Rishi says he can’t give Olympians advice on winning ahead of Starmer’s first PMQs

Rishi Sunak has said he won’t try to give Team GB any advice on winning, as he took on Keir Starmer for the Labour leader’s first ever session of Prime Minister’s Questions.

The former PM, who will stay on as Conservative leader until November while his party searches for a replacement, won a pantomimic chorus of sympathy from his fellow MPs for the self-deprecating joke.

Echoing support from Starmer for Brits heading to Paris this week, he said: ‘I also join the prime minister in his warm words about our Olympic athletes.

‘I’ve no doubt that after years of training, focus and dedication, they’ll bring back many gold medals – although, to be honest, I’m probably not the first person they’ll want to hear advice from on how to win.’

His first questions to the prime minister as leader of the opposition focused largely on national defence and the UK’s support for Ukraine.

In stark contrast to some of the testier clashes between the two men over the past two years, Sunak focused largely on matters where Labour and the Tories agree, including the need to guard against the threat from Russia.

It took Stephen Flynn, the Westminster leader of the SNP, to inject energy into Starmer’s first PMQs with a question on the two-child benefits cap.

He asked about an interview with Gordon Brown which was published by Scottish newspaper the Daily Record a few days before the election, in which the former prime minister urged people to vote Labour to end child poverty.

Last night, Labour MPs were told not to vote for an SNP amendment which said ending the two-child cap – seen by campaigners as one of the biggest contributors to poverty in families with children – should have been included in the King’s speech last week.

Seven MPs, including several who were in Jeremy Corbyn’s shadow cabinet, were suspended from the party after they chose to ignore that order.

Flynn asked: ‘Prime minister, what changed?’

Starmer responded: ‘I’m glad he mentioned Gordon Brown, because the last Labour government lifted millions of children out of poverty – something we’re really, really proud of.

‘And this government will approach the question with the same vigour, with our new taskforce.

‘Already, we’ve taken steps: breakfast clubs, abolishing no-fault evictions, decent home standards.’

Flynn was later told off by Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle for brandishing a printed copy of the Daily Record’s front page featuring the interview. MPs are not allowed to use props in the chamber.

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