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| Food banks are not photo ops for Tory MPs, Corbyn tells May | Food banks are not photo ops for Tory MPs, Corbyn tells May |
| (about 1 month later) | |
| Jeremy Corbyn has accused Conservative MPs of treating food banks as “a photo opportunity” as he used prime minister’s questions to break away from the debate on Brexit to castigate the government on poverty. | Jeremy Corbyn has accused Conservative MPs of treating food banks as “a photo opportunity” as he used prime minister’s questions to break away from the debate on Brexit to castigate the government on poverty. |
| The Labour leader used all his questions to press Theresa May on what he said was an urgent crisis caused by austerity and the rollout of universal credit, which he said had been highlighted in a damning report last month by the UN rapporteur on poverty. | The Labour leader used all his questions to press Theresa May on what he said was an urgent crisis caused by austerity and the rollout of universal credit, which he said had been highlighted in a damning report last month by the UN rapporteur on poverty. |
| How dare these Conservative MPs make festive visits to food-banks? | Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett | How dare these Conservative MPs make festive visits to food-banks? | Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett |
| Pointing to statistics showing rising use of food banks, Corbyn highlighted a series of visits by Conservative MPs to food banks in recent days, which were often promoted via social media. | Pointing to statistics showing rising use of food banks, Corbyn highlighted a series of visits by Conservative MPs to food banks in recent days, which were often promoted via social media. |
| “The Trussell Trust has also pointed out that food banks face record demand this December,” he said. “I just gently say to her and the members behind her: food banks are not just a photo opportunity for Conservative MPs, all of whom supported the cuts in benefits that have led to the poverty in this country.” | “The Trussell Trust has also pointed out that food banks face record demand this December,” he said. “I just gently say to her and the members behind her: food banks are not just a photo opportunity for Conservative MPs, all of whom supported the cuts in benefits that have led to the poverty in this country.” |
| May responded by saying the government rejected the UN report, and dismissed Corbyn’s call for a halt to universal credit, which critics say is causing people to go into debt or deprivation through delayed payments. | May responded by saying the government rejected the UN report, and dismissed Corbyn’s call for a halt to universal credit, which critics say is causing people to go into debt or deprivation through delayed payments. |
| The prime minister faced a series of exchanges on Brexit later in PMQs, notably from the Scottish National party’s Westminster leader, Ian Blackford. | The prime minister faced a series of exchanges on Brexit later in PMQs, notably from the Scottish National party’s Westminster leader, Ian Blackford. |
| Blackford was reprimanded by the Speaker, John Bercow, for intimating that May had been dishonest with MPs over the government’s legal advice on Brexit, which was released on Wednesday after a Commons motion found ministers in contempt of parliament for refusing to do so. | Blackford was reprimanded by the Speaker, John Bercow, for intimating that May had been dishonest with MPs over the government’s legal advice on Brexit, which was released on Wednesday after a Commons motion found ministers in contempt of parliament for refusing to do so. |
| “Since the prime minister returned from Brussels with the deal, the prime minister has been misleading the house, inadvertently or otherwise,” Blackford said. | “Since the prime minister returned from Brussels with the deal, the prime minister has been misleading the house, inadvertently or otherwise,” Blackford said. |
| This brought an intervention from Bercow, who reminded Blackford of the Commons convention that MPs must not indicate they believe another member has been dishonest. | This brought an intervention from Bercow, who reminded Blackford of the Commons convention that MPs must not indicate they believe another member has been dishonest. |
| Blackford rephrased his comment to say, “perhaps inadvertently”, bringing another rebuke, before he backed down. | Blackford rephrased his comment to say, “perhaps inadvertently”, bringing another rebuke, before he backed down. |
| Corbyn had begun by saying: “While we debate the critical issue of Brexit, we must not neglect the crisis facing millions of people across our country.” | Corbyn had begun by saying: “While we debate the critical issue of Brexit, we must not neglect the crisis facing millions of people across our country.” |
| He cited what he said was a “scathing report” from the UN, asking: “When the prime minister read the report, what shocked her more: was it the words the UN used or was it the shocking reality of rising poverty in Britain?” | He cited what he said was a “scathing report” from the UN, asking: “When the prime minister read the report, what shocked her more: was it the words the UN used or was it the shocking reality of rising poverty in Britain?” |
| May insisted she did not accept the report’s findings: “What we actually see in our country today is absolute poverty at record lows, more people in work than ever before, youth unemployment almost halved, wages growing.” | May insisted she did not accept the report’s findings: “What we actually see in our country today is absolute poverty at record lows, more people in work than ever before, youth unemployment almost halved, wages growing.” |
| Corbyn responded by saying: “It could be that she doesn’t agree because it’s an unpalatable truth that’s in that report.” In sometimes noisy exchanges he moved on to demand universal credit be halted, and condemned slow wage growth and the treatment of people with disabilities. | Corbyn responded by saying: “It could be that she doesn’t agree because it’s an unpalatable truth that’s in that report.” In sometimes noisy exchanges he moved on to demand universal credit be halted, and condemned slow wage growth and the treatment of people with disabilities. |
| “This government labelled disabled people scroungers, it called those unable to work skivers, it created a hostile environment for the Windrush generation,” he said. | “This government labelled disabled people scroungers, it called those unable to work skivers, it created a hostile environment for the Windrush generation,” he said. |
| “When the UN rapporteur said British compassion for those who are suffering has been replaced by a punitive, mean-spirited and callous approach. He couldn’t have summed up this contemptible government any better.” | “When the UN rapporteur said British compassion for those who are suffering has been replaced by a punitive, mean-spirited and callous approach. He couldn’t have summed up this contemptible government any better.” |
| May rejected the comments, saying the Conservatives had been forced to make difficult decisions from 2010 because of the financial profligacy of the previous Labour government. | May rejected the comments, saying the Conservatives had been forced to make difficult decisions from 2010 because of the financial profligacy of the previous Labour government. |
| Corbyn replied: “When I hear the prime minister talking about ‘difficult decisions’, what always happens afterwards in these contexts is the poorest lose out in our society.” | Corbyn replied: “When I hear the prime minister talking about ‘difficult decisions’, what always happens afterwards in these contexts is the poorest lose out in our society.” |
| PMQs | PMQs |
| Universal credit | Universal credit |
| House of Commons | House of Commons |
| Food banks | Food banks |
| Jeremy Corbyn | Jeremy Corbyn |
| Theresa May | Theresa May |
| Austerity | Austerity |
| news | news |
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