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Boris Johnson says EU nationals will have an absolute right to remain after Brexit – live news Boris Johnson says EU nationals will have an absolute right to remain after Brexit – live news
(32 minutes later)
Labour’s Diana Johnson asks Johnson what his priorty is: Crossrail for the north, between Hull and Liverpool, or Crossrail 2 in London.
Johnson says he cannot choose between them. That is like asking a tigress to choose between her cubs, he says.
Asked about immigration, Johnson says the effectively there is already an amnesty for migrants who have been in the country illegally for many years. He says the government should consider the case for formalising this.
Johnson floats idea of amnesty for illegal immigrants.
This is an idea that Johnson has floated before.
Giles Watling, a Conservative, asks if Johnson can improve the rail service to places like Clacton, his constiuency.
Johnson says he wants to use infrastructure to level up the country.
Johnson repeats his point about how the SNP would have to campaign to hand back control of fishing to the EU after Brexit if it continued to campaign for EU membership. He says he expects the party to perform a U-turn on that at some point.
Catherine West, the Labour MP, says Johnson believes in the London living wage. But many government departments do not pay it. Will Johnson commit to ensuring that they do pay it.
Johnson says all government departments should pay their cleaners the London living wage.
Chris Leslie, of the Independent Group for Change, asks if Johnson agrees with Priti Patel on the death penalty.
Johnson says he abhors the death penalty. But he says he does want to see serious offenders serve their sentences properly. He says Labour MPs should realise that this is what their constituents want.
Labour’s Anneliese Dodds asks why Johnson said so little about the climate emergency if he really cares about it.
Johnson says the Conservatives are the only party that believes private sector-driven new technology can provide a solution to the problem.
Labour’s Clive Efford says the leave campaign wanted to restore parliamentary sovereignty. So why has Johnson hired an adviser, Dominic Cummings, found in contempt of parliament.
Johnson ignores the question and says it is a disgrace Labour wants to reverse the referendum result.
Asked what changes he wants to the withdrawal agreement, Johnson says the first step should be to get rid of the backstop.
Alec Shelbrooke, a Conservative, asks if Johnson will back his plan to ban unpaid internships.
Johnson says Shelbrooke is “entirely right”. People should get jobs on merit.
Mark Menzies, a Conservative, asks if Johnson will commit to more spending on small transport projects.
Johnson jokes that he has lost count of how many road schemes he has committed to backing.
Labour’s Stephen Kinnock says the Tory manifesto said there would be a deal. So does Johnson accept he has no mandate for no deal.
Johnson says the party also said no deal would be better than a bad deal.
Labour’s Peter Kyle asks what legal changes Johnson wants to introduce to enhance workers’ rights that would not be allowed if the UK remained in the EU?
Johnson says that is for the Commons to decide.
Peter Bone, the Tory Brexiter, says for the first time in months he has slept soundly. Will Johnson ensure that continues?
Johnson says he is going to take the country out of the EU by 31 October.
Labour’s Chi Onwurah asks Johnson to give the three things he admires most about the north-east.Labour’s Chi Onwurah asks Johnson to give the three things he admires most about the north-east.
Johnson says the people of the north-east should answer that. It would be patronising for him to answer. But he does know that the north-east is the only region of the county that is a net exporter, he says.Johnson says the people of the north-east should answer that. It would be patronising for him to answer. But he does know that the north-east is the only region of the county that is a net exporter, he says.
Henry Smith, a Conservative, asks when MPs will know how many extra police officers each force area will get.Henry Smith, a Conservative, asks when MPs will know how many extra police officers each force area will get.
As soon as possible, Johnson says.As soon as possible, Johnson says.
Labour’s Emma Lewell-Buck says it is important for the PM do be on top of the detail. So can he say now what is in paragraph 5(C) of Gatt article 24?
That is a reference to one of the questions Andrew Neil asked Johnson in his BBC interview recently.
Johnson declines to answer, but he says he plans to rely on paragraph 5(B).
Colin Clark, a Tory, asks Johnson if he will support the oil industry in Scotland.
Johnson says this industry has a great future.
Asked about the Lib Dem leader, Jo Swinson, saying she would still oppose Brexit, even if people voted for it in a second referendum, Johnson says the opposition are like dictators; they want to ignore the will of the people.
Labour’s Debbie Abrahams says she loves this country and its people. But all the evidence shows the richer are getting richer and the poorer are getting poorer.
Johnson says that is not correct. Income inequality has declined since 2010, he says. He says the government has lifted poor people out of tax.
(Actually, recent figures show income inequality is increasing.)
Labour’s Chris Bryant asks Johnson to get rid of the five-week waiting time for payments under universal credit.
Johnson says people can get advances on their benefit payments. Labour wants to scrap universal credit, he says. He defends the system.
Labour’s Alison McGovern says we now have a Vote Leave government. Does Johnson stand by the promises he made to have no change at the Irish border, and no sudden changes in the economy?
Yes, says Johnson. He says he is opposed to border controls. And as for the economy, he implies that if there were a no-deal Brexit, it would be the fault of the EU.
Ed Davey, the Lib Dem MP, asks if Johnson agrees the UK faces a climate emergency.
Johnson says the government is leading the world in setting a net zero emissions target for 2050. Carbon emissions have been cut dramatically, he says. When he was London mayor carbon emissions were cut by 14% by new technology. That is the policy he will adopt.
Johnson refuses to say the UK faces a climate emergency.
The SNP’s Stewart McDonald asks Johnson why he has refused to answer questions about his relationship with the former Russian arms dealer Alexander Temerko.
Johnson says if McDonald has an allegation to make, he should put it to him in writing.
Justine Greening, a Conservative, asks Johnson if he agrees any deal must be put to the people in a referendum.
Johnson says he does not agree. Labour is now a referendum party, he says. But a referendum should only happen once a generation.
(In the past Johnson did once express some support for the idea of holding a second referendum.)
Labour’s Laura Smith asks if Johnson will apologise for what he said about how investigating historical child abuse was spaffing money against the wall.
Johnson says this country can be proud of its record on tackling child abuse.