Keir Starmer went head-to-head with Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch at Prime Minister's Questions in London on Wednesday, trading blows over defence spending figures and the future of British support for Ukraine. Badenoch pressed the prime minister on whether his government was doing enough to fund the armed forces; Starmer fired back that she was desperate for relevance as the session grew heated.
The exchange came with a ticking clock: Starmer was due to leave London almost immediately afterward for Washington, where he is scheduled to meet US President Donald Trump on Thursday. Ukraine is expected to dominate that conversation, as European leaders work to keep Washington aligned behind Kyiv.
Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner used the session to set out the government's response to the Grenfell Tower inquiry, confirming ministers will take forward all 37 recommendations from the landmark report into the 2017 disaster.
The Washington trip is one of Starmer's most consequential diplomatic outings of the year. With Trump back in the White House and transatlantic relations under strain over trade and security, Downing Street will be hoping the prime minister returns with a united front on Ukraine.
