Kemi Badenoch made a statement in the Commons this afternoon on updated business and trade statistics. To cries of “hear hear” from the Tory benches she spelled out some the UK’s trading achievements since Brexit, which include:

• Services exports reaching an all time high – exports in general now being 2% above 2018 when adjusted for inflation.
• Manufacturing productivity growing at a higher rate than Germany, France, Italy, and the USA.
• The UK becoming the world’s fourth biggest exporter in 2022.
• European firms doubling down on the UK. Unilever, Cadbury, and Shell have moved production to the UK.
• Since 2022, removing trade barriers worth £1 million every hour.
• Reducing the EU share of UK exports from 60% to 47%. That’s not because their volume fell – exports to non-EU countries just rose by 70% in real terms…

News that good was clearly too much for Labour to handle, and as soon as Kemi stood up, they all ran away. Leaving the opposition backbenches empty…

Julian Lewis and Badenoch had a bit of fun, the former noting that “there appear to be eight times as many people sitting on our front bench as on the entirety of the Labour backbenches – does she take that as a vote of confidence in the government’s positive message?” Badenoch came right back:

“It’s clear that Labour don’t like good news because as soon as there is any they exit the chamber unless they absolutely have to be here… the Honourable lady is blushing because she knows she knows it is true…“

If you can’t hack the heat, get out of the kitchen…