Lame duck Keir Starmer passes buck to Andy Burnham as defence plan 'unravels' in PMQs

Sir Kier Starmer has been accused of "laughing" alongside Chancellor Rachel Reeves as his defence plan "unravelled" in a tense Prime Minister's Questions.

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch launched a fierce attack on the outgoing Prime Minister, accusing him of saddling his likely successor, Andy Burnham, with an inadequate military funding package.

The Tory chief declared protecting the nation represents the Government's primary responsibility, warning Britain faces unprecedented danger.

She branded Labour's Defence Investment Plan as insufficient and overdue, urging Mr Burnham to publicly reject it if he wishes to avoid sharing responsibility for what she termed a failure.

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Mrs Badenoch branded the Defence Investment Plan a "total dereliction of duty" during the heated Commons exchange.

The Conservative leader pointed to a significant funding shortfall, noting nearly a third of the £15billion spending increase remains unaccounted for, with £4.7billion yet to be identified by the Treasury.

"Since that letter, the Prime Minister has only increbased spending by 0.01 per cent. We can count, the generals can count, the Kremlin can count. His plan does not add up," she told MPs.

"How can the Prime Minister possibly stand there and say that this is enough?"

She insisted the funding must be secured, arguing it should come from welfare reductions, something she claimed Labour MPs refuse to countenance.

Sir Keir dismissed the opposition's criticism as "faux outrage" while defending his government's record on military investment.

The Prime Minister pointed to £22billion in fiscal headroom created through previous budget decisions, arguing this provided the credibility to make such announcements outside formal spending reviews.

"Let's drop the faux outrage, focus on what matters the biggest sustained increase for 45 years, providing what is needed to keep the country safe," he told the Commons.

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He also turned the attack back on the Conservatives, accusing them of hollowing out the armed forces during their 14 years in power.

"No lectures from them, they failed in the first duty of government," Sir Keir declared, describing Mrs Badenoch's criticism as "all talk".

Mrs Badenoch repeatedly pressed the Prime Minister on whether Mr Burnham had been informed about the funding gap he would inherit. asking: "Did the member for Makerfield know that he was going to have to find £5billion for the Prime Minister's plan?"

Sir Keir declined to address the question directly, instead emphasising his Government's defence investment record.

"We are in power with record investment in defence and security. I am proud of this Labour Government and any Labour prime minister would stand behind this plan," he responded.

The Tory leader was unconvinced, remarking: "It does not sound like he has told the member for Makerfield to find £5billion."

Mr Burnham, who could enter Downing Street as early as July 20, was reportedly not briefed on the shortfall before the plan's publication. Mrs Badenoch laid out what she saw as the only three options available to address the missing billions: increasing borrowing, raising taxes, or reducing welfare spending.

"The reason that he is in this mess is because he was too weak to cut welfare when he had the chance. Which one will he recommend to the member for Makerfield?"

Sir Keir maintained the £22billion headroom gave his administration the financial credibility to make decisions outside the normal budget cycle, contrasting this with the Tories who he said "lost control of the public finances".

He insisted any future Labour leader would back the defence plan.

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