Kemi Badenoch has accused Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer of repeatedly misleading Parliament over national security issues connected to Peter Mandelson's appointment.
Speaking to GB News, the Tory leader claimed security concerns were raised about Peter Mandelson, but Sir Keir pressured officials to proceed with the appointment regardless.
"When it all blew up, sacked everybody else that he possibly could to try and cover for himself," she said.
The Tory leader alleged that requested documents remain unreleased after two months, with even Intelligence and Security Committee members reportedly unable to access materials they require.
"He says things that are not true, he refuses to answer, he's evasive," Mrs Badenoch stated, describing her weekly attempts to question the Prime Minister as consistently unproductive.
Mrs Badenoch is pushing for the Privileges Committee to examine whether Sir Keir deceived Parliament, arguing she is simply applying the same standards the Prime Minister once demanded of his predecessors.
"This is a much more significant issue because it is of national security than the things which he was accusing previous prime ministers of misleading parliament on," she told GB News.
The Conservative leader questioned why Labour MPs are being instructed to vote against any investigation into the matter.
Kemi Badenoch has launched a scathing attack on Keir Starmer amid calls to face a parliamentary probe
|GB NEWS / REUTERS
"What are they so scared of? What is it that Labour MPs are so terrified of, that they are now being whipped into voting for people not to look into this issue at all?" she asked.
Should Sir Keir believe himself innocent, Mrs Badenoch argued, the committee's findings would vindicate him.
Mrs Badenoch framed the dispute as a fundamental constitutional matter, emphasising that the Prime Minister must answer to Parliament.
"Yes, the public can give a verdict at election time, but if we don't tell them what's going on, what are they giving a verdict on?" she said.
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Keir Starmer is set to face crunch a vote on Tuesday over claims he misled MPs
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The opposition leader accused Sir Keir of hypocrisy, noting his willingness to see others face consequences while resisting scrutiny himself.
"Keir Starmer is very happy for other people to face justice. He's very happy for other people to lose their jobs," Mrs Badenoch stated.
She added that the Prime Minister supports imprisoning people for minor offences yet refuses accountability when questions turn to his own conduct.
"That is not fair. It is my job to hold him to account and I'm going to do that job," she declared.
Mrs Badenoch told GB News that Keir Starmer is 'very happy for other people to face justice'
|GB NEWS
Mrs Badenoch also criticised the Prime Minister for failing to publish his defence investment plan, suggesting the he lacks genuine commitment to military matters.
"He's not that interested in defence, despite all of the grandstanding that he's doing on the international stage," she said.
The Conservative leader claimed the Government is redirecting funds away from the armed forces to cover welfare costs, specifically citing the decision to lift the two child benefit cap.
"That's £3.5billion that could be used to fund more troops," Mrs Badenoch concluded.