Harry Fletcher
Jan 26, 2023
content.jwplatform.com
We regret to say Rishi Sunak has been talking about Jeremy Corbyn again in the commons.
The PM spoke about the former Labour leader in this week’s PMQs, attempting to undermine Keir Starmer by reminding him that he was in the shadow cabinet when Corbyn was leader of the opposition.
Of course, it’s nothing we haven’t seen before.
In fact, it’s become such a staple of PMQs that Corbyn came out and said that he believes he “lives rent free” in Sunak’s head last year.
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Corbyn criticised Sunak for giving a “wholly inaccurate representation” of his 2019 agenda on national security during Prime Minister’s Questions back in November.
These are all the times Sunak moaned about Corbyn while going head to head with Starmer in PMQs.
Getty Images
October 26 2022
Sunak first criticised Starmer in the commons back in October by saying: “The right hon. and learned Gentleman talked about party first and country second. Perhaps he can explain to us why it was that, a few years ago, he was supporting the right hon. Member for Islington North (Jeremy Corbyn). My record is clear. When times are difficult in this country, I will always protect the most vulnerable; that is a value of our compassionate party. We did it in covid and we will do that again.”
During the same sitting, Sunak said: “The hon. Member is talking about events that happened four years ago. He is right to raise the topic of national security, because four years ago Opposition Members were busy supporting the right hon. Member for Islington North (Jeremy Corbyn), who wanted to abolish the nuclear deterrent, leave NATO and scrap our armed forces. We will not take any lectures on national security.”
November 2 2022
A week later he said in the chamber: “The right hon. and learned Gentleman rightly raises the topic of national security, because it is important, but this is the person who, in 2019, told the BBC – and I quote – ‘I do think Jeremy Corbyn would make a great Prime Minister.’
“Let us remember that national security agenda: abolishing our armed forces, scrapping the nuclear deterrent, withdrawing from NATO, voting against every single anti-terror law we tried, and befriending Hamas and Hezbollah. He may want to forget about it, but we will remind him of it every week, because it is the Conservative Government who will keep this country safe.”
\u201cKeir Starmer - We all know why the Prime Minister was reluctant to ask Nadhim Zahawi questions about family finance & tax avoidance \ud83d\udd25... so is he starting to wonder if this job is just too big for him?\n\nRishi Sunak - Jeremy Corbyn....\n\n#PMQs #PoliticsLive\u201d— Haggis_UK \ud83c\uddec\ud83c\udde7 \ud83c\uddea\ud83c\uddfa (@Haggis_UK \ud83c\uddec\ud83c\udde7 \ud83c\uddea\ud83c\uddfa) 1674649262
November 9 2022
Then, another week later he said to Starmer: “The right hon. and learned Gentleman talks about judgement and putting people around the Cabinet table. I gently remind him that he thought the right hon. Member for Islington North (Jeremy Corbyn) was the right person to look after our security. The right hon. and learned Gentleman has said a lot today, but it is clear that he is not focused on the serious issues confronting our country.
“We are strengthening our economy; he is backing the strikers. We are supporting people with energy Bills; he is supporting the protestors. We are tackling illegal migration; he is opposing every measure. The British people want real leadership on the serious global challenges we face, and that is what they will get from this Government.”
January 26 2023
This week, he looked to have returned to the same tactics when he said: “The difference between the right hon. and learned Gentleman and me is that I stand by my values and my principles, even when it is difficult.
“When I disagreed fundamentally with the previous Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Uxbridge and South Ruislip (Boris Johnson), I resigned from the Government, but for four long years, he sat next to the right hon. Member for Islington North (Jeremy Corbyn) when antisemitism ran rife and his predecessor sided with our opponents. That is what is weak: he has no principles, just petty politics.”
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