Kemi Badenoch makes her PMQ debut today as Keir Starmer grapples with budget backlash and fallout from the US election.

The new Conservative leader will face Sir Keir for the first time in the Commons after announcing a more combative approach.

And she has her choice of topics amid fury over the chancellor’s £40bn tax raid, while Donald Trump’s resounding victory has also raised tricky questions for the prime minister.

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

She handed Mel Stride the key Treasury mandate and unveiled a splashy return for Priti Patel – who will be in charge of foreign affairs.

Meanwhile, his defeated rival Robert Jenrick agreed to become shadow justice secretary, and Chris Philp took charge of the Home Office.

A close ally, Laura Trott, is responsible for education and Andrew Griffith for the business portfolio.

But there was nothing for another former leadership contender, Tom Tugendhat – who reportedly said he did not want to be in the front row. He joins James Cleverly, another contender, on the backbenches.

Kemi Badenoch makes her PMQ debut today as Keir Starmer grapples with budget backlash and fallout from the US election.

Kemi Badenoch brought together her shadow cabinet for the first time today as she strives to unite the Tories.

The PMQs session comes amid a row over the Government’s announcement that agricultural assets worth more than £1million will no longer be exempt from inheritance tax, something MPs in the The opposition called on ministers to cancel.

From April 2026, a 20 percent tax will be increased on the value of inherited agricultural assets above the threshold.

While this still represents a tax break from the standard rate, the move has sparked fury from farming unions who say it would destroy family farms and make the UK more dependent on imports.

Labor also faced anger for pushing through a massive increase in national insurance after claiming during the election campaign that it had no intention of doing so.

Sir Keir insists he has kept his promise not to increase the burden on “working people”.

The full line-up of the shadow cabinet met yesterday morning, with Ms Badenoch emphasizing her determination to heal divisions within 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 extensive experience and perspective, as I promised during the campaign ” she said.

Ms Badenoch said: “Our party’s problems will only be solved through a team effort, and I am confident that my shadow cabinet ministers will provide effective opposition as we seek to regain the public’s trust.

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

“The process of renewing our great party has now begun.”

However, Ms Badenoch’s task was made more difficult by having to rely on a measly 121 Tory MPs – and big beasts such as James Cleverly and Jeremy Hunt announcing they would not serve.

Veteran Mark Francois, a supporter of Mr Jenrick during the campaign, was appointed shadow defense minister.

Gagan Mohindra, who supported Mr Cleverly, becomes deputy chief whip.

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

Ms Badenoch told Conservative staffers yesterday she believed the party could recover from July’s election in time to take on and beat Labor at the next election.

“She told them we could turn things around in one term,” one source said.

The new leader asked staff to focus on next May’s municipal elections as the first goal on the road to recovery.

A source said Ms Patel and Mr Stride are “experienced MPs” who took part in the leadership race and “represent different wings of the Conservative Party”.

The source argued that these appointments “demonstrated Kemi’s desire to unite.”

Victoria Atkins has reportedly asked to move from the health portfolio to the environment portfolio because she wants to “take the fight to Labor” over the treatment of farmers.

A friend of Ms Patel told MailOnline it was a ‘great’ date. “They talked a lot and often agreed,” they said.

Rebecca Harris has been appointed chief whip, while Nigel Huddleston and Lord Dominic Johnson are co-chairs of the party.

During the campaign, Mr Jenrick criticized Ms Badenoch for her lack of politics.

Yesterday, she told staff that new policy positions would begin to emerge “soon” but said it was right to “start with the principles and things that unite us as conservatives: free speech, freedom of association, free enterprise, personal responsibility…” which sets us apart from all the left-wing parties who think more government is the answer to everything.”

She urged staff to rethink how the party approaches politics after its worst defeat in history.

“She told them they don’t have to do things the way they’ve always done them,” a source said.

“It’s time to try something different.” She told them to let their creativity run wild.

Conservative insiders said Mr Jenrick accepted the judgeship after tense negotiations over exactly what role he should play.

One ally said: “Rob thinks the party needs to come together and take the fight to Labour. Unity couldn’t be more important. He is eager to expose Labour’s terrible record on law and order.

The role will require him to discuss the impact of the European Convention on Human Rights, on which he and the new leader had divergent views during the election campaign.

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

New leader handed Mel Stride key Treasury remit and announced stunning return for Priti Patel – who will cover foreign affairs

James Cleverly has ruled out sitting on the new leader’s bench