Sunak needs to act now to prevent a by-election horror show, or it'll be Tory voters calling him 'Inaction Man' - analysis by Millie Cooke
Rishi Sunak found himself on the backfoot on core Conservative Party issues at PMQs today
PA
Today's PMQs saw Keir Starmer press Rishi Sunak on small boat crossings, the cost of asylum seekers, terrorists escaping from prison and national security.
We saw the Leader of the opposition attack the PM on so many core Conservative topics that it has become hard to tell who is on which team.
"40,000 people have crossed the Channel on a small boat, and the taxpayer is now spending £6million a day on hotel bills", Starmer told the Commons.
"He is failing to stop terrorists strolling out of prison, failing to guard Britain against hostile actors, he has completely failed to stop the boats. How can anyone trust him to protect the country?"
Keir Starmer pressed Rishi Sunak on small boat crossings, the cost of asylum seekers, terrorists escaping from prison and national security.
PA
Taken out of context, you might have mistook Sir Keir Starmer for the leader of the Tory party.
These issues should be Sunak's bread and butter. They are meant to be his safe ground.
But the Prime Minister is on the backfoot on issues that once were the Conservative party's USP.
While Sunak put up a good fight today, he shouldn't be relying on an over-used Corbyn jab to back him up here.
More than 23,000 people have crossed the channel to reach UK shores since the Prime Minister promised to stop the boats. Yesterday the Immigration Attitudes tracker showed that more than two thirds of people are disappointed with the Government's handling of the issue.
Last week, terrorist Daniel Khalife broke out of Wandsworth prison, leaving the British public fearful and lacking in confidence in the UK prison system.
And over the weekend, it emerged that a parliamentary researcher had been arrested on suspicion of spying for China. Safe to say people weren't overly pleased about that either.
There is wide-sweeping exasperation from MPs and voters alike, who are wondering what their safe pair of hands Prime Minister can do if he can't even keep the country safe.
While it was Starmer who dubbed Sunak "inaction man" across the despatch box at PMQs, it seems like Tory MPs are increasingly inclined to agree.
More than 23,000 people have crossed the channel to reach UK shores since the Prime Minister promised to stop the boats
PA
With a double by-election on his hands in October, Sunak needs to start scoring some serious points on the issues traditional Conservative voters truly care about.
If he doesn't, they will start looking for somewhere else to go. And if today's PMQs showed us one thing, it's that Starmer is waiting in the wings to give them that alternative.