Sir Keir Starmer went into battle against Kemi Badenoch at Prime Minister’s Questions like a tank with depleted armour and wonky tracks.
He looked largely isolated, deserted by his Labour troops as Tory drones hovered overhead.
Could he call up desperately needed back-up?
Probably not as the cheers from the Labour backbenches in support of the outgoing Prime Minister were so feeble that they would have been better not bothering.
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Sir Keir Starmer came under fire over the Government’s defence investment plan
PA
Sir Keir stood at the despatch box and took blow after blow, reeling off a list of facts and figures in a manner which only highlighted why Labour has ousted him from power.
“We all know that he is leaving this mess to his successor,” the Tory leader jibed in her first offensive.
“So, can he confirm that the member for Makerfield (Andy Burnham) has agreed to fund the shortfall?”
Sir Keir sidestepped the attack, responding: “Because of the decisions at the last Budget, we’ve got headroom of £22 billion. That is precisely so we can take decisions like this.”
He added: “Let’s drop the faux outrage, focus on what matters, the biggest sustained increase (in defence spending) for 45 years, providing what is needed to keep the country safe.”
Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch during a visit to 33 Engineer Regiment at Carver Barracks Essex
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“We can count, the generals can count, the Kremlin can count. His plan does not add up. How can the Prime Minister possibly stand there and say that this is enough?” she taunted.
Sir Keir fended off the Tory strike, emphasising that the extra cash would take defence spending to £300 billion over the next four years, and stressing that the plan had been welcomed by the military top brass.
He also launched a counter-offensive against the Conservatives: “They cut defence, 2.5% down to 2.3% in their 14 long years. And what did they do on welfare? They put the bill up by £88 billion, so no lectures from them.”
He added: “Other countries are looking to us to lead on defence and security. Foundations of a stronger and fairer country. Britain in a better state than we found it, that’s the difference a Labour Government makes.”
Vladimir Putin is spending 10% of Russia’s GDP on defence with his ongoing war in Ukraine
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The Tory leader then got to the nub of her argument.
She said: “The threat level has dramatically changed in the two years that the Prime Minister has been in office.
“Poland has increased their funding to 4.8% Germany has increased theirs to 3.7%
“This year, Russia will spend 10% of GDP on defence, meanwhile, Britain is spending it all on welfare.”
She added: “Labour’s plan is too weak, it is too little, and it is too late.”
Sir Keir replied: “We built a headroom of £22 billion. The very reason for the headroom is to have the credibility to take decisions outside the Budget and outside the Spending Review. They don’t understand it because they lost control of the public finances.”
Whatever the truth of the matter, it felt like both Mrs Badenoch and Sir Keir were fighting the last war.
He is in office but not in power.
All eyes are now on whether Mr Burnham will defy Labour MPs and try to cut the welfare bill or shy away from the crunch battle and leave Britain’s public finances shackled and weak.
