Kemi Badenoch takes on Keir Starmer in first PMQs as Tory leader TODAY amid Budget backlash and US election fallout

Kemi Badenoch is making her debut at PMQs today as Keir Starmer struggles with Budget backlash and the US election fallout.

The new Tory leader will take on Sir Keir for the first time in the Commons after signalling a more combative approach.

And she has a choice of topics amid fury at the Chancellors £40billion tax raid, while Donald Trumps stunning victory has also raised awkward issues for the premier.   

The clashes come after Ms Badenoch put the finishing touches to her shadow cabinet yesterday, drafting in figures from all wings of the party.

She has given Mel Stride the key Treasury brief and unveiled a stunning comeback for Priti Patel - who will be in charge of foreign affairs.

Meanwhile, defeated rival Robert Jenrick has agreed to become shadow justice secretary, and Chris Philp covering the Home Office. 

Close ally Laura Trott has responsibility for education, and Andrew Griffith the business portfolio. 

But there was nothing for another former leadership contender, Tom Tugendhat - who is understood to have said he did not want to be on the front bench. He joins James Cleverly, another contender, on the backbenches.

Kemi Badenoch is making her debut at PMQs today as Keir Starmer struggles with Budget backlash and the US election fallout

Kemi Badenoch gathered her shadow cabinet for the first time today as she moves to unite the Tories

The PMQs session comes amid a row over the Governments announcement that agricultural assets worth more than £1million will no longer be exempt from inheritance tax, which Opposition MPs have been calling on ministers to reverse.

From April 2026, a tax of 20 per cent will be raised on the value of inherited farming assets above the threshold.

While this still represents a tax relief compared to the standard rate, the move has sparked fury from farming unions who say it will destroy family farms and make the UK more reliant on imports.

Labour has also faced anger for imposing a massive national insurance increase after claiming during the election campaign that they had no intention of doing so.

Sir Keir insists he has stuck by a promise not to increase the burden on working people.

The full shadow cabinet line-up met yesterday morning, with Ms Badenoch underlining her determination to fix rifts in the party.

She said the process of renewing our great party has now begun. I am delighted to have appointed my Shadow Cabinet, which draws on the talents of people from across the Conservative Party, based on meritocracy and with a breadth of experience and perspective, just as I promised during the campaign, she said.

Ms Badenoch said: Our partys problems will only be solved with a team effort, and I am confident my Shadow Cabinet ministers will deliver effective opposition as we seek to win back the trust of the public.

We will now get to work holding Labour to account and rebuilding our party based on Conservative principles and values.

The process of renewing our great party has now begun.

However, Ms Badenochs task has been made more difficult by having a paltry 121 Tory MPs to draw on - and big beasts such as James Cleverly and Jeremy Hunt announcing that they would not serve. 

Veteran Mark Francois, a supporter of Mr Jenrick during the campaign, has been appointed as shadow defence minister.

Gagan Mohindra, who endorsed Mr Cleverly, becomes Deputy Chief Whip.

Kieran Mullan, who backed Ms Badenoch, is the new shadow justice minister.

Yesterday Ms Badenoch told Tory staffers that she believed the party could recover from the election drubbing in July in time to take on and beat Labour at the next election.

She told them we can turn this around in one term, a source said. 

The new leader told staff to focus on next Mays local council elections as the first target on the road to recovery.

A source said both Ms Patel and Mr Stride are experienced MPs who stood in the leadership contest and represent different wings of the Conservative Party.

The source argued that the appointments demonstrated Kemis desire to unite.

Victoria Atkins is understood to have requested a move from the health portfolio to environment because she wants to take the fight to Labour on their treatment of farmers. 

A friend of Ms Patel told MailOnline she was a great appointment. Theyve been chatting a fair bit and see eye-to-eye on a lot, they said. 

Rebecca Harris has been made chief whip, while Nigel Huddleston and Lord Dominic Johnson are joint party chairs. 

During the campaign Mr Jenrick criticised Ms Badenoch for a lack of policy.

Yesterday, she told staff that new policy positions would begin to emerge soon but said it was right to start with principles and the things that bind us as Conservatives together: freedom of speech, freedom of association, free enterprise, personal responsibility – what distinguishes us from all the parties of the Left who think more government is the answer to everything.

She urged staff to think again about the way the party approaches politics after its worst defeat in history.

She told them they dont have to do things the way theyve always been done, a source said.

Its time to try something different. She told them to let their creative juices flow.

Tory insiders said Mr Jenrick had accepted the justice job after tense negotiations over exactly what role he should play.

An ally said: Rob thinks the party needs to come together and take the fight to Labour. Unity could not be more important. Hes eager to expose Labours dreadful record on law and order.

The role will involve him discussing the impact of the European Convention on Human Rights, where he and the new leader had differing views during the election campaign.

She beat Mr Jenrick on Saturday by 53,806 votes to 41,388. 

The new leader has given Mel Stride the key Treasury brief and signalled a stunning comeback for Priti Patel - who will be covering foreign affairs

James Cleverly has ruled out serving on the new leaders front bench