Badenoch rebuked by Speaker for ‘invective’ against Phillipson during PMQs clash

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has been formally reprimanded by Speaker Lindsay Hoyle following a contentious exchange during Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday, in which she directed personal attacks at Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson. The intervention came after Badenoch described the minister as a “spiteful class warrior” and asserted that Prime Minister Keir Starmer had “400 knives stuck in his back”.

Hoyle interrupted the session to address the tone of the debate, stating: “Let us think about the language we use... Let us show a little bit more decorum and respect.” The Speaker warned that the conduct of MPs in the chamber influences public behaviour, noting that constituents may feel empowered to mirror the rhetoric heard on the floor of the House of Commons.

The remarks were made in the context of the Labour government’s policy to apply a 20 per cent VAT to private school fees. Badenoch accused Phillipson of incompetence, claiming that the tax had resulted in a decrease in teacher numbers despite increased funding. She argued that appointing Phillipson had been a “disaster” and later took to social media to assert that growing up on a council estate was not an excuse for failure, accusing the government of sacrificing children’s futures on the “altar of class envy”.

Prime Minister Starmer responded by defending Phillipson’s record, highlighting her background as an “incredible story of social mobility and success” following her childhood poverty in the north-east of England. He stated that her experiences drove every priority of the government and criticised the opposition for having “fallen so low” in their approach to the debate.

Labour MPs strongly criticised Badenoch’s language, with Technology Secretary Liz Kendall describing the comments as “outrageous”. Tulip Siddiq indicated she would raise a point of order regarding the conduct of the opposition leader. Following the session, sources reported a confrontation between Badenoch and Phillipson as they left the chamber, though Conservative sources disputed the Labour account, claiming Phillipson had also directed a barb at the Conservative leader.

Senior Labour figures rallied behind the Education Secretary, with Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy and Scotland Secretary Douglas Alexander emphasising that the current cabinet is the most state-schooled in the postwar era. Lammy argued that the attack revealed deeper issues within Conservative politics, while Alexander stated that the government was motivated by tackling poverty rather than spite.

A spokesman for Badenoch confirmed that the Conservative leader would not apologise for her remarks. A Conservative source maintained that the VAT policy had forced the closure of several private schools, disrupting children’s lives and placing further pressure on the state sector, asserting that the party remained determined to oppose the measure.