Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch has said that she “feels sorry” for Keir Starmer over the way he was treated by Labour MPs. In an interview with Politico today, the Leader of the Opposition argued that “the vast majority of those Labour MPs would not be there if he was not there to hold that Ming vase to victory.”

However, Badenoch noted that the PM had been “deeply, deeply unpleasant” towards her when she became leader of the Opposition. She argued that those suggesting she was “being mean” to Starmer in the wake of his resignation should “watch some of those PMQs where he was cock of the walk and now he’s a feather duster”.

The new comments mark a shift in tone between the two leaders, who have frequently clashed since Badenoch became Conservative leader in 2024. That same year, Starmer claimed Badenoch was the “champion” of an open-borders experiment, referencing the high levels of migration while she was a Conservative MP in Boris Johnson’s government. In 2018, Badenoch praised previous Conservative governments for removing limits on work visas and changes to make it easier for international students to remain in the UK after graduation.

The pair later clashed at PMQs in January 2025, after Badenoch called for a national inquiry into grooming gangs. Starmer rejected the demand, arguing that victims wanted action rather than another inquiry. However, in June of that year, the Prime Minister announced a national inquiry into the gangs following recommendations from Baroness Casey’s review.

In the wake of Starmer’s resignation late last month, Badenoch claimed that he had been a “terrible prime minister”, citing the increase in National Insurance contributions and a failure to implement effective welfare reform. The Conservative leader then claimed in Prime Minister’s Questions shortly after Starmer resigned that he had “400 knives” in his back and that Labour MPs were “traitors and deserters”. Speaker Lindsay Hoyle subsequently warned Badenoch over her language.

Speaking to Politico about the incident, the Conservative leader said that “a lot worse was said in Parliament” before debates were televised, and that “what we need is politicians with thicker skin who can deal with real problems, not politicians who complain about hurty words.”