PMQs live: Starmer urges women to report inappropriate behaviour amid Gregg Wallace questions
Comes as influential report warns UK interest rates will fall by less than expected over next two years after autumn Budget
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Your support makes all the difference.Women who make reports of inappropriate behaviour must have “confidence that they will be taken seriously”, Sir Keir Starmer has said, as allegations against Gregg Wallace continue to grow.
The prime minister said politicians should be ready to put in place “mechanisms” that would instil that confidence, after a Labour MP asked him about “women of a certain age”, reflecting comments for which the MasterChef presenter has since apologised.
Wallace faces multiple complaints of inappropriate behaviour, originally from 13 people across a range of shows over a 17-year period, and has stepped away from the cooking programme.
Meanwhile, Kemi Badenoch has mocked Sir Keir Starmer over former transport secretary Louise Haigh’s resignation, which came after admitted misleading the police a decade ago.
The Tory leader told the Commons the country “needs conviction politicians, not politicians with convictions”.
“He can try and change the topic as much as he likes but the public are watching. He owes them an explanation”, she said.
Sir Keir Starmer has been accused of obfuscating over Louise Haigh’s resignation, after Badenoch demanded he provide the House of Commons with an explanation over the incident.
National insurance hike ‘biggest issue’ after Budget, Bank chief says
The boss of the Bank of England has said the way businesses react to the national insurance hike is currently the “biggest issue” after the Budget, as he warned that economic uncertainty is rising in the UK and globally.
Andrew Bailey, speaking at the Financial Times’ Global Boardroom, said it is not yet clear what effect the tax change could have on UK inflation.
Mr Bailey said: “The level of uncertainty is rising at the moment. Certainly, some of that is domestic and some of that is global.
“I think the biggest issue now in the immediate future is the response to the national insurance change; how companies balance the mixture of prices, wages, the level of employment, what is taken on margin, is an important judgment for us.”
Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced in her autumn Budget statement that the rate of employer national insurance would be rising from 13.8% to 15% in April next year.
The secondary threshold, meaning the level at which employers start paying the tax on each employee’s salary, will also be reduced from £9,100 a year to £5,000.
The move has led to a swathe of businesses saying they will be hit hard by increased costs, which they could end up passing on to employees and customers.
Starmer declines to repeat promise to make UK fastest growing G7 economy
Sir Keir Starmer declined to repeat his pledge to make the UK the fastest growing economy in the G7, ahead of his major reset speech on Thursday.
Asked if he stands by the pledge, which was made in Labour's manifesto, the prime minister invited Ms 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.”
The Tory leader hit back: “I think the whole House will would have heard him fail to repeat his own pledge. He can’t even repeat the pledges he made just a few weeks ago.”
Haigh’s resignation is ‘marked contrast’ to Tories’ behaviour over last 14 years, argues Starmer
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the former transport secretary’s decision to resign is a “marked contrast” from the behaviour of the Tories over the last 14 years, as Kemi Badenoch hit out at Louise Haigh.
During Prime Minster’s Questions, the Conservative Party leader said: “The Prime Minister talks about immigration, I think it’s probably a good time to remind him that he was the one writing letters asking us not to deport foreign criminals, and he and his party voted against every single measure that we put in place to try and limit immigration.
“But, the question today is what has been on the lips of all Labour MPs, including, I believe, the Health Secretary yesterday – the Prime Minister knowingly appointed a convicted fraudster to be his transport secretary. What was he thinking?”
Sir Keir replied: “The previous transport secretary was right when further information came forward to resign – what a marked contrast from behaviour in the last 14 years.
“And she talks about immigration, record levels of immigration under the previous government, nearly a million – and she was the cheerleader, she was the one urging on the removal of the caps for work visas, she was thanking the previous home secretary for the work was done.
“She championed it. She advocated it. Record numbers of immigration.”
Badenoch: ‘The country needs conviction politicians, not politicians with convictions’
Kemi Badenoch told the Commons the country “needs conviction politicians, not politicians with convictions”, mocking Sir Keir Starmer over the appointment of Louise Haigh.
“He can try and change the topic as much as he likes but the public are watching. He owes them an explanation”, she said.
Hitting back, the PM said former Tory leaders Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak had convictions for breaking covid rules. However, they were issued with Fixed Penalty Notices, which are not classified as criminal conviction.
Allegations made against Gregg Wallace put to prime minister
The allegations that have been made against MasterChef presenter Gregg Wallace and his subsequent response have been put to Sir Keir Starmer during PMQs.
It was put to the prime minister that, generally, every woman who reports allegations “should be listened to, supported and the perpetrator dealt with”.
The prime minister responded: “I certainly agree with that.”
He said: “Everybody should be treated with dignity and respect, and I’m proud of fact that the Employment Rights Bill that we’re passing will strength protections from sexual harassment at work.”
In pictures: Starmer faces Badenoch at PMQs
Starmer dodges questions over Louise Haigh’s resignation
Sir Keir Starmer has been accused of obfuscating over Louise Haigh’s resignation, after Kemi Badenoch demanded he provide the House of Commons with an explanation over the incident.
Pointing to Downing Street’s statement that Ms Haigh resigned after “further information came to light”, she asked for details on what that information was.
Responding, he said: “I’m not going to disclose further information.”
“Whilst she’s obsessing with Westminster issues, we’re getting on with fixing the mess, fixing the foundations.”
The Tory leader hit back: “He never answers any questions – and it looks like he didn’t ask his transport secretary any questions either. The truth is he appointed someone convicted of fraud to the cabinet.”
Starmer refuses to say what further information came to light that caused Louise Haigh to resign
Kemi Badenoch has been pressing Sir Keir Starmer to say what further information came to light that caused Louise Haigh to resign.
However, the prime minister refused to be drawn on the controversy surrounding his former transport secretary, after she quit over a stolen phone fraud offence.
Shadow Scotland secretary presses government to say which sectors will grow north of border
Shadow Scotland secretary Andrew Bowie has pressed the Government to say which sectors will grow north of the border following October’s Budget.
The Conservative MP for West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine told the Commons: “To grow, you need confidence from business, so let’s just see how that is going because the verdict from Scottish businesses to his Government’s Budget is in.
“From OEUK (Offshore Energies UK): ‘This is a difficult day for the sector’. From Scottish Hospitality: ‘Today’s announcements are a blow to businesses across the country’. From the Scotch Whisky Association: the increase in spirt duty ‘is a hammer blow’. From the NFUS (National Farmers Union of Scotland): the decisions will cause ‘huge difficulties to farming’.
“So, given these responses, if it isn’t from retail, or oil and gas, or hospitality, or food and drink, or financial services, from which sector does he think this mythical growth is going to come?”
Scotland Secretary Ian Murray replied: “Unlike (Mr Bowie), I have actually run my own business. And when you run your own business, what you need is stability, what you need is credibility, what you need is confidence. The previous government left this economy in tatters. They crashed the economy. They left business confidence at a record low.
“We’re investing for the future and businesses back that.”
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