"The cowboys are running the country”
In the first PMQs since the summer recess, Keir Starmer seized on the biggest headline story of the week, the RAAC concrete scandal, to lay into the government over their handling of the issue and what it says about their leadership as a whole.
Starmer ripped into the Tories with a jibe about ‘cowboy builders’ running the country as he hit Sunak with some hard truths.
“The truth is, this crisis is the inevitable result of 13 years of cutting corners, botched jobs and sticking plaster politics,” started Starmer.
“It’s the sort of thing you expect from cowboy builders, saying that everyone else is wrong, everyone else is to blame.
“Protesting that they’ve done an f-ing good job, even if the ceiling falls in. The difference Mr Speaker is that, in this case, the cowboys are running the country.”
Starmer then asked: “Isn’t he ashamed that after 13 years of Tory government, children are cowering under steel supports stopping their classroom roofs falling in?”
Sunak followed up with a dig at Starmer over “political hindsight” and attempted to defend his party’s record, claiming that a “record amount of funding” was going into schools.
“I see the Conservatives are sticking firmly with the ‘you should all be grateful for what we’ve done for you’ schtick at PMQs,” reflected one X user.
Also notable was when Sunak ignored Starmer’s question on why he thought spending £34 million on revamping the education secretary’s office was a better use of tax-payers’ money than stopping schools collapsing.
The Speaker had to issue multiple warnings to the House to ‘calm down’ as it appeared MPs were riled up to be back in Parliament after recess. With the Speaker stating at one point: “I understand people are excited to be back at school but we expect better behaviour.”
Commenting on the PMQs, Political Editor Liam Thorp said: “Sunak accusing Starmer of jumping on the ‘political bandwagon’
“He must think we all didn’t see him desperately chasing Liz Truss down every right wing shameful culture war avenue in the summer.”
(Image credit: The Guardian / YouTube Screenshot)
Hannah Davenport is news reporter at Left Foot Forward, focusing on trade unions and environmental issues
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