PMQs returns today: What to expect as MPs return to the House
At a glance – PMQs today
- Govt reshuffle: Suella Braverman out, David Cameron in (despite not being an MP)
- Suella Braverman’s scathing letter to the PM calling him a ‘weak’ leader
- Supreme Court rules Rwanda plan unlawful
- Labaour’s turmoil over wanting to call for a Gaza ceasefire
- UK inflation dramatic drop – Govt ahead of target
PMQs return this week after parliament was prorogued for two weeks. But politics didn’t stop in that time – and a lot happened.
What time is PMQs today?
PMQs begins at the usual time of 12 noon, and the session will last for about half an hour. You can watch PMQs live on the UK Parliament YouTube channel.
What should we expect from PMQs?
PM Rishi Sunak will face Labour’s Sir Keir Starmer at noon on Wednesday.
It will be the first time the House can question the PM since he sacked Suella Braverman and bought David Cameron into his Cabinetas foreign secretary (controversially as Cameron is not an elected MP but was made a Lord – Cameron, therefore, cannot be questioned in the Commons).
The dramatic Cabinet reshuffle along with today’s Supreme Court ruling that the government’s plans to send migrants to Rwanda is illegal will undoubtedly be top of the agenda.
Along with Suella getting the sack and James Cleverly taking her former job as home secretary, the reshuffle also saw Victoria Atkins promoted to Health Secretary, Steve Barclay appointed Environment Secretary, and Esther McVey also returned to the Cabinet.
Labour’s Angela Rayner said the appointment of Lord Cameron shows the Tories are “out of ideas” and his return was also criticised by the Tory right.
Despite being booted out, Braverman continues to cause chaos for the PM. In a scathing letter yesterday she accused the PM of being ‘weak’ and ‘betrayal.’
Braverman’s letter will likely be a major point for Sir Keir this session.
Braverman accused the PM of having “manifestly and repeatedly failed to deliver” on key policies, adding: “Either your distinctive style of government means you are incapable of doing so. Or, as I must surely conclude now, you never had any intention of keeping your promises.”
She said his leadership has led the Conservatives to “record election defeats” and that his “resets have failed and we are running out of time”.
The PM will want to take attention away from the letter, the reshuffle and Rwanda and look at the news that inflation has fallen to 4.6%. It means the government is on track to halve the inflation rate by the end of the year – as long as it does not rise in November or December.
The PM may also use Labour’s internal issues over the party’s stance on Israel’s bombardment of Gaza against him.
Councillors have quit the party over Sir Keir’s refusal to call a ceasefire.