Watch live: Keir Starmer faces PMQs grilling over China spy case

Watch live as Sir Keir Starmer and Kemi Badenoch face off in Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday (15 October).

It is the first time the pair will battle it out in front of fellow MPs following Parliament’s party conference recess, which began on 13 September.

The prime minister will likely take a grilling from the leader of the opposition over the government’s role in the bungled China spying case, which involved two men who were accused of espionage on behalf of the Chinese government. They have since had the charges against them dropped.

Sir Keir and his government have clashed with the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), after No 10 accused the agency of having blocked the publication of a crucial witness statement.

The CPS insisted it was entirely up to the government to release the evidence if it wanted to.

Badenoch wrote to the PM on Sunday (12 October), asking him to address “unanswered” questions about the case, whilst accusing Sir Keir of “being too weak to stand up to Beijing”.

Debate is also likely to focus on the Gaza ceasefire plan, which came into effect last week. On Tuesday (14 October), the PM gave a speech after attending the Sharm el-Sheikh summit.

He said that the UK was able to work “behind the scenes” for a ceasefire “precisely because of the approach this Government takes, such as its recognition of a Palestinian state. Badenoch had previously said that recognising Palestine without setting a condition for the release of hostages was “rewarding terrorism”.

Rachel Reeves’ upcoming budget is also likely to be a talking point, after the Chancellor admitted that she will be looking at “tax and spending” to plug the black hole of between £20billion and £30billion in the public finances.