See more Daily Mail on Google - save us as a Preferred SourceBy GREG HEFFER, POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT Published: 14:10 BST, 24 June 2026 | Updated: 16:07 BST, 24 June 2026
Kemi Badenoch was today involved in a furious dust-up with Labour's Bridget Phillipson after she branded the Education Secretary a 'spiteful class warrior'.The Tory leader and Ms Phillipson exchanged angry words when they left the House of Commons chamber following Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday.With temperatures soaring outside as Britain's heatwave continues, tempers were also revealed to have grown hot inside Parliament.It came after Mrs Badenoch targeted a slew of Cabinet ministers in her first Commons exchanges with Sir Keir since he announced his resignation as Prime Minister.During PMQs, Mrs Badenoch referred to Ms Phillipson as a 'spiteful class warrior' for imposing VAT on private school fees.She also hit out at Chancellor Rachel Reeves for letting the PM down, and Energy Secretary Ed Miliband for 'treachery' towards Sir Keir.Sources revealed the angry exchanges continued after Mrs Badenoch left the chamber, with the Tory leader said to have been involved in a stand up row with both Ms Phillipson and Science Secretary Liz Kendall.A Tory source said Ms Phillipson 'aimed a barb at Kemi' following PMQs, to which Mrs Badenoch shot back: 'I will fight you all the way, you're destroying children's lives'. Kemi Badenoch was involved in a furious dust-up with Labour's Bridget Phillipson after she branded the Education Secretary 'spiteful' Sources said the Tory leader was involved in a stand up row with both Ms Phillipson (right) and Science Secretary Liz KendallBut a source close to the Education Secretary said this was a 'confected' account of the row, adding: 'That is not what she said.'They said Ms Phillipson and Ms Kendall were in the Commons division lobby to vote in a deferred division when Ms Kendall confronted Mrs Badenoch over her 'outrageous' comments at PMQs.The Tory leader is then claimed to have ignored Ms Kendall while turning to Ms Phillipson and saying: 'You are spiteful, I'm never going to stop talking about how spiteful you are.'The source added the Education Secretary then replied to Mrs Badenoch: 'The public are going to find out who you really are.'During PMQs, Speaker Lindsay Hoyle asked for a 'little bit more decorum and respect' after Mrs Badenoch called the Education Secretary a 'spiteful class warrior'.The Tory source said Sir Lindsay's intervention was over Mrs Badenoch telling the Labour benches: 'They don't like it up them'.But the source close to Ms Phillipson insisted the Speaker had been forced to interrupt due to Mrs Badenoch's language in reference to the Education Secretary.They added: 'The Tories are lying.'During PMQs, Mrs Badenoch said of Ms Phillipson: 'She taxed private schools to pay for more teachers, but the number of teachers has gone down.'It turns out appointing a spiteful class warrior as Education Secretary was a disaster.'The row between Mrs Badenoch and Ms Phillipson continued on social media later on Wednesday, with the Education Secretary posting on X: 'Kemi lost her head at PMQs - and afterwards too.'It's not the first time. She's compared me to a Gestapo officer.'I wonder what it is about a working class woman driving record investment in state schools by ending private schools' tax breaks that the Tories hate so much.'In reply to Ms Phillipson, Mrs Badenoch posted: 'I grew up on a council estate' is not an excuse for failure.'You are sacrificing the future of generations of kids on the altar of your class envy -reversing even Labour's academy reforms.'0% of teachers think you're doing a great job. I'm not here to give you a pat on the back. I speak for those people whose lives you're destroying and I'll NEVER stop speaking up for them.'A spokesman for Mrs Badenoch said she would 'absolutely not' apologise for the language she used in PMQs, adding: 'This was about a Cabinet which has let him down, about a group of Labour MPs who have let him down and now they've got rid of him.'
