PMQs: Poppy Chaos and Miscounted Questions
With both Keir Starmer and Kemi Badenoch away, this week’s Prime Minister’s Questions turned into an unusually chaotic session for both parties. Deputy leaders took the stage, marking a historic moment and a heated exchange over asylum policy.
Deputies Take the Lead
Prime Minister Keir Starmer was attending the COP 30 climate summit in Brazil, leaving Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Secretary David Lammy to stand in. For the Conservatives, the less familiar Shadow Defence Secretary James Cartlidge represented the opposition.
Lammy became the first Black politician to answer Prime Minister’s Questions on behalf of the government—an event widely noted across Westminster.
Focus on Asylum Policy
James Cartlidge dedicated all six of his questions to asylum and immigration issues. He opened with a focus on the controversy surrounding an Epping hotel and the mishandled release of Ethiopian migrant Hadush Kebatu.
The Epping Hotel Case
Kebatu, who arrived in the UK by small boat in June, was housed in the Bell Hotel in Epping. In July, he was arrested and charged with sexually assaulting a teenage girl. His arrest triggered anti-immigration protests, and local authorities sought to prevent further use of the hotel for asylum accommodation.
By September, Kebatu had been sentenced to 12 months in prison. However, on 24 October he was mistakenly released, prompting a police manhunt.
“He has since been re-arrested and deported to Ethiopia.”
Political Fallout
The exchange underscored the government’s struggles to manage the asylum backlog and maintain confidence in its border and justice systems. Both sides left the chamber with little clarity but considerable political bruising.
Author Summary
Deputy PM David Lammy made history at a disorderly PMQs, as debate over a botched asylum case exposed ongoing government tension on immigration control.