More

Rishi Sunak has explained how he coped with constant criticism about his own wealth when he was prime minister.The former Tory leader was repeatedly accused of being “out of touch” with the cost of living crisis because of his wealth, during his time at No 10 Downing Street.Mr Sunak addressed the criticism he received when he appeared on Political Thinking with Nick Robinson on Wednesday (5 March).He said: “You have got to have an inner confidence about who you are. “My background and values are more important.” More

Sir Keir Starmer opened Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday, 5 March — his first since Donald Trump’s explosive meeting with Volodymyr Zelensky — with a dig at JD Vance by paying tribute to the hundreds of British soldiers who died in Afghanistan and Iraq.It comes after the US vice president suggested Britain hadn’t fought a war in more than 30 years.Mr Vance was accused of erasing the experiences of Britons who served in Iraq and Afghanistan after his latest tirade against America’s European allies.Speaking about the 642 soldiers who died, Sir Keir said: “We will never forget their bravery and their sacrifice.” More