PoliticsJOE Podcast Boots on the ground in Ukraine? PMQs reaction
Jan 7, 2026
Hosts dive into the latest PMQs, with Keir Starmer facing tough questions on foreign policy. They dissect Kemi Badenoch's wide-ranging queries about Ukraine, NATO, and more. A heated debate emerges over leasehold reforms and missed opportunities. There's a spicy exchange over veterans' protections and the Troubles Bill. The discussion shifts to business rates affecting small businesses post-Covid, alongside fears of a youth brain drain from Scotland. Lastly, they explore the complexity of balancing alliances between Europe and the US in today's geopolitical landscape.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Scattered PMQs Fail To Land Blows
- PMQs returned with a heavy foreign policy focus but lacked coherent lines of attack from the Conservatives.
- Laura Beveridge and Ava-Santina criticised Kemi Badenoch for scattering questions across many topics instead of pursuing a single, forensic issue.
Push One Policy, Not Many
- Focus questions on concrete broken promises like leasehold reform to hold Labour to account.
- Pursue single-issue forensic lines rather than broad mudslinging to better expose policy gaps.
Legal Mud Slinging Replaces Policy Debate
- PMQs devolved into reciprocal character attacks over lawyers and past clients rather than clear policy debate.
- Both sides traded legal representation mudslinging, which diluted substantive discussion on Ukraine and veterans.