Prime Ministers Questions
Catch-up
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Jim Shannon (DUP) says the Northern Ireland protocol is affecting the availability of Covid tests in Northern Ireland.
Johnson says there is an economic cost to the protocol, which is turning into a political problem. He says the government must rectify that before it undermines the Good Friday agreement.
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Caroline Lucas (Green) says 56 MPs are being investigated for sexual misconduct, including three ministers. Is sexual misconduct grounds for removal under the ministerial code?
PM Johnson says of course sexual harassment is grounds for dismissal.
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Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, the DUP leader, says the cost of moving goods from Britain to Northern Ireland has gone up by 27% under the Northern Ireland protocol. Will it be removed?
PM says the government wants to support the Good Friday agreement.
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SNP Ian Blackford – ‘Kids depending on food parcels’
Blackford asks about the number of kids depending on food parcels. He says the PM should match the child payment administered by the Scottish government.
PM says the govt is taking steps to help families.
Blackford says other measures that might help with the cost of living would include abandoning the national insurance hike and increasing benefits.
PM says the universal credit taper has been reduced, helping poorer families. And he would not bet on Blackford staying in his post longer than he stays in his.
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Cost of living crisis plan
Starmer says vote for Labour next week as a vote will make things better not worse for working people.
PM says Starmer is “doomed to be a permanent spectator”. He says he has a plan for the NHS and social care, for immigration, for the economy.
He says Labour does not have plans for these things and criticises Labour councils that went bankrupt.
He claims the Labour party left the UK bankrupt in 2010.
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Starmer says PM’s cost of living crisis plan is cutting MOT tests. It makes the cones hotline [a much-mocked John Major initiative] sound visionary and inspirational,” he says.
PM repeats the govt is supporting people and says they will build a nuclear power plant every year.
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PM speaking “incoherently” and dodging questions
Starmer says this must be the Oxford University debating skills we have heard about (in the Mail on Sunday article) – ignoring the question, responding “incoherently”. He says the UK is the only country putting up taxes in the G7.
PM talks about the increase in the national insurance threshold. And says “the party of Bevan” should support more money for the NHS.
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On the cost of living crisis – Starmer asks PM if denying the facts makes things worse or better?
PM says UK had the fastest growth in the G7 last year. That wouldn’t happen under Labour, he says there are 500,000 more people in paid employment now than before the pandemic began. PM says under Labour youth unemployment rose.
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‘Why are you mismanaging the economy’? – asks Starmer
Sir Keir Starmer starts by acknowledging the Angela Rayner story and says there is no place for sexism in Boris Johnson’s govt or modern Britain. He asks the PM if he agrees that there is no place for misogyny, or for looking down on people on the basis of where they come.
Starmer goes on to add the UK is set for the slowest growth in the G7. Why is Johnson mismanaging the economy?
On Angela Rayner, the PM says MPs should treat each other with respect and he acknowledged he texted with Rayner following the Mail on Sunday article.
On the economy, the PM says all countries are having problems and he repeats his classic claim that the UK would still be in lockdown if Labour was in power.
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PMQs starts
PM Boris Johnson says this is the final PMQs of this session. He says more than 20 acts of parliament have been passed including the national insurance threshold increase – which is the largest single tax cut for a decade.
He fails to mention that overall taxes are also rising to their highest level for decades.
He is focusing on delivering the people’s priorities, he says. “And there is plenty more to come in the Queen’s speech on 10 May.
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You’ll be able to watch all the action via a live stream on this page.
Or Follow along with our LIVE text updates
