Prime Minister faces Sir Keir Starmer at PMQs
In a heated debate in the House of Commons Wednesday, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer claimed the Prime Minister accused the BBC of being ‘too soft’ on Vladimir Putin.
Starmer was referring to a private meeting with Tory MPs on Tuesday night in which the Prime Minister said the BBC – and “certain members of the clergy” – had “misconstrued” the government’s Rwanda immigration policy, and were “less vociferous” in condemning Putin’s actions in Ukraine compared to criticism of the new policy.
Although the PM did not deny comments about the clergy, he refuted the accusation of any criticism of the BBC, stating, “I said nothing of the kind and I have the highest admiration – as a former journalist – for what journalists do.”
Some media outlets have called for Starmer to apologise, while others have been less critical, instead focusing on other aspects of the day’s debates. The heated PMQs also provoked headlines around Mr Johnson’s apparent refusal to apologise for the Partygate scandal.
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N.B.: the “vote” refers to Thursday’s vote on whether or not the Prime Minister should be referred to the Privileges Committee for investigation following the ‘Partygate’ scandal.
The full PMQs from April 20 can be watched below.