Starmer refuses to say he’ll strip UK citizenship of terrorists fleeing Syria

Kemi Badenoch demanded Sir Keir Starmer strip British jihadis who could leave Syria after the fall of the Assad regime of their citizenship.

The Tory leader urged the Prime Minister to “take the side of the British people”, remove citizenship from the fighters and stop them from coming back to the UK to “destroy this country”.

Sir Keir dodged the question.

Speaking during Prime Minister’s Questions in the House of Commons, Mrs Badenoch said: “The Prime Minister has consistently backed criminals over law abiding British people. He defended terrorists like Hizb ut-Tahrir in the European court. He argued all immigration law had a racist undercurrent. He voted against life sentences for people smugglers.

“He voted against more than 100 measures to control migration. He even said it was wrong when the Conservatives took away Shamima Begum’s citizenship.

“Now he has appointed her defence lawyer as his attorney general. Events in Syria mean we may see more small boat arrivals. For once will he take the side of the British people and strip citizenship from jihadi terrorists and supporters of Assad who want to come back and destroy this country?”

Sir Keir said: “I was director of public prosecutions for five years. Unlike anyone on their benches I was prosecuting for five years hundreds of thousands of criminals. That includes huge terrorist gangs, rapists. I was working for three of those five years with the then home secretary Theresa May who commended the work that I did at the end of those five years.

“So for her to stand there and say I haven’t done anything in law enforcement, I dedicated five years of my life to law enforcement, locking up criminals which is more than she can say.”

About a dozen hardened Islamic State fighters from the UK are being held in prisons in northern Syria controlled by Kurdish forces.

Chris Philp, the shadow home secretary, has argued that any with dual nationality should be stripped of their British citizenship while those who are British citizens should be refused entry.

You can join the conversation in the comments section.

02:47 PM GMT

That is all for today...

Thank you for joining me for today’s PMQs live blog.

02:38 PM GMT

Badenoch claims Starmer ‘wants to rewrite history on his immigration record’

02:20 PM GMT

Telegraph readers react to Starmer-Badenoch immigration clashes

Kemi Badenoch grilled Sir Keir Starmer on immigration at Prime Minister’s Questions today.

Telegraph readers have been responding to the clashes in the comments section of today’s live blog:

02:09 PM GMT

Philp writes to Home Secretary to urge action on removing citizenship from British jihadis

Chris Philp has now written to Yvette Cooper to urge the Government to remove British citizenship from Islamic State fighters who may seek to return to the UK after the collapse of the Assad regime in Syria.

The shadow home secretary said supporters of the group “have absolutely no place in the UK and I urge the Government to use the powers from the Nationality and Borders Act, despite yourself and Keir Starmer voting against the Act, to speed up the process of removing citizenship from dangerous individuals”.

“We must ensure the safety of the British public, and our borders is prioritised,” he said.

01:29 PM GMT

Watch: Tractors descend on Westminster in protest over Labour’s inheritance tax raid

01:11 PM GMT

Analysis: Badenoch ramps up aggression but fails to deliver knockout blow

It was Kemi Badenoch’s most combative PMQs by far.

She was noticeably more aggressive in her questioning of Sir Keir Starmer than in previous weeks and there were moments when the Prime Minister looked like he was on the back foot.

However, the Tory leader’s chosen subject - immigration - made it difficult to secure a knockout victory given the fact that Sir Keir could simply point out record net migration numbers were recorded on the watch of the previous government.

Tory MPs will be pleased by the fight shown by their new leader while Labour MPs will know that if they fail to curb net migration in the years ahead such attacks will become much, much harder to deflect.

12:58 PM GMT

Tory MP tells Starmer: Farmers think your government is duplicitous

A Tory MP accused the Government of being “duplicitous” over its inheritance tax raid on farms.

Jerome Mayhew told the House of Commons during PMQs: “‘Losing a farm is not like losing any other business. It can’t come back.’

“Now, those are the words of the Prime Minister, that is what he said to the NFU (National Farmers’ Union) in order to get their votes, so can the Prime Minister understand why farmers in Broadland and Fakenham and around the country now think that his administration is duplicitous?”

Sir Keir said: “I think everybody welcomes the £5 billion (for farming) over the next two years that we’ve put in the Budget – well, they shake their heads, I’m afraid they do.

“£350 million in the last week alone, compared with the £300 million underspend by the last government.

“On the threshold, as he well knows, in an ordinary family case, the threshold is £3 million and that means the vast majority of farmers will be unaffected.”

12:55 PM GMT

Tories attack Starmer over immigration stance

12:52 PM GMT

Farage claims Tories ‘in much deeper trouble than they know’ after Badenoch’s PMQs performance

12:50 PM GMT

Starmer won’t set timeline for hitting 2.5pc defence spending target

Tory MP Rebecca Paul urged Sir Keir Starmer to commit to increasing UK defence spending to 2.5 per cent of GDP “without further delay” as she cited the rising threat posed by Russia.

“The time for reviews and roadmaps is over,” she said.

The Prime Minister insisted Labour is committed to hitting the 2.5 per cent number but would not give a timetable.

“We will set out the path to 2.5 in due course,” he said.

12:41 PM GMT

PM refuses to change course on ‘tractor tax’

Sir Ed Davey urged the Prime Minister to “change course” over plans to change inheritance tax rules around family farms.

Speaking during Prime Minister’s Questions, the Liberal Democrat leader said: “British farmers are the best in the world. They are the best in the world because of our tradition of family farms, where from generation to generation a commitment to high-quality food, to our precious environment and animal welfare is passed down.

“But family farms were let down badly by the last Conservative government, with the botched transition to new payment schemes, and their unfair trade deals with Australia and New Zealand that have undercut British farmers.

“Now many family farms feel the Government’s Budget will be the final blow. So will the Prime Minister change course and recognise the vital role that British family farms play?”

Sir Keir Starmer said: “We put £5 billion into farming over the next two years, that is a record number under the Budget. Last week alone, £350 million to support farmers across the United Kingdom.

“That does contrast with the last government… an underspend of £350 million in relation to farmers. In relation to inheritance tax… in a typical family case the threshold is £3 million and therefore the vast majority of farmers will be unaffected despite the fearmongering of the party opposite.”

12:39 PM GMT

Davey seeks reassurance from Starmer over ‘British leadership’ on Syria

Sir Ed Davey said that following the fall of the Assad regime in Syria many people were “worried about what comes next”.

The leader of the Liberal Democrats said: “Does the Prime Minister share my concern that president-elect Trump said about Syria ‘the United States should have nothing to do with it’.

“If America steps away will he step up and work with other allies to provide British leadership over Syria?”

Sir Keir replied: “He is right to say this is a very serious moment. We all welcome the fall of Assad. I hope this can be a turning point for Syria, a much needed turning point, but that is by no means guaranteed and that is why we have been speaking intently and intensely with our allies in the region and across the globe about how we ensure this is peaceful, it is political and it is a rejection of terrorism and violence.”

12:25 PM GMT

Badenoch demands Starmer strip terrorists leaving Syria of UK citizenship

Kemi Badenoch urged Sir Keir Starmer to strip terrorists who may now flee Syria of their British citizenship to prevent them from returning to the UK.

She said: “The Prime Minister has consistently backed criminals over law abiding British people. He defended terrorists like Hizb ut-Tahrir in the European court. He argued all immigration law had a racist undercurrent. He voted against life sentences for people smugglers.

“He voted against more than 100 measures to control migration. He even said it was wrong when the Conservatives took away Shamima Begum’s citizenship.

“Now he has appointed her defence lawyer as his attorney general. Events in Syria mean we may see more small boat arrivals. For once will he take the side of the British people and strip citizenship from jihadi terrorists and supporters of Assad who want to come back and destroy this country?”

Sir Keir dodged the question as he said: “I was director of public prosecutions for five years. Unlike anyone on their benches I was prosecuting for five years hundreds of thousands of criminals. That includes huge terrorist gangs, rapists. I was working for three of those five years with the then home secretary Theresa May who commended the work that I did at the end of those five years.

“So for her to stand there and say I haven’t done anything in law enforcement, I dedicated five years of my life to law enforcement, locking up criminals which is more than she can say.”

12:14 PM GMT

Badenoch: Small boat crossings up 20pc since Labour scrapped Rwanda deterrent

Kemi Badenoch said: “Since he came into government and scrapped the Rwanda deterrent small boat arrivals have increased by nearly 20 per cent.

“His own MPs are complaining about having to house asylum seekers. So can the Prime Minister tell the House how much more his Government will spend on hotel accommodation because he scrapped the deterrent?”

Sir Keir Starmer replied: “I would invite her to tell us what went 2wrong under the last government but it would take us all afternoon.”

The Prime Minister referred to Labour’s goal of smashing the people smuggling gangs, prompting Mrs Badenoch to hit back: “He says he wants to smash the gangs. The only things he has smashed is his own reputation.”

12:12 PM GMT

Starmer won’t commit to hard cap on net migration

Kemi Badenoch said Sir Keir Starmer had previously complained in opposition that the UK’s immigration system was working to deter migrants rather than provide support.

The Tory leader said: “The Prime Minister says he wants to talk about immigration. I have committed to a cap on migration. Why won’t he?”

Sir Keir said: “She presided over record numbers of asylum seekers in this country, a record number of lawful and irregular migrants, that is 14 years when they lost control of the borders.

“They set a cap for each of those 14 years. It wasn’t hard, it didn’t stop people coming and it got a record number. They should apologise for what they have done with their open borders policy.”

12:08 PM GMT

PM claims Tories ‘lost control of the borders’

Kemi Badenoch said that four years ago Sir Keir Starmer had signed a letter calling for some foreign criminals to be allowed to stay in the UK.

The Tory leader said that one such foreign criminal whose deportation was blocked had gone onto commit murder.

She asked Sir Keir: “Will he apologise for signing these letters?”

Sir Keir said: “They lost control of the borders and the particular example she puts to me is an example of failure under her government to take the necessary measures to keep our country safe.”

12:05 PM GMT

Badenoch asks Starmer why curbing immigration is not a priority

Kemi Badenoch said she wanted to focus on immigration.

She asked why cutting immigration was not one of the Prime Minister’s new “milestones”.

Sir Keir Starmer did not mention his plans but attacked the Tories’ record on the issue.

He said the Conservatives had “presided over record high levels of immigration”.

He then promised to drive down migration numbers.

12:02 PM GMT

Starmer welcomes fall of Assad as PMQs begins

PMQs is now underway.

Sir Keir Starmer started by welcoming the fall of the Assad regime in Syria.

“The people of Syria suffered for far too long under his brutal regime,” the Prime Minister told the House of Commons.

12:00 PM GMT

Starmer and Badenoch arrive in Commons

Sir Keir Starmer and Kemi Badneoch have just arrived in the House of Commons.

The Prime Minister and Tory leader have taken up their seats on the frontbenches opposite each other.

PMQs should begin imminently.

11:42 AM GMT

Welsh questions underway ahead of PMQs

Welsh questions got underway in the House of Commons a few minutes ago - the starter before the main course of PMQs at noon.

You will be able to watch the clash between Sir Keir Starmer and Kemi Badenoch using the live stream at the top of the page.

I will guide you through the key exchanges as always.

11:34 AM GMT

Pictured: Farage joins ‘tractor tax’ protest in Whitehall

11:18 AM GMT

Tractor tax protests provide noisy soundtrack for PMQs

PMQs could be noisier than normal.

Dozens of tractors have descended on Westminster this morning, beeping their musical horns, to protest against the Government’s inheritance tax raid.

Kemi Badenoch has focused on the so-called “tractor tax” at PMQs in the past and she could well return to the well today.

11:07 AM GMT

What happened at PMQs last week?

Sir Keir Starmer refused to repeat his manifesto pledge to make the UK economy the fastest growing in the G7.

Labour promised ahead of the general election to “kickstart economic growth to secure the highest sustained growth in the G7”.

Kemi Badenoch, the Tory leader, asked Sir Keir: “In his manifesto he committed to making Britain the fastest growing economy in the G7. Does he stand by his own pledge?”

Sir Keir dodged the question.

The premier invited Mrs Badenoch to “look at the OECD report of this morning which is upgraded growth for next year and the year after which now puts us on target to be the highest growing major economy in Europe in the next two years”.

“She should welcome that,” he added.

11:03 AM GMT

PMQs to get underway just after noon

Prime Minister’s Questions will get underway just after noon and Kemi Badenoch will once again have a plethora of issues to choose from as she looks to inflict some damage on Sir Keir Starmer and the Government.

The Tory leader has enjoyed some rich pickings at recent editions of the weekly head-to-head, putting the PM under pressure over the state of the economy and Labour’s tax rises.

Today she will have the ongoing farmer protests, a row over public sector pay rises and the Government’s liberalisation of planning rules to choose from as she selects her ammunition.

She could also opt to focus on the fall of the Assad regime and the UK’s decision to pause decisions on Syrian asylum claims.