Keir Starmer criticized Nigel Farage’s Reform Party for welcoming another defector from the Conservative Party.
During a tense session of PMQs, the Prime Minister joked about Conservative members switching to Reform, mentioning the recent departure of former Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi over tax issues.
Starmer pointed out that Reform’s lineup includes a mayoral candidate who has shown dislike for London, a recent Tory addition with tax payment challenges, and a leader who appears to spend more time in France than in his constituency.
In a lighter moment at IKEA, the PM mentioned an “Ikea shadow cabinet” made of subpar materials, likening it to the defecting Tory members joining Reform.
Referring to Farage’s party as a “laundry service of disgraced Tory politicians,” the PM mocked the situation and hinted at the influx of former Tory MPs to Reform.
In response, Kemi Badenoch assured the PM that she was fine despite the political shifts. Farage, on the other hand, criticized Reform’s London mayoral candidate and the recent Tory defector for tax payment issues.
The ongoing political exchanges reflect the shifting landscape within the Conservative Party and the emergence of Reform as an alternative for some discontented members.