In a raucous final Prime Minister's Questions session before the Christmas recess, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch launched a blistering attack on Sir Keir Starmer's government, branding his top team "a bunch of turkeys" and labelling the Prime Minister an "undertaker."
A Festive Feud in the Commons
The exchange on Wednesday 17 December 2025 was dominated by personal barbs and accusations of failed pledges. Mrs Badenoch criticised the Prime Minister over rising taxes, increasing unemployment, and the ongoing resident doctors' strikes which began that same day.
She accused Sir Keir of presiding over a growing list of broken promises, stating: "The Prime Minister promised economic growth, but the only thing that's grown is his list of broken promises." She specifically highlighted a 15% rise in business rates for pubs following the Budget, claiming it was forcing closures.
Starmer Hits Back Over Tory Defections
The Prime Minister retorted by claiming the shadow cabinet was full of "non-entities." This prompted Mrs Badenoch's now-infamous turkey jibe, where she suggested the Cabinet "could fit right in at a Bernard Matthews factory."
Sir Keir swiftly turned the attack towards the Conservatives' internal troubles, notably the defection of MPs to Nigel Farage's Reform UK. He quipped that the defections were happening so fast that "at Christmas, the leader of the Opposition is going to be left home alone."
In a pointed remark aimed at Reform, the Prime Minister added: "If mysterious men from the East appear bearing gifts, this time report it to the police." He later said Reform's Sarah Pochin, the MP for Runcorn and Helsby, was "dreaming of a White Christmas," a clear reference to the party's colours.
Broken Promises and Union Allegations
The Conservative leader pressed her attack on the government's record, accusing Sir Keir of losing control. "He promised to bring down unemployment, it's up. He promised he wouldn't increase taxes, they're up. He promised to end the doctors' strike, they're on strike again," she listed.
Mrs Badenoch also challenged the Prime Minister to ban strikes by doctors, later taunting that "he doesn't have the baubles" to do so. She alleged that trade unions had not just bought him "for Christmas, they bought him for life."
In his defence on pubs, Sir Keir stated that temporary Covid relief had ended and highlighted a £4 billion transitional relief scheme, alongside other measures like creating hospitality zones and freezing rail fares.
The session concluded with SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn suggesting it would be Sir Keir's final Christmas in Downing Street, a claim the Prime Minister dismissed by referencing a £120 million government investment in Grangemouth.
