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| Johnson faces Corbyn at PMQs - live news | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Rolling coverage of the day’s political developments as they happen | Rolling coverage of the day’s political developments as they happen |
| Ben Bradley, a Conservative, asks about schools. | |
| Johnson says school standards are rising. He says in Scotland school performance in maths and science are at a record low. He challenges the SNP leader, Ian Blackford, to say why the SNP is so obsessed with independence when its performance is so bad. | |
| Corbyn says Johnson should answer the question. He turns to the two-child limit. Why won’t the PM admit there is a link between poverty and the two-child limit. | |
| Johnson says there has been a substantial reduction in child poverty. | |
| The Labour party should change its tune, he says. | |
| He says the Labour party voted Corbyn the best Labour leaders since records began. He says those sentiments are shared by many Tories. | |
| Corbyn says levels of poverty are a national scandal. He says UC is a system of mind-numbing complexity. It is driving people to food banks. Johnson can’t answer questions on it. It should go, he says. | |
| Johnson says Corbyn just wants to keep people in the welfare trap. He says Corbyn should pay tribute to the way the economy has grown. He says there will be 40 new hospitals and 20,000 more police officers. Labour still can’t make up its mind about whether or not to leave the EU, he says. | |
| Corbyn says Johnson fought for bankers to be allowed to keep their bonuses. He asks if universal credit is making the social security system simpler. | |
| Johnson claims it is, because unemployment has been reduced. | |
| (That’s a non-sequitur.) | |
| He returns to Greggs, and says just one person has complained about the bonus system. | |
| He says the IMF says the UK will grow faster than the Eurozone. When will Corbyn stop talking the UK down? | |
| Corbyn says the reality is that many people in work are in poverty. | |
| Universal credit was meant to reduce poverty, he says. But more and more people are using food banks. Why won’t the PM end the punitive five-week wait for benefits under UC? | |
| Johnson says the number of people in poverty has fallen by 400,000 under this government. He says Labour is proposing “even more Corbynism”. He says Corbyn should listen to the verdict of the British people four weeks ago. | |
| Jeremy Corbyn mentions Holocaust memorial day, and says all forms of racism must be opposed. | |
| If a worker receives a £300 bonus, how much of it should he be allowed to keep. | |
| That is a reference to this story. | |
| Johnson says the living wage will ensure that some people get an extra £1,000 a year. He says if Corbyn wants a better answer, he should ask a clearer question. | |
| Corbyn refers to the Greggs story, and says people on low pay might keep just a quarter of their £300 bonus. | |
| Johnson (who clearly has not been briefed on this story at all) returns to his point about the living wage. He ignores the point about bonuses. | |
| Bim Afolami, a Conservative, says he welcomes the government’s announcement this week about tougher sentencing, particularly for terrorism offences. Does the PM agree that we need to do whatever we can to stop terrorism? | |
| Boris Johnson welcomes the question, and claim his proposals amount to a “major shift” in the sentencing of terrorists. | |
| PMQs is starting now. | |
| Private landlords have backed calls for the government to issue physical cards to EU citizens to prove they have the right to be in the country post Brexit. | |
| The Residential Landlords Association (RLA) has previously cautioned that EU citizens risk discrimination if do not have a card showing their status when looking to rent properties. | |
| The group, in a joint statement with the EU citizens campaign group the3million and the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants (JCWI), said: | |
| The House of Lords voted on Monday for EU nationals to be given a physical document proving their right to be in the UK after Brexit, but the government is set to reverse that defeat when MPs debate the EU (withdrawal agreement) bill again this afternoon. | |
| And here are the main points from Lisa Nandy’s speech on welfare at Centrepoint this morning. Some of the arguments in the speech were ones she deployed in her Today interview this morning. (See 10.26am.) | |
| Nandy said Labour should be making the case for tax as a public good. She said: | |
| She said that employers who do not pay the living wage should be penalised. She said: | |
| She said the cuts to universal credit should be reversed. She said: | |
| Cancelling the Tory proposal to raise the national insurance threshold to £9,500 (an effective tax cut) would save about £2bn. But this would be be enough to restore all the cuts to benefits announced by the coalition. One IFS analysis said those cuts were worth £16.7bn. | |
| She said Labour should create a “modern, empowering welfare state for the 21st century”. | |
| She criticised the way the welfare state currently works, saying it “presumes the very worst of people in need”. She said: | |
| She said everyone accessing a public service should have access to personal help. She said: | |
| Rebecca Long-Bailey, another Labour leadership candidate, has given a substantial interview to the Daily Mirror this morning. Here are some of the key lines. | Rebecca Long-Bailey, another Labour leadership candidate, has given a substantial interview to the Daily Mirror this morning. Here are some of the key lines. |
| Long-Bailey sought to quash claims she was a continuity Corbyn candidate by saying that she would take the party in “completely different directions”. She said: | Long-Bailey sought to quash claims she was a continuity Corbyn candidate by saying that she would take the party in “completely different directions”. She said: |
| She said Labour should show it was “the party of aspiration”. She said: | She said Labour should show it was “the party of aspiration”. She said: |
| She rejected claims that she was not tough enough to be Labour leader. She said: | She rejected claims that she was not tough enough to be Labour leader. She said: |
| She rejected claims she was shy. She said: | She rejected claims she was shy. She said: |
| Jess Phillips, who withdrew from the Labour leadership contest yesterday, is backing Lisa Nandy for leader, the Daily Mirror reports. | Jess Phillips, who withdrew from the Labour leadership contest yesterday, is backing Lisa Nandy for leader, the Daily Mirror reports. |
| Here is some comment from journalists and commentators on Lisa Nandy’s Today interview. | Here is some comment from journalists and commentators on Lisa Nandy’s Today interview. |
| From my colleague Gaby Hinsliff | From my colleague Gaby Hinsliff |
| From the Mail on Sunday’s Dan Hodges | From the Mail on Sunday’s Dan Hodges |
| From the New Statesman’s Stephen Bush | From the New Statesman’s Stephen Bush |
| From my colleague Dan Sabbagh | From my colleague Dan Sabbagh |
| From LBC’s Theo Usherwood | From LBC’s Theo Usherwood |
| Labour’s Tees Valley mayoral candidate, Jessie Joe Jacobs, vowed to tackle the area’s mental health crisis and build vocational centres for young people as she launched her campaign in Hartlepool this morning. | Labour’s Tees Valley mayoral candidate, Jessie Joe Jacobs, vowed to tackle the area’s mental health crisis and build vocational centres for young people as she launched her campaign in Hartlepool this morning. |
| Joined by Manchester mayor Andy Burnham and Liverpool mayor Steve Rotheram, she also pledged £1m for a Tech For Good charity to encourage companies to invest in green and healthcare technology in the area. | Joined by Manchester mayor Andy Burnham and Liverpool mayor Steve Rotheram, she also pledged £1m for a Tech For Good charity to encourage companies to invest in green and healthcare technology in the area. |
| Jacobs would be the first woman metro mayor if elected, and the first Labour mayor in Tees Valley since the role was first elected in 2017. | Jacobs would be the first woman metro mayor if elected, and the first Labour mayor in Tees Valley since the role was first elected in 2017. |
| She vowed to end loneliness in Teeside with investment for community centres, and build a vocational centre in each of the area’s boroughs to prepare young people for new opportunities. | She vowed to end loneliness in Teeside with investment for community centres, and build a vocational centre in each of the area’s boroughs to prepare young people for new opportunities. |
| Jacobs, a charity leader from Stockon-on-Tees, was the only Labour candidate shortlisted by regional party leaders, meaning local members did not get a vote on their preferred choice. | Jacobs, a charity leader from Stockon-on-Tees, was the only Labour candidate shortlisted by regional party leaders, meaning local members did not get a vote on their preferred choice. |
| She’s up against Tory incumbent Ben Houchen, who brought Durham Tees Valley airport back into public ownership during his time in office. Launching his re-election campaign earlier this month, he set out plans to bring steelmaking back to Teeside and install free parking in town centres. | She’s up against Tory incumbent Ben Houchen, who brought Durham Tees Valley airport back into public ownership during his time in office. Launching his re-election campaign earlier this month, he set out plans to bring steelmaking back to Teeside and install free parking in town centres. |
| Speaking of her opponent, Jacobs said: | Speaking of her opponent, Jacobs said: |
| Here are the main points from Lisa Nandy’s interviews on Today and ITV’s Good Morning Britain this morning. | Here are the main points from Lisa Nandy’s interviews on Today and ITV’s Good Morning Britain this morning. |
| Nandy, a Labour leadership candidate, criticised New Labour for keeping elements of Thatcherism. (See 9.23am.) | Nandy, a Labour leadership candidate, criticised New Labour for keeping elements of Thatcherism. (See 9.23am.) |
| She refused to say who was her favourite leader. When asked this question by Nick Robinson on Today, Nandy replied: | She refused to say who was her favourite leader. When asked this question by Nick Robinson on Today, Nandy replied: |
| When Robinson put it to her that she was avoiding the question, she replied: | When Robinson put it to her that she was avoiding the question, she replied: |
| But she went on to talk about her view of Jeremy Corbyn. She said that she had known him since she was 21, that she “profoundly disagreed” with him on some things, but that agreed with him on the need for society to be more compassionate. She said: | But she went on to talk about her view of Jeremy Corbyn. She said that she had known him since she was 21, that she “profoundly disagreed” with him on some things, but that agreed with him on the need for society to be more compassionate. She said: |
| Robinson’s question was prompted by YouGov polling this week that suggests Corbyn is the most popular Labour leader of the last 100 years amongst Labour members. | Robinson’s question was prompted by YouGov polling this week that suggests Corbyn is the most popular Labour leader of the last 100 years amongst Labour members. |
| She claimed that Labour need to be more ambitious in its goals. She said: | She claimed that Labour need to be more ambitious in its goals. She said: |
| This is a surprising claim because the one criticism that could not be levelled against Labour’s 2019 manifesto was lack of ambition. When this point was put to Nandy, she said the problem was that the manifesto promised so much that people did not trust the party to deliver. | This is a surprising claim because the one criticism that could not be levelled against Labour’s 2019 manifesto was lack of ambition. When this point was put to Nandy, she said the problem was that the manifesto promised so much that people did not trust the party to deliver. |
| She said Labour had become too paternalistic and that it needed to promote a welfare system that empowered people. She said: | She said Labour had become too paternalistic and that it needed to promote a welfare system that empowered people. She said: |
| This analysis is highly questionable. The minister credited with saying that the gentleman in Whitehall really does know best, the epitome of paternalism (although what he really said was “in the case of nutrition and health, just as in the case of education, the gentleman in Whitehall really does know better what is good for people than the people know themselves”), was Douglas Jay, a minister in the Attlee government that implemented the Beveridge report. | This analysis is highly questionable. The minister credited with saying that the gentleman in Whitehall really does know best, the epitome of paternalism (although what he really said was “in the case of nutrition and health, just as in the case of education, the gentleman in Whitehall really does know better what is good for people than the people know themselves”), was Douglas Jay, a minister in the Attlee government that implemented the Beveridge report. |
| She said that Ian Lavery, the Labour chair, was wrong to suggest at a rally last night that Sir Keir Starmer should stand aside to allow a woman to win the leadership contest. | She said that Ian Lavery, the Labour chair, was wrong to suggest at a rally last night that Sir Keir Starmer should stand aside to allow a woman to win the leadership contest. |
| She criticised the Good Morning Britain presenter Piers Morgan for dismissing claims that Meghan Markle has been subject to racism. This is from the Mirror’s Dan Bloom. | She criticised the Good Morning Britain presenter Piers Morgan for dismissing claims that Meghan Markle has been subject to racism. This is from the Mirror’s Dan Bloom. |
| Lisa Nandy has just started delivering her welfare speech at Centrepoint in London. I will post a summary when I’ve read the full text. | Lisa Nandy has just started delivering her welfare speech at Centrepoint in London. I will post a summary when I’ve read the full text. |
| From the Telegraph’s James Crisp | From the Telegraph’s James Crisp |
| Government ministers are still boycotting the Today programme, but former ministers are happy to appear and this morning George Osborne, the former chancellor who now edits the Evening Standard, made an appearance. He had two interesting arguments. | Government ministers are still boycotting the Today programme, but former ministers are happy to appear and this morning George Osborne, the former chancellor who now edits the Evening Standard, made an appearance. He had two interesting arguments. |
| Osborne predicted that the government would shelve its plans to impose a tax on tech giants like Google and Facebook. He said: | Osborne predicted that the government would shelve its plans to impose a tax on tech giants like Google and Facebook. He said: |
| He said the government should allow the Chinese firm Huawei to supply parts of the 5G network, despite opposition to this from the US. He said: | He said the government should allow the Chinese firm Huawei to supply parts of the 5G network, despite opposition to this from the US. He said: |
| Yesterday Lisa Nandy secured the GMB nomination which means she is now almost certain to be on the final ballot for the Labour leadership. And this morning she has been giving a series of interviews ahead of a speech on welfare she is delivering at 10am. | Yesterday Lisa Nandy secured the GMB nomination which means she is now almost certain to be on the final ballot for the Labour leadership. And this morning she has been giving a series of interviews ahead of a speech on welfare she is delivering at 10am. |
| On the Today programme she was burnishing her Corbynite credentials by praising the outgoing Labour leader for breaking the consensus that “economic conservatism was a bigger priority than people”. She also criticised New Labour for continuing with elements of Thatcherism, telling the programme: | On the Today programme she was burnishing her Corbynite credentials by praising the outgoing Labour leader for breaking the consensus that “economic conservatism was a bigger priority than people”. She also criticised New Labour for continuing with elements of Thatcherism, telling the programme: |
| Nandy has also come out well from a focus group of ex-Labour voters commissioned for an item on Channel 4 News last night. There is a link to the film here. | Nandy has also come out well from a focus group of ex-Labour voters commissioned for an item on Channel 4 News last night. There is a link to the film here. |
| And here is a Times article (paywall) by James Johnson, the pollster (and former Tory aide) who organised the focus group, which was held in Birmingham. He writes: | And here is a Times article (paywall) by James Johnson, the pollster (and former Tory aide) who organised the focus group, which was held in Birmingham. He writes: |
| I will post more from Nandy’s two morning interviews soon. | I will post more from Nandy’s two morning interviews soon. |
| Here is the agenda for the day. | Here is the agenda for the day. |
| 10am: Lisa Nandy, the Labour leadership candidate, gives a speech on welfare policy. | 10am: Lisa Nandy, the Labour leadership candidate, gives a speech on welfare policy. |
| 12pm: Boris Johnson faces Jeremy Corbyn at PMQs. | 12pm: Boris Johnson faces Jeremy Corbyn at PMQs. |
| After 12.30pm: MPs debate the EU (withdrawal agreement) bill on its return from the Lords. They are expected to vote to overturn the five government defeats the bill suffered in the Lords. | After 12.30pm: MPs debate the EU (withdrawal agreement) bill on its return from the Lords. They are expected to vote to overturn the five government defeats the bill suffered in the Lords. |
| 2.30pm: Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland’s first minister, speaks about the Scottish economy at an IPPR event. | 2.30pm: Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland’s first minister, speaks about the Scottish economy at an IPPR event. |
| Afternoon: The EU (withdrawal agreement) bill returns to the Lords, where peers will have to either accept the Commons version or vote again to amend it. | Afternoon: The EU (withdrawal agreement) bill returns to the Lords, where peers will have to either accept the Commons version or vote again to amend it. |
| As usual, I will be covering breaking political news as it happens, as well as bringing you the best reaction, comment and analysis from the web. I plan to post a summary when I wrap up. | As usual, I will be covering breaking political news as it happens, as well as bringing you the best reaction, comment and analysis from the web. I plan to post a summary when I wrap up. |
| You can read all the latest Guardian politics articles here. Here is the Politico Europe roundup of this morning’s political news. And here is the PoliticsHome list of today’s top 10 must-reads. | You can read all the latest Guardian politics articles here. Here is the Politico Europe roundup of this morning’s political news. And here is the PoliticsHome list of today’s top 10 must-reads. |
| If you want to follow me or contact me on Twitter, I’m on @AndrewSparrow. | If you want to follow me or contact me on Twitter, I’m on @AndrewSparrow. |
| I try to monitor the comments below the line (BTL) but it is impossible to read them all. If you have a direct question, do include “Andrew” in it somewhere and I’m more likely to find it. I do try to answer questions, and if they are of general interest, I will post the question and reply above the line (ATL), although I can’t promise to do this for everyone. | I try to monitor the comments below the line (BTL) but it is impossible to read them all. If you have a direct question, do include “Andrew” in it somewhere and I’m more likely to find it. I do try to answer questions, and if they are of general interest, I will post the question and reply above the line (ATL), although I can’t promise to do this for everyone. |
| If you want to attract my attention quickly, it is probably better to use Twitter. | If you want to attract my attention quickly, it is probably better to use Twitter. |