Sir Keir Starmer batted away criticism of his top team’s record at the first Prime Minister’s Questions since he announced his exit plan.
The Prime Minister was challenged to say whether he felt “betrayed” by the backbenchers he led to victory two years ago, as Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch described Labour ministers as “traitors and deserters”.
Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle interrupted the leaders’ Wednesday bout and urged them to choose their words carefully.
“When we leave this chamber, don’t be surprised when constituents feel they can use the same language against each other,” he warned.
“Let us show a little bit more decorum and respect to each other.”
Mrs Badenoch congratulated the Labour leader on his party’s win in Makerfield, which saw outgoing Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham return to Parliament after nine years as he treads a path into No 10.
“I think I’m much happier with my new MP than he is with his,” she added, referring to Douglas Lumsden, who took Aberdeen South last week.
“Two weeks ago, the Prime Minister told the House that the Government was funding defence and everything was under control,” the leader of the Opposition continued.
“The very next day, the defence secretary (John Healey) resigned, saying the Prime Minister was unable and the Treasury unwilling to fund the defence of our country. What changed?”
Sir Keir replied saying the Conservatives picked up 1.9% of the vote at the Gorton and Denton by-election in February, which the Green Party’s Hannah Spencer won, and then 2.2% in Makerfield.
“At that rate it will take them 500 years to get back into power,” the Prime Minister said.
“Meanwhile, back on these benches, we’ve delivered the biggest sustained boost to defence spending since the 1980s – that’s £270 billion over this Parliament.”
He said the Government’s defence investment plan (Dip) would be published before the Nato summit, which begins on July 7.
Mrs Badenoch used her second question to attack Chancellor Rachel Reeves, who was sitting to Sir Keir’s left on the green front bench.
She said Sir Keir “wouldn’t be in this mess if his Chancellor had found money for the Dip” and asked: “Does the Prime Minister feel let down by his Chancellor?”
Sir Keir replied Ms Reeves “ended austerity inflicted on our country for 14 long years – this is the Chancellor who got the economy growing”.
Turning to the Energy Secretary, Mrs Badenoch said Ed Miliband was “putting up energy bills and killing jobs”, and described him as a “failed Labour leader”.
In a possible dig at Mr Miliband’s decision to stand against his brother David in the 2010 Labour leadership race, Mrs Badenoch said: “When the going got tough, (Mr Miliband) jumped into bed with the mayor of Manchester – it’s not the first time he’s betrayed someone close to him, is it?”
Referring to reports Mr Miliband could become Mr Burnham’s chancellor if he makes it into Downing Street, the Conservative leader asked: “Does the Prime Minister think that this treachery should be rewarded by being appointed chancellor?”
Sir Keir replied his Government had “delivered the fastest fall in NHS waiting list for 17 years, with the money for new rights for renters and working people – and we’re lifting half a million children out of poverty”.
He added: “The test for every prime minister is handing over the country in better shape than you found it.
“I know I can do that, which is more than can be said for her predecessor (Rishi Sunak), her predecessor’s predecessor (Liz Truss), and her predecessor’s predecessor’s predecessor (Boris Johnson).”
Mrs Badenoch went on to say “it is very generous of the Prime Minister to stick by his ministers” and, turning to Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson, added: “They’re not all traitors and deserters.”
Ms Phillipson shook her head as Mrs Badenoch charged her with having “taxed private schools to pay for more teachers but the number of teachers has gone down – it turns out appointing a spiteful class warrior as Education Secretary was a disaster”.
Sir Keir said: “I am so proud that she is sitting there, and so should everybody in this country who cares about social mobility.
“She knows that for poor children, education is absolutely vital, and that is why it drives every single priority and value that she has.”
On Labour backbenchers, Mrs Badenoch said they were “cheering so loudly while there are 400 knives stuck in” the Prime Minister’s back.
“They don’t like it up ’em,” she added, borrowing the phrase from TV sitcom Dad’s Army.
It is understood this was the phrase which Sir Lindsay objected to.
Mrs Badenoch asked: “Does the Prime Minister feel betrayed by the people he got into Parliament?”
In his response, Sir Keir said he would “miss” Prime Minister’s Questions and continued: “I’m very proud of every one of our MPs who’ve had a landslide Labour victory, coming from all different backgrounds, from all different places across the country.
“We inflicted the biggest loss on the Tory Party opposite in the history of their party.
“We picked up our party, we turned it around.”
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey said he recognised “how difficult it was for the Prime Minister to make the decision he did on Monday”.
He added: “It is an important reminder, as we debate issues robustly in this House, that we are all human, and it is something that everyone should remember.”
A Conservative source said Ms Phillipson aimed a barb at Mrs Badenoch as they left the chamber, and the Conservative leader responded by telling her: “I’ll fight you all the way – you’re destroying children’s lives.”
A spokesman for Mrs Badenoch said she would “absolutely not” apologise for the language she used in her exchange with the Prime Minister.
Sir Keir announced his resignation on Monday.
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