This exchange took place during the course of Prime Minister's Question Time yesterday.
For those who are not familiar with her, Liz Saville Roberts is a very experienced politician and the leader of Plaid Cymru in the House of Commons:
Liz Saville Roberts(Dwyfor Meirionnydd) (PC)
Diolch yn fawr iawn, Llefarydd. [Transaltion: Thank you very much, Speaker].
This Prime Minister once spoke of compassion and dignity for migrants and of defending free movement. Now he talks of islands of strangers and taking back control. Somebody here has to call this out. It seems that the only principle he consistently defends is whichever he last heard in a focus group. So I ask him: is there any belief he holds that survives a week in Downing Street?
The Prime Minister
Yes, the belief that she talks rubbish.
Mr Speaker—[Interruption.] Mr Speaker, I want to lead a country where we pull together and walk into the future as neighbours and as communities, not as strangers. The loss of control of migration by the last Government put all that at risk, and that is why we are fixing the system based on principles of control, selection and fairness.
I've watched the video of this exchange, and Rachel Reeves erupted in laughter at the response. Very pointedly, Angela Rayner did not.
I think there is a very good reason for the difference between those two and their reactions. Reeves sold her soul to neoliberalism, and all the abuse it promotes, at least a decade ago.
In contrast, somewhere, deep inside her, I suspect that Angela Rayner retains some vestigial principles. She might also recognise abuse when she sees it, and that, very clearly, is what Keir Starmer delivered here.
Liz Saville Roberts is a very long way from being a person who talks rubbish. The question she asked is one that has been on the lips of many over the last few days, and informed commentators without party political allegiance have certainly been raising it. She knows Starmer has no principles. So does he. She got under his skin by making that clear.
So why did Starmer react in the way that you did? There are three obvious explanations.
Firstly, he is a bully, and this was the very obvious behaviour of a bully.
Second, he is a misogynist. There is no way on earth that he would have treated a man in the way that he did Liz Saville Roberts. His contempt for women, which is readily apparent in the briefings that Number 10 has dished out against every single woman in the cabinet, except Rachel Reeves, is clear in what he had to say, and no doubt informed Angela Rayner's reaction.
Third, Starmer is also completely clueless. Left without an idea as to what to say, because he must realise the political catastrophe that he created for himself by reading out a speech written for him by someone within Morgan McSweeney's team, he did not in any way attempt to answer the question that was raised, but did instead play the person asking it, with an unwarranted ad hominem attack that exposed him for what he is, and handed victory to Liz Saville Roberts.
There is a good reason why Plaid Cymru are riding high in the opinion polls in Wales at present. They are topping them, whilst Labour is in third place, somewhat below Reform. This exchange proves why after a century in power in Wales, Labour now needs to be consigned to its back benches, and those who have the best interests of Wales at heart need to be leading it to the place where it should be, which is a future as an independent country, free from the tyranny of politicians like Keir Starmer.
Thanks for reading this post.
You can share this post on social media of your choice by clicking these icons:
There are links to this blog's glossary in the above post that explain technical terms used in it. Follow them for more explanations.
You can subscribe to this blog's daily email here.
And if you would like to support this blog you can, here:
Buy me a coffee!
Starmer did answer the question — he agreed that the only thing he believed in was whatever the focus groups told him, or at least he didn’t deny it.
It makes you wonder who on earth is in these focus groups. Obv not Labour Party members of old. I wonder if they trawl below the line on the Daily Fail website and invite selected butcher’s apron toters to their tete-a-tetes.
The other bit that is thoroughly indicative of parliamentary failure is Lindsey Hoyle not calling out the rude, arrogant, *rick that is the UK prime minister. Allowing that exchange leads to worse HOC behaviour all round and of course, further denigrates democracy.
Well, the party’s manifesto was called ‘Change’ – and that was already a change from the Starmer 10 pledges (https://www.clpd.org.uk/resource/keir-starmer-10-pledges/).
So, Liz Saville Roberts I’d right – very changeable I’d say!
I would actually put forward that the misogyny comes largely from Morgan McSweeney, who is the one making those briefings, and who also wants Wes Streeting (who also has a misogyny problem) to be the Heir.
Starmer has similarly continuously not answered SNP questions by instead commenting that there are very few SNP MPs left in the commons.
He, indeed, is an uncreative bully.
Sidenote: I have to say, Angela Rayner seemed deeply out of it that whole PMQs (which I don’t make a habit of watching, but which I just happened to on that day). I can’t help but feel bad for her; she really ought to get off that sinking ship before they drown her with them.
Angela Rayner is in a very interesting situation at the moment.
Starmer/McSweeney wanted to essentially “get rid of her”, but she was elected to the position of deputy leader, so that made it difficult.
I believe, from what I have read, that her constituency in Tameside could fall to Reform at the next GE, and she has enough political sense to know that unless New New Labour decides to be a serious political party and becomes the catalyst for the real changes the country needs, Angela knows they are sunk.
“ad feminam attack”, perhaps?
Very good
I will remember that
@ Julian Smith
Sorry, no. As with Greek “anthropos” meaning human being versus “anêr” meaning male, Latin preserves the distinction between “homo” (accusative “hominem”) and “vir’ man/male (as in “virile’)
“Ad hominem” thus means “to the person”, not “to the man”.
Do you know, I think that Starmer has lost the ability to just speak in plain English?!
He has maybe lost the plot – verbally – at least.
Women are sick of misogyny. Sadly, it’s so common we expect it but we’ve had enough of it. Speaker useless as usual; he should call out the disrespect with all the speed he would use to stop clapping in the chamber.
In that regard, when can we expect such men to drag themselves out of the Stone Age and join women in the 21st century?
Well done to Liz Saville Roberts, she’s worth listening to unlike Sir who came across as a complete dolt, as usual, and someone not worthy of high office.
Mr Speaker is too busy counting and opening his freebies by all accounts.
Starmer’s response was a cheap shot which didn’t land; it just showcased a deeply unpleasant side of his character. Clearly, the pressure of the reactions to his “island of strangers” speech is getting to him; he wouldn’t normally reveal himself to such an extent.
Looking at the polls the other day, and a photo of F-rage in front of a Welsh flag in the news the other day has focussed my mind on getting better acquainted with Plaid Cymru. I’ve been planning to move west for over a decade, imagining likely having a Labour MP. Now I’m here, I can no longer vote for Labour, I can’t see them recovering in my lifetime. Plaid is looking the sound choice to look after the interests of people in Wales. Liz Saville Roberts put the question that needed asking, she spoke when others were silent. Shame on Starmer for his slur. I’ve been willing Angela Rayner to jump ship but it must be a painful choice to make. Agree with A, she needs to move soon or she’ll be sucked into the maelstrom.
Well I’ll be voting for Plaid Cymru in next year’s Welsh Government election, something I’ve never done before in the 25 years I’ve lived in Wales. Labour are finished as far as I’m concerned, until at least, Starmer and Reeves are no longer at the helm.
I will be voting Plaid too, having left Labour last year after 40 years active membership.
I love Liverpool, where I have lived since 2 or 3 days after I became 21 and was considered old enough to leave my parents’ house in The Wirral by my father. Parents tried to stop me going to my own shared (with now husband’s brother’s friend) 21st Birthday Party at the house of my boyfriend’s (now husband) parents. I left my front door key on parents’ kitchen table (they were away at the time at my Great Aunt’s funeral) and moved to a flat in Sydenham Avenue, and have lived in Liverpool ever since. It’s a fantastic place!
But now I find myself wishing we’d moved to Wales when we had the chance. At least we get to stay in Wales most years for the whole of summer and autumn in a caravan with spectacular views across the sea to Snowdonia.
I think that Liz Saville Roberts was treated appallingly by both Starmer and the Speaker. And not even the courtesy of a reply! Absolutely disgusting. But I suppose what else can we expect from the English Parliament? Well past time that Wales was given her freedom. Cymru am byth!