There was an almighty crunching sound mid-way through Prime Minister’s Questions that, by my reckoning, was audible across the nation. It was the moment that Kemi Badenoch grabbed Sir Keir Starmer by the goolies and squeezed.
Blasting Sir Keir as a “weather vane who twists in the wind” the Tory leader then delivered her coup de gras as she said he “doesn’t have the balls” to express his views on gender.
The remark drew gasps, winces, cheers, jeers and laughter in equal measure.
It must be the first time in the 125-year lifespan of the Daily Express that we have reported on the Prime Minister being accused of lacking genitalia.
Bravo Mrs Badeonoch.
Her onslaught came after the Labour leader’s U-turn on his views about transgender women, who he now says aren’t women because the Supreme Court has said so.
To clarify, Sir Keir, when in opposition, had said “trans women are women” and that “99.9%” of women haven’t got a penis.
He had also been critical of Rosie Duffield, who quit the Labour party last year, over her views on trans people, saying she was “not right” to say only women have a cervix.
So his views are perfectly, consistently clear.
Anyway, back to the action in the House of Commons and the first PMQs since the Easter holidays.
It was a barnstorming performance from Mrs Badenoch, easily her best as Tory leader, and one that left the Prime Minister dizzy on his feet.
He tried to hit back by bringing up the small matter of Robert Jenrick who has reignited a row over whether the Tories should do an election deal with Nigel Farage.
A recording of the shadow justice secretary, who was absent from the chamber – perhaps wisely judging by the mood his boss was in – has surfaced of him telling students about his wish to create a “coalition” between Tories and Reform UK before the next general election.
Allies of Mrs Badenoch’s one-time leadership rival – and the person who some believe could replace her as leader – insist he was talking about voters, not parties.
Farage and co were having none of it, waving away Starmer. The Tory leader was certainly having none of it, squeezing the PM harder on gender and ordering to apologise to women across the country and Ms Duffield who was sat on the backbenches.
As Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle brought matters to a close there were shouts of “well done Kemi” from the Tory troops.
Sir Keir traipsed, somewhat gingerly, out of the Chamber.