By Noah Keate
Show me the money: Badenoch didn鈥檛 beat around the bush, stating: 鈥淚t鈥檚 been a difficult week.鈥 The original welfare changes were meant to save 拢5 billion, so the Tory leader asked how much dosh would now be saved. No prizes for guessing the PM ducked that one, simply insisting the reforms were the 鈥渞ight thing to do鈥 and 鈥渃onsistent鈥 with his principles.
Tough old game: The difficult reality of politics was on full show when Badenoch said Reeves was a 鈥渉uman shield鈥 for the PM鈥檚 鈥渋ncompetence鈥 who looked 鈥渕iserable.鈥 Asking whether the chancellor would still be in place by the next election, Starmer said Badenoch 鈥渃ertainly won鈥檛鈥 because of her 鈥渦nserious and irrelevant鈥 approach. His refusal to guarantee Reeves鈥 position (unlike in January) was conspicuous. It was left to the PM鈥檚 spokesperson to later insist: 鈥淭he chancellor is going nowhere. She has the PM鈥檚 full backing.鈥
Tears from Rachel: At one point Reeves, who was sitting on the front bench next to Starmer, appeared to wipe away tears. A spokesperson later told journalists it was a 鈥減ersonal matter,鈥 and insisted the chancellor would be working out of Downing Street this afternoon.
Missing in action: The Tory leader made the most of Tuesday night鈥檚 shambolic Commons scenes, asking where on Earth Starmer had been. She had another go at number crunching, probing Starmer about how many people would now get into work. Answer came there none as the PM laid into the Tories for 鈥渧oting to keep the broken system.鈥
On the defensive: The Conservatives want to show they鈥檝e changed, but Badenoch desperately defended her party鈥檚 record in power, claiming they 鈥渃ut the deficit鈥 every year until Covid-19, while Starmer was 鈥渢oo weak to get anything done鈥 thanks to his rowdy backbenchers. The PM slammed the party鈥檚 14 years in record. Keep those original lines coming 鈥
Crystal ball gazing: Given Cabinet Office Minister Pat McFadden admitted earlier in the day there would be 鈥渇inancial consequences,鈥 Badenoch asked what everyone was considering: Would Starmer rule out tax rises? The PM hit back by arguing no minister 鈥渨rites budgets in the future鈥 at the despatch box. But the explicit refusal to rule out changes will have left some MPs 鈥 and the public 鈥 jittery.