Uproar After SNP Leader’s Savage Double Swipe At ‘Thatcherites’ Keir Starmer And Rishi Sunak

Scottish National Party Westminster leader Stephen Flynn unleashed a savage double swipe at both Labour Party leader Keir Starmer and Conservative Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, asking whether Sunak was “worried” about the possibility of losing the upcoming election to “a fellow Thatcherite.”

During Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday, Flynn stood to ask: “Is the Prime Minister worried that he is projected to be the first Conservative Party leader to lose a General Election to a fellow Thatcherite?”

The comment came after Starmer lauded former Tory Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher for instigating “meaningful change” and unleashing “Britain’s natural entrepreneurialism.”

Thatcher, who served in the office from 1979 to 1990, was nicknamed The Iron Lady for her infamous and divisive right-wing economic policies throughout the 1980s. Starmer’s praise, made in an interview with The Sunday Telegraph, are deemed by many in the Labour to be completely at odds with the party’s left-wing philosophy.

The uproar from the opposition benches, following Flynn’s taunt, prompted the speaker to intervene, urging MPs to listen to Sunak’s response. Starmer sat silently as Sunak retorted, aligning with Thatcher’s views on economy and elections.

Flynn arose to continue his criticism, highlighting similarities between Tory and Labour leaders on migration policies. He championed migration’s positive impact on various sectors and questioned Sunak’s stance on new visa rules.

The new rules could force foreign partners to leave the UK if their household income is below £38,700, a stark contrast to the average care worker’s salary in London, around £25,442. The new policy raises the income requirement for spousal visas to £38,700, significantly higher than the current £18,600.

Sunak defended the government’s record on welcoming refugees but insisted on stringent measures for economic migration. He argued for the necessity of contributors to public services in the UK and said: “I make no apology for saying that, or indeed saying that it is important that those who come here contribute to our public services.”