Keir Starmer Under Fire For ‘Puerile’ Response To MP Question About His Principles

Keir Starmer has been slammed for his response to an MP who accused him of not having any principles.

During prime minister’s questions, the Plaid Cymru leader Liz Saville Roberts pointed out how Starmer has U-turned over migrants’ rights over the years – only for the PM to tell her she “talks rubbish”.

It comes after the Labour leader declared a migration crackdown on Monday, saying Britain risked turning into an “island of strangers” – a phrase critics claimed evoked Enoch Powell.

“This prime minister once spoke of compassion and dignity for migrants, and defending free movement,” Saville Roberts said, pointing to Starmer’s 2020 campaign.

“Now he talks of ‘islands of strangers’ and taking back control,” she continued.

“Somebody here has to call this out, Mr Speaker, it seems 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 which survives a week in Downing Street?”

Starmer angrily hit back: “Yes, the belief that she talks rubbish. 

“Mr Speaker, I want to lead a country where we pull together and walk into the future as neighbours and communities, not as strangers.”

While chancellor Rachel Reeves laughed at his response, it seems social media was less than impressed.

Critics on X (formerly Twitter) said his comment was “rude and ungracious”, and “totally inappropriate to the position he holds”.

Despite the backlash, Starmer’s official spokesman has rejected comparisons to Enoch Powell.

He told reporters earlier this week: “I reject that comparison. The prime minister has made the argument that migrants make a massive contribution to the UK and have done for generations, not least those who came after the war.

“But it is also reasonable to recognise that uncontrolled migration of recent years has put pressure on public services.”