Westminster Correspondent Alexander Brown reviews PMQs

Transcript

00:00Hello from a miserable, rainy Westminster. My name is Alexander Brown and I'm the Scotsman's

00:05Westminster Correspondent. I'm just out of PMQs where Kemi Bainock tried to pin down the Prime

00:10Minister on defence spending. She began by saying she advised the Prime Minister to increase defence

00:16spending, which MPs openly laughed at, especially when Sir Keir Starmer said she didn't feature in

00:22his thinking at all, she's appointed herself, I think he called her the saviour of Western

00:27civilisation and said it was a desperate search for relevance. He also made fun of her for doing

00:31a speech earlier in the week that he said he hadn't seen but he heard it was rambling, very

00:36dismissive stuff. The Leader of the Opposition had more luck challenging Starmer on how much the

00:40actual boost for defence spending is, pointing out it was announced as £13.4 billion in additional

00:45defence spending yesterday, but this morning the Defence Secretary said the uplift is only £6

00:49billion, so there's obviously a discrepancy between those figures. The Prime Minister

00:53explained it's about fiscal years and that both are true, but it's still a bit messy,

00:57it's something they have to tidy up, especially ahead of Thursday's crucial meeting with Trump.

01:02The problem is Ms Bainock then tried to go after defence again, essentially asking the same

01:06question, which for Starmer was all too happy to point out, was a repeat. This is a struggle for

01:12the Tory Leader at the moment, she keeps having it, she doesn't know how to think on her feet,

01:16she doesn't know how to adapt, and speaking to those in her team, whether the Shadow Cabinet or

01:19just Tory MPs, even they are surprised how poor she's been at PMQs. That being said, this wasn't

01:25a total disaster, which I think many Tory MPs will take as progress. That was that for PMQs,

01:31and you can read all about defence spending and what Starmer will be discussing with Trump on

01:34Thursday at thescotsman.com.