PMQs sketch: All the fun of the fair for Sunak and Starmer
In the wake of Boris Johnson’s seemingly endless headline generating abilities being demonstrated again this week, it’s unsurprising Keir Starmer launched into what should have been a brutal takedown of a government fiddling while Frome (oh no, that’s already gone independent…) Stoke-on-Trent – majority of just 670 – burns.
It’s just a shame the criticism of the distracting nature of the honours row came from the knight of the realm himself, giving Sunak the opportunity to preen that he should “know better”.
In a bid to divert from yet another ride on the BoJo merry-go-round, Sunak attempted the shooting range instead; blasting the Labour leader with criticisms of peer Tom Watson and harking back to (checks calendar) 2015 with ye olde “chaos with Ed Miliband”.
That ageing roasted chestnut still delivering a poll lead of (ahem) minus 14 something per cent.
Sadly his aim was amiss and despite benches on both sides being close to standing room only and the press and public galleries packed to the rafters, there was a notable lack of energy, leaving CityAM questioning whether an exhausted Tory cohort is beginning to simply give up the ghost.
Ducking out of his party’s haunted house however, Starmer landed a custard pie of his own as Sunak refused to say whether he would “buckle” to Iron Lady impersonator Liz Truss and deliver gongs to her “IEA extremists”. Westminster watchers will be wondering the same thing.
However, with mortgage rates a going concern – and the public’s ghost train ride of ever growing interest hikes showing no sign of slowing down – it’s likely we could all be back at the fairground before too long.