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

Plaid Cymru leader Liz Saville Roberts and PM Keir Starmer in PMQsKeir 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”.I mean, this may be brutal, but it’s not the best answer is it? https://t.co/uncg19agKu— anne mcelvoy (@annemcelvoy) May 14, 2025Starmer’s response is very revealing & shows that he’s feeling under pressure. He could’ve replied with a witty remark (if he was capable of one) or just answered it seriously - instead he’s just plain rude & ungracious. https://t.co/f8MEcZ9zvj— Alan Weston (@alanweston) May 14, 2025It’s not a brutal slap down, it’s the response of a man who can’t handle the truth. It was rude, disrespectful & totally inappropriate given the position he holds. https://t.co/y03CsMeIHT— Estella Joyce 🌟 (@LelJoyce) May 14, 2025Give up everything you believe in, and realise that when you get there, it wasn’t worth fuck all. And now people are holding that mirror up to him, all he has is petulance. https://t.co/zmRJHFe5TW— Napoleon 'Do Gooder Lefty' Solo (@NapoleonSolo26) May 14, 2025She "talks rubbish" but nothing she said was actually untrue. https://t.co/4G5xRV3Q45— Moon (@QueerNerdyLefty) May 14, 2025Puerile rather than brutal. https://t.co/jI5RzVGb3a— JOHN NICOLSON 🇵🇸 🇺🇦 (@MrJohnNicolson) May 14, 2025The mask slips. https://t.co/1donkliFk2— Stuart Gregory Esq (@Mortgage_Stu) May 14, 2025when you switch to personal insults as opposed to actually answering the question, sort of makes you look a little bit weak and extremely unprofessional… https://t.co/kSacXTopOj— finley wilson (@finleyswilson) May 14, 2025That's not a "brutal slap down" by Keir Starmer at #PMQs, that's a rude and nervous little man who is angry that Liz Saville Roberts held up a mirror to him. https://t.co/7I2gj9wKB2— Kelium W (@Keliumtze) May 14, 2025Despite 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.”Related...'A Dead Party Walking': Starmer Savages The Tories In PMQs Clash With BadenochMark Carney Criticises Keir Starmer's Decision To Give Donald Trump A Second State VisitBlow For Keir Starmer As China Slams His Trade Deal With Donald Trump

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