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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2019/dec/17/brexit-labour-cabinet-plp-commons-starmer-says-johnsons-decision-to-rule-out-transition-extension-reckless-and-irresponsible--live-news
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| Boris Johnson says new parliament is 'vast improvement' as MPs sworn in – live news | Boris Johnson says new parliament is 'vast improvement' as MPs sworn in – live news |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Rolling coverage of the day’s political developments as they happen, including the cabinet, the House of Commons and the parliamentary Labour party all meeting for the first time since the general election | Rolling coverage of the day’s political developments as they happen, including the cabinet, the House of Commons and the parliamentary Labour party all meeting for the first time since the general election |
| Here is the substance of what Boris Johnson told MPs earlier. It was only a very short speech, but it was his first as prime minister to the House of Commons, and he used it to deliver a message about his agenda. He told MPs: | |
| During the election campaign Johnson claimed to learnt that “popty ping” was the Welsh for microwave, even though this is apparently a myth. Johnson went on: | |
| Downing Street has announced some new government appointments. | |
| Mike Freer and Iain Stewart, who were both government whips, remain as whips but both get promotions within the whips’ office. Freer moves up to Comptroller HM Household, and Stewart moves up to Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury. | |
| Nusrat Ghani becomes a full junior transport minister. Previously she had a paid job as a whip which she combined with an unpaid job as transport minister. Now she gets a salary for her transport post. (There is a legal limit to how many paid ministers a PM can have in government.) | |
| Douglas Ross becomes an unpaid Scotland Office minister, combining that with being an unpaid whip. | |
| Maria Caulfield becomes a government whip. | |
| On the subject of the Tories and anti-elitism, the polling company YouGov has published some research today looking at which groups voted for which parties. It suggests that, at least on the basis of where their support comes from, the Conservatives can now claim to be more of a working class party than a middle class party. It says: | On the subject of the Tories and anti-elitism, the polling company YouGov has published some research today looking at which groups voted for which parties. It suggests that, at least on the basis of where their support comes from, the Conservatives can now claim to be more of a working class party than a middle class party. It says: |
| Lord Ashcroft published some separate polling on Friday that came to much the same conclusion. | Lord Ashcroft published some separate polling on Friday that came to much the same conclusion. |
| For much of the 20th century Labour was the party of the working class and the Conservatives were the party of the middle class. In recent years class stopped being the main determinant of voting behaviour (age and education are now the key factors), but even in 2017 Labour was still doing better, proportionally, amongst working class voters than amongst middle class voters. The fact that it is the Conservatives who are now doing better, proportionally, with this demographic potentially has huge implications, and it helps to explain why Boris Johnson has been so keen to argue that he is no longer leading “the Tory party of the old days” and that instead it’s a “totally different party”. | For much of the 20th century Labour was the party of the working class and the Conservatives were the party of the middle class. In recent years class stopped being the main determinant of voting behaviour (age and education are now the key factors), but even in 2017 Labour was still doing better, proportionally, amongst working class voters than amongst middle class voters. The fact that it is the Conservatives who are now doing better, proportionally, with this demographic potentially has huge implications, and it helps to explain why Boris Johnson has been so keen to argue that he is no longer leading “the Tory party of the old days” and that instead it’s a “totally different party”. |
| A Downing Street source has confirmed that Boris Johnson and his ministers will not be attending the Davos World Economic Forum this year. The source implied that this was more to do with the government wanting to focus on getting Brexit done, than it wanting to burnish its populist credentials by snubbing the annual gather for the global financial elite, although one suspects No 10 would not mind too much if the move were reported that way. | A Downing Street source has confirmed that Boris Johnson and his ministers will not be attending the Davos World Economic Forum this year. The source implied that this was more to do with the government wanting to focus on getting Brexit done, than it wanting to burnish its populist credentials by snubbing the annual gather for the global financial elite, although one suspects No 10 would not mind too much if the move were reported that way. |
| In the Commons MPs are now swearing the oath of allegiance, one by one. Before the process started, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, the Speaker, told them they would be unable to speak or vote in debates until they were sworn in - and that they could not get paid either. | In the Commons MPs are now swearing the oath of allegiance, one by one. Before the process started, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, the Speaker, told them they would be unable to speak or vote in debates until they were sworn in - and that they could not get paid either. |
| MPs take the oath in order of seniority. The whole process may not finish until Thursday. | MPs take the oath in order of seniority. The whole process may not finish until Thursday. |
| Here is the full text of Nicola Sturgeon’s statement to the Scottish parliament earlier. And here are the main points she made. | Here is the full text of Nicola Sturgeon’s statement to the Scottish parliament earlier. And here are the main points she made. |
| Sturgeon said that, particularly in the light of the election result, taking Scotland out of the EU against its will was “completely and utterly unsustainable”. | Sturgeon said that, particularly in the light of the election result, taking Scotland out of the EU against its will was “completely and utterly unsustainable”. |
| She said later this week she would publish an argument as to why the Scottish government should have the right to call an independence referendum. | She said later this week she would publish an argument as to why the Scottish government should have the right to call an independence referendum. |
| She said she hoped there would be cross-party support for this proposal. | She said she hoped there would be cross-party support for this proposal. |
| She said the delay in the UK budget caused problems for the Scottish government. | She said the delay in the UK budget caused problems for the Scottish government. |
| From ITV’s political editor Robert Peston | From ITV’s political editor Robert Peston |
| Michel Barnier, the EU’s chief Brexit negotiator, has told Euronews’ Darren McCaffrey that the EU will do “the maximum” to ensure that the UK and the EU can conclude their future partnership negotiation by the end of next year. | Michel Barnier, the EU’s chief Brexit negotiator, has told Euronews’ Darren McCaffrey that the EU will do “the maximum” to ensure that the UK and the EU can conclude their future partnership negotiation by the end of next year. |
| In the Commons the sitting has been suspended. Later MPs will return to start swearing in. | In the Commons the sitting has been suspended. Later MPs will return to start swearing in. |
| Ian Blackford, the SNP leader at Westminster, says he is pleased to congratulate Lindsay Hoyle on behalf of the expanded SNP group in the Commons. | Ian Blackford, the SNP leader at Westminster, says he is pleased to congratulate Lindsay Hoyle on behalf of the expanded SNP group in the Commons. |
| And Sir Ed Davey, the acting Lib Dem leader, says that if Britain had a proportional representation system, his group would be the third largest, with 70 MPs. He says he hopes Hoyle will bear this in mind. | And Sir Ed Davey, the acting Lib Dem leader, says that if Britain had a proportional representation system, his group would be the third largest, with 70 MPs. He says he hopes Hoyle will bear this in mind. |
| Corbyn congratulates new MPs. | Corbyn congratulates new MPs. |
| He says all MPs represent a community. That is a strength of the Commons. | He says all MPs represent a community. That is a strength of the Commons. |
| He says a majority of Labour MPs are now women. And 20 of the 26 new Labour MPs are women, he says. | He says a majority of Labour MPs are now women. And 20 of the 26 new Labour MPs are women, he says. |
| He says he hopes the Speaker will continue to take the mental health of MPs seriously. | He says he hopes the Speaker will continue to take the mental health of MPs seriously. |
| He finishes by urging Lindsay Hoyle to stand firm against abuses by the executive. In doing so, he will be standing up not just for MPs, but for the people they represent. | He finishes by urging Lindsay Hoyle to stand firm against abuses by the executive. In doing so, he will be standing up not just for MPs, but for the people they represent. |
| Jeremy Corbyn is speaking now. | Jeremy Corbyn is speaking now. |
| He joins Johnson in recalling the London Bridge terror attack. He says MPs should remember what David Merritt said about his son Jack, who was killed on that day. | He joins Johnson in recalling the London Bridge terror attack. He says MPs should remember what David Merritt said about his son Jack, who was killed on that day. |
| He congratulates Johnson on winning the election. And he pays tribute to Labour MPs who lost their seats, particularly Dennis Skinner. | He congratulates Johnson on winning the election. And he pays tribute to Labour MPs who lost their seats, particularly Dennis Skinner. |
| Corbyn says Johnson will be judged by whether he keeps his promises. And he says Labour will hold the government to account. | Corbyn says Johnson will be judged by whether he keeps his promises. And he says Labour will hold the government to account. |
| Boris Johnson is speaking now. He is opening a short session allowing party leaders to congratulate Sir Lindsay Hoyle. | Boris Johnson is speaking now. He is opening a short session allowing party leaders to congratulate Sir Lindsay Hoyle. |
| Johnson says this parliament “is a vast improvement on its predecessor”. In fact, it is one of the best this country has produced. It has more female MPs than ever before and more BAME MPs than ever before. | Johnson says this parliament “is a vast improvement on its predecessor”. In fact, it is one of the best this country has produced. It has more female MPs than ever before and more BAME MPs than ever before. |
| And it is more democratic, he says. | And it is more democratic, he says. |
| He says this parliament is going to pass the withdrawal bill. And he invites the Speaker to guess what parliament will do: it will “get Brexit done”, he says. | He says this parliament is going to pass the withdrawal bill. And he invites the Speaker to guess what parliament will do: it will “get Brexit done”, he says. |
| He says even Hoyle’s parrot (Hoyle has a menagerie of pets, mostly named after parliamentarians) would have guessed that. | He says even Hoyle’s parrot (Hoyle has a menagerie of pets, mostly named after parliamentarians) would have guessed that. |
| He says the government will do whatever it can to reach out across the House, to find common ground and to heal the divisions facing this country. | He says the government will do whatever it can to reach out across the House, to find common ground and to heal the divisions facing this country. |