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PMQs: Theresa May faces Jeremy Corbyn ahead of confidence vote – politics live
PMQs: Theresa May faces Jeremy Corbyn ahead of confidence vote – politics live
(35 minutes later)
Labour’s Matthew Pennycook asks which of her Brexit misjudgments she most regrets: laying down unreasonable red lines, holding an election, or letting her policy be set by Brexiters.
The BBC’s Andrew Neil says BBC research shows that more than 158 Tory MPs – the threshold – have said they will vote for Theresa May.
May defends her record.
But he points out that just because MPs says they will vote for May, that does not necessarily mean they will.
Ranil Jayawardena, a Conservative, asks about a survey saying expectant mothers need better care to avert still births.
Sir Vince Cable, the Lib Dem leader, asks what is worse: a no confidence motion tabled by Corbyn, or one tabled by her MPs?
May says this is an important issue. She rattles of a list of things the government is doing.
May says what matters is to get a good deal.
Ellie Reeves, the Labour MP, says May’s deal is doomed. Her party do not have confidence in her. But will she let the people have a vote?
And that’s it.
May says people voted to leave the EU. It is her duty to deliver on that.
Caroline Lucas, the Green MP, says the Times today argues that a people’s vote is May’s only chance of saving her deal. What is May afraid of?
Mark Pawsey, a Conservative, asks May if she agrees that what is best for business is MPs finalising a deal and backing May for the leadership.
May says people voted for Brexit. The Commons needs to deliver on it.
May says they should deliver a good Brexit for the country.
Labour’s Rachael Maskell says the recent fall in the value of the pound has cost the country the equivalent of funding for the NHS for six weeks.
Ian Blackford, the SNP leader at Westminster, says we were promised “strong and stable”, and we were promised a Brexit vote. This government is an embarrassment. Will there be a vote next week?
May says the government is putting more money into the NHS.
May says the vote will be announced in the normal way.
Jim McMahon asks May to condemn any suggestion that the threat of food shortages in Ireland should be used as a negotiating strategy in the Brexit talks.
Blackford says the government is in contempt of parliament. “This government is a farce.” May should do the right thing and resign.
This is a reference to a comment from the Tory Brexiter Priti Patel.
May says she is being respectful of the views raised in the Commons. Because of the backstop concerns, she is going back to the EU.
May agrees. She says that will not be a government tactic.
May says MPs need to address the problem of cyber-bullying. She says the Scottish government has a programme addressing this. The UK government will continue to work on it.
Sir David Evennett, a Conservative, asks if May is affected by the rising cost of Crossrail. He blames TfL and the Labour mayor of London.
Corbyn says May has failed to rule out no deal. He says a former minister says a customs union with the EU could be the basis for consensus. When will she work to find one?
May says she is concerned. Her Maidenhead constituency is affected. Sadiq Khan “needs to get his finger out”, she says.
May says one group that does not want a consensus is Labour. They have no plan, and want no Brexit.
Labour’s Colleen Fletcher asks about a teenager killed in a knife attack on her constituency. Does May think we have enough police on the streets.
Corbyn says the time for dithering and delay is over. May has negotiated a deal. There can be no more excuses. She must put it before parliament, and let’s have the vote. He says May has already been found to be in contempt of parliament. Will she call the vote and halt this “escalating crisis”?
May extend her condolences to the family. There is a concern about the rise in violent crime, she says
May says, whatever U-turn comes next in Labour’s policy, Corbyn will sent out his henchmen to reveal it to the world - the “inconstant gardener”. Someone will explain the joke to Corbyn later, she says.
Maggie Throup, a Conservative, says the real threat to the country is Labour. May agrees.
Tories cheer loudly.
Sir Patrick McLoughlin, the Conservative former chairman, says no one questioned the result of the referendum on Welsh devolution in 1997 even though winning margin was very narrow.
May says Corbyn couldn’t care less about Brexit. He wants to bring down the government, sow division and crash the economy. The biggest threat to people isn’t leaving the EU; it’s a Corbyn government.
May says that is an important point.
Corbyn, raising his voice, says this is disgraceful. The house agreed a date for a vote. The government has already been found to be in contempt of parliament. Now May is contemptuous of parliament.
Labour’s Mary Creagh says the economy is stalling and business investment is falling. She says we have the “grotesque spectacle” of Tory MPs putting party interest ahead of the national interest. If May wins the vote tonight, will she rule out no deal?
He says May set out her negotiating objectives in the Lancaster House speech. She promised “certainty” wherever possible. Does this look like certainty?
May says the way to avoid no deal is to agree a deal.
May says she has provided that. She has got an agreement. No one in the EU was left in any doubt about feelings in the Commons. Corbyn’s policy is to stay in the EU, she clams.
Employment is at a record high, and we have had the longest consecutive period of growth in the G7, she says.
Corbyn says, if there is a deal, May should put it to a vote. He asks May to categorically rule out a no-deal Brexit.
Labour’s Siobhain McDonagh asks about a constituent who had to queue outside A&E because it was full.
May says the way to ensure there is no no-deal is to agree a deal. She says Labour wants to change the law so that trade unions in this country can go on strike in solidarity with strikers anywhere in the world. That is not solidarity with small businesses, or ordinary working people.
May says this is a worrying story. She reminds McDonagh that they sat on Merton council together.
Jeremy Corbyn joins the PM in condemning the Strasbourg attack.
Ken Clarke, the former Tory chancellor, asks if May can think of anything more unhelpful to the country at a time of crisis than for the Conservative party to embark on a leadership contest lasting weeks.
Having told the media this morning that she has made progress, can she tell MPs what changes she has secured to her deal?
May says Clarke has raised an important point. She says a new leader would have to either delay or stop Brexit.
May says she went to Europe because she has been listening to the concerns of MPs. She says Corbyn couldn’t care less what she brings back from Brussels. He is going to vote against it anyway. All he wants to do is create chaos in our society and damage to the economy.
Catherine West, the Labour MP, asks which is worse: no deal or no Brexit.
Corbyn says it is clear: “Nothing has changed.”
May says it is important to deliver on Brexit. She wants a deal, she says. The worse thing for the country would be a Labour government, she says.
If May needed any clarification about the backstop, she could have just asked the attorney general. He says it will last indefinitely.
He says, since May has not secured any changes to the deal, will May confirm the rest of the Brexit debate will take place before the Christmas recess.
May says there is an EU council meeting, and further discussions to be held. The date of the vote will be announced in the normal way. There has been a meaningful vote. It was in 2016. And if Corbyn wants a meaningful date, she will give him one - 29 March, when the UK will leave.
Labour’s Kerry McCarthy says May said there would be no election in 2017, and that there would be a vote on Brexit on Tuesday. Can she now rule out a general election and a people’s vote?
May says she is ruling those out.
A further 22 MPs have declared on Twitter that they will be voting for May in tonight’s vote. This takes the total of Tory MPs backing the prime minister on Twitter to 121 (in an earlier list we incorrectly included a former MP Ben Howlett)
Leo Docherty
Anna Soubry
Nick Soames
Mark Prisk
Andrew Jones
Alberto Costa
Wendy Morton
Andrew Bowie
Tom Tugendhat
Paul Masterton
Oliver Heald
Chris Heaton-Harris
James Cartlidge
Kirstene Hair
Rachel MacClean
Amanda Milling
Stuart Andrew
Alex Burghart
Robert Jenrick
Jackie Doyle-Price
Caroline Dinenage
Iain Stewart
Theresa May starts by saying the thoughts of MPs are with those affected by the Strasbourg attack.
Today she will have meetings - “possibly many meetings” - with colleagues, she says – adopting the usual stock formula.
Theresa May’s husband, Philip, is in the gallery for PMQs.
Noisy cheers as PM enters chamber. Boris Johnson looks on impassive
Theresa May has just arrived in the chamber to loud cheers.
Here are the MPs down to ask a question.
PMQs is starting soon.
Normally I do a snap verdict after the May/Corbyn exchanges, but today I’ll wait until the whole session is over. What matters is how May handles the whole session, including questions from her colleagues.
As the old Westminster joke goes, the MPs on the other side are the opposition. It is the ones on your own benches who are the enemy.
The Brexiter Tory Desmond Swayne is still making up his mind.
Stop asking!We face a general election because we have no majority and DUP has withdrawn support for PM. So, the question I’m wrestling with is this: Am I confident to have TM lead me into another election?
From the BBC’s Evan Davis
Betting markets give @theresa_may a 77 per cent chance of surviving. Should she fail to get this support, Boris Johnson is now the favourite to replace her as Conservative leader. (Thanks to @GeorgeElek)https://t.co/isFJNQFgbe
