Prime minister’s questions: a shouty, jeery, very occasionally useful advert for British politics. Here’s what you need to know from the latest session in POLITICO’s weekly run-through.
What they sparred about: With Keir Starmer flying back from the G20 summit in Rio, Deputy PM Angela Rayner went out to bat for the government. Up against her was the little-known Shadow Northern Ireland Secretary Alex Burghart, standing in for Conservative Leader Kemi Badenoch. He probed Rayner on the economy and Labour’s hiking of farmers’ inheritance tax in his debut PMQs, putting in a feisty performance that may see Badenoch call him up again.
Spiralling up: Burghart had a pre-PMQs gift in the form of stats showing an increase in inflation. Pressed on how Labour would bring down costs, Rayner didn’t offer any specifics but pointed out that Burghart was minister for growth under Liz Truss’ short-lived, disastrous premiership. Rayner highlighted whopping inflation under Truss, the gift that keeps on giving for Labour.
Making hay: Burghart turned to the farmers’ protests that dominated Westminster Tuesday. Farmers are in open revolt over plans to ax an inheritance tax exemption for some farms worth more than £1 million. Burghart met “elderly men in tears [and] children worried about their parents,” he said, warning that rural livelihoods are “about to be destroyed.”
Ploughing on: Rayner insisted the government is “absolutely committed” to British farmers, flagging cash in the budget to help rural life. Burghart said the government’s indifference to the whole row meant they must have thought farmers came to Westminster “to thank” them. He pressed the deputy PM on a specific point: will there be further changes to inheritance tax, agricultural property relief and business property relief in this parliament?
Farming out: Rayner refused to rule out tweaks, only repeating Treasury stats that the vast majority of farms won’t be affected by the current plan, that couples can pass on £3 million tax free— and that people above the threshold can pay over a decade.
Watch your wallets: The shadow Northern Ireland secretary shot back, saying it showed Labour are “coming back for more” and can’t be trusted. “The truth is that this is a punishment meted out to people who don’t vote Labour,” he claimed — before reeling off other budget hard-luck stories including small business owners, pensioners and kids in private schools. At times his voice was so loud the microphone crackled.
Read the room: Burghart appeared to have forgotten the election, Rayner clapped back, pointing to a new haul of Labour MPs in rural seats that used to be held by the Tories. Of course, many of those MPs sit on small majorities — so could there be a tax-driven Tory comeback next time around?
Helpful backbench intervention of the week: Plymouth Moor View Labour MP Fred Thomas asked about the government’s £22.6 billion NHS investment and how it would be spread across the country. Rayner got to talk up the plans and insist they were more generous than the last government’s ones. Funny that!
Totally unscientific scores on the doors: Rayner 6/10 … Burghart 7/10. The deputy PM had a strong start, playing the magic Liz Truss card. But it’s an attack that gets less effective the longer Labour is in power. She struggled more when pressed on the farm row specifics, and Burghart successfully put her on the spot about whether there are any further changes to come.
