Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch engaged in a fiery final Prime Minister's Questions clash of 2025 on Wednesday, 17 December, before MPs depart for the Christmas recess.
NHS Strikes and Legislative Wins Dominate Debate
The session in the House of Commons was dominated by the ongoing five-day strike by NHS resident doctors, which began at 7am that morning. The industrial action, organised by the British Medical Association (BMA), follows the rejection of the government's latest pay offer and could see up to half of the medical workforce in England walk out.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting has been locked in a war of words with the BMA, a conflict that Ms Badenoch was expected to raise at the despatch box. Hospitals are grappling with the dual pressure of the strike and a seasonal surge in flu cases, leading to likely cancellations of non-urgent appointments.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Starmer was poised to highlight a significant legislative victory. Labour's flagship Employment Rights Bill finally passed the House of Lords on Tuesday evening, paving the way for a major expansion of workers' rights to become law before the Christmas break.
Major Brexit Policy Reversal Announced
In a major pre-PMQs announcement, the government confirmed a landmark reversal of a key Brexit decision. The UK will rejoin the European Union's Erasmus+ student exchange programme.
This move means British students will once again be able to study at universities across Europe, a opportunity lost since the UK's departure from the EU. The government estimates that more than 100,000 people in the UK could benefit from the scheme in 2027 alone, which will be the first full year of its renewed operation.
Final Clash Before the Recess
This session represented the last opportunity for Ms Badenoch to directly question the Prime Minister before MPs break up for the two-week Commons recess, which begins on Thursday, 18 December. The clash caps off a year of political jousting between the two leaders, setting the stage for the political battles expected in 2026.
The combination of the acute NHS crisis and the symbolic return to a European programme ensured that this final PMQs of 2025 was a heated and consequential encounter, reflecting the major domestic and post-Brexit challenges facing the government.
