Kemi Badenoch hit out at Lord Hermer’s defence of Gerry Adams and Shamima Begum, while Sir Keir Starmer criticised Lord Wolfson for Roman Abramovich
January 7, 2026 15:47
The legal records of Attorney General Lord Hermer and his shadow, Lord Wolfson, both of whom are Jewish, featured heavily at Prime Minister’s Questions today.
Kemi Badenoch and Sir Keir Starmer started PMQs by exchanging barbs on international relations and defence, following US President Trump’s threats to annex Greenland from Denmark and the prime minister’s recent attendance at a summit of world leaders in support of Ukraine.
Badenoch attacked Starmer’s record on defence spending and asked: “In what year will the UK spend three per cent of GDP on defence?”
She also questioned his commitment to Nato, on the basis that he had served in Jeremy Corbyn’s shadow cabinet – “a man who said we shouldn't even be in Nato at all”.
The prime minister hit back, accusing the Conservatives of presenting an “unfunded plan” ahead of the last general election and attacking the party’s record in government.
“Ben Wallace, who was on the radio this morning, the longest serving Conservative defence secretary, admitted that on their watch, the armed services had been, in his words, ‘hollowed out’,” said Starmer.
Turning his attention to Badenoch’s shadow cabinet, Starmer singled out Wolfson for criticism.
“She has in her shadow cabinet a shadow attorney general who is advising [former Chelsea FC owner Roman] Abramovich at the same time as we are imposing sanctions on Russia and trying to use that money [from the sale of Chelsea] to support Ukraine,” he went on.
"How can someone sit in her shadow cabinet advising someone trying to escape sanctions and pretend that their policy is to support us on sanctions?”
Wolfson is acting for Abramovich in an ongoing legal proceeding in Jersey, unrelated to the Russian-Israeli businessman’s role at Chelsea.
However, Badenoch launched a staunch defence of her shadow cabinet colleague.
“Let me start by talking about the shadow attorney general,” she retorted.
"Do they know what the shadow attorney general is doing? He is defending veterans, pro bono, against the actions of this government. On this side of the house, Mr Speaker, we will defend those who defended us”.
Wolfson is currently acting in a case assessing the legality of legislation relating to the conflict in Northern Ireland, the outcome of which could determine whether veterans can be prosecuted for alleged criminality during their service.
Badenoch then launched an attack on Hermer, the attorney general, who in the past acted for Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams and for human rights group Liberty on behalf of “Isis bride” Shamima Begum.
“Why don't we talk about the actual attorney general who is sitting in cabinet?” she asked.
"The man who defended Gerry Adams, the man who is trying to bring Shamima Begum back into the country, the man who is helping to surrender the Chagos Islands. I will take our shadow attorney general every day of the week against his attorney general”.
Starmer, a former director of public prosecutions, responded: “Of course, I accept that lawyers have to represent all sorts of clients”.
“The question is whether the shadow attorney general can sit in the shadow cabinet when the party opposite says it supports us on sanctions. We want the money from Chelsea Football Club to go to Ukraine. I'm not sure whether that's her position.
"If it is her position, presumably, it's something they discuss in the shadow cabinet, advised by a shadow attorney general, who is representing the very man whose money we want to send to Ukraine. If she can’t see the conflict of interest in that, then she shows no judgment and no leadership at all.”
Later in the day, Wolfson accused the prime minister of being “wrong” in some of the claims he made about him. In a post on X he stated there was no difference of opinion between the government’s stated positions on Ukraine.
Wolfson said: “The proceeds of sale of Chelsea FC are held in the UK. The Government says that the proceeds of sale of Chelsea FC should go to humanitarian causes in Ukraine. The Opposition agrees. There is nothing between us on this issue”,
The shadow arttorney general went on: “As Leader of the Opposition, you said:
‘Lawyers represent clients. Doctors treat patients. The fact a doctor treats a patient doesn't mean the doctor agrees with what the patient's beliefs are.’
“You said you wanted to "turn a corner" in 2026, but instead you seem to have turned your back on the views you used to hold dear.”
Reiterating her backing of Wolfson, Badenoch reposted his comments, and wrote: “I’m not allowed to say it in Parliament, but I can here: today the prime minister lied and lied and lied again. And he did so to smear a man defending our veterans in court against the Labour government.”
She continued: “I’m proud to have David in my team. He doesn’t deserve to have his name smeared by low-rent politicians trying to distract from their own failures. What little integrity the prime minister held he surrendered with that shameful performance today.”
Earlier in their exchanges in Parliament, Badenoch said that the Conservatives would back the Government’s “efforts to help bring peace to Ukraine” and would “work with him to ensure Nato remains the bedrock of our security”.
But she said they could not “write a blank cheque when he is also surrendering the Chagos Islands, surrendering our veterans to lawfare and surrendering to his back benchers by prioritising welfare handouts over defence spending”.
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