Chancellor Rishi Sunak has accused Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis of attempting to "grandstand" over the Elgin Marbles. During Prime Minister's Questions, Sunak defended the decision to cancel a planned meeting between the two leaders at the last minute. He stated that while the UK is always open to discussing important matters with its allies, the purpose of the meeting was to grandstand and revisit past issues rather than address substantive topics.
Sunak calls out grandstanding
Sunak emphasized that the UK is willing to engage in discussions on significant matters such as tackling illegal migration and strengthening security. However, when a meeting's purpose was to grandstand and rehash past issues rather than focus on the future, it was deemed inappropriate. Sunak also expressed the importance of keeping commitments once they are made.
Labour leader criticizes PM
Sir Keir Starmer took the opportunity to criticize the Prime Minister for walking away from talks. He accused Sunak of having "lost his marbles" and questioned why he would choose small politics over discussing serious issues with a NATO member and important economic ally like Greece.
Migration and political jabs
Sir Keir also criticized Sunak for failing to bring down migration numbers. Recent statistics reveal that 740,000 people moved to Britain last year. Sir Keir took a jab at the Greek drama unfolding in Westminster and referenced Home Secretary James Cleverly's recent derogatory comment about an MP, suggesting that everything Sunak touches turns to a similar outcome.
Tory MP accuses Labour of opening floodgates
In the House of Commons, veteran Tory MP Sir John Hayes accused Labour of wanting to open the floodgates to millions more migrants, which would overwhelm struggling public services. He expressed his belief that having 1.3 million migrants over a two-year period would be catastrophic for Britain and criticized those who opposed the Prime Minister's "stop the boats campaign" as guilt-ridden bourgeois liberals and greed-driven globalists.
