PMQs

Question

For years and years, rail fares have gone up and up, but that is set to change next year. Can the Prime Minister confirm that commuters in my constituency will see a saving of around £400 on their annual season ticket as a result of this Government freezing rail fares? Can he confirm that it is only possible because we have a Labour Government?

Question

May I first pay tribute to the many farmers who have come to Westminster today to protest about the shameful attack on them in last year’s Budget? I want them to know that the Conservatives stand with them. We have had resignations, hostile briefings and leaks galore. Even the former chief economist of the Bank of England has said that Labour’s “fiscal fandango” is the single biggest reason growth has flatlined. Does the Prime Minister agree with Andy Haldane, and does he have an explanation for this complete shambles?

Question

We are talking about the leaks. The Prime Minister does not seem to appreciate the impact of these Budget leaks on the UK economy. Even the Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister has said this morning that the leaks were unacceptable, so will the Prime Minister launch an investigation into the Budget leaks and punish those responsible?

Question

The Prime Minister does not want to talk about leaks, but we can see that the chaos in No. 10 is having real-world consequences. Instead of focusing on the economy, they have been fighting like rats. Several journalists reported that No. 10 sources had briefed against the Health Secretary and other senior Cabinet Ministers; the Prime Minister then told us that these briefings did not come from No. 10. Will he repeat, on the Floor of the House, the claim that none of his advisers has briefed against members of the Cabinet?

Question

The Prime Minister expects us to believe him, but no one does. We all know that he did not have a serious leak inquiry. What he did was ask Morgan McSweeney to investigate Morgan McSweeney, and then Morgan McSweeney discovered that Morgan McSweeney was innocent. All this calls into question the Prime Minister’s judgment. When did the Prime Minister decide that lawbreakers can be lawmakers? The MP cited reports of the Deputy Prime Minister potentially returning to Cabinet.

Question

In summary, this just looks like a Government who are a slow-motion car crash. The Prime Minister’s Cabinet Ministers are briefing against each other, his MPs are planning for life after him, and the most chaotic run-up to a Budget in recent memory is happening on his watch. Even the Chief Whip is telling MPs that he wants out. The truth is simple: his MPs do not trust him, the markets do not trust him, and the public certainly do not trust him. When will he finally accept that the chaos starts and ends with him?

Question

At the moment, everyone is being bombarded with adverts and emails for Black Friday encouraging them to spend money on so-called time-limited deals, leading to panic buying and increasing debt and buyer regret—not to mention the impact on the planet, with delivery and returns of goods responsible for millions of tonnes of CO2 emissions. Does the Prime Minister agree that instead of rushing to buy online, people should look to their high streets to support local businesses and keep money in the local economy this Christmas?

Question

We have just seen in the leaked OBR documents that taxes are going up to a historic record high. Will the Prime Minister explain why Labour is hiking people’s taxes, instead of fixing the £90 billion Brexit black hole in the public finances by growing our economy with a new, detailed, brilliant trade deal with our European partners?

Question

Let me take the Prime Minister on to another issue. I hope everyone in the House shares my alarm that a former leader of a political party in Wales has been found guilty of betraying our country, and has now been sentenced to over 10 years in prison for his treachery. The Prime Minister said that Reform should hold an independent investigation and he is right, but we both know that that is not going to happen. Given that Reform will not do so, he must. Will he now launch a national investigation into Russian infiltration into our politics?

Question

After eight years of traffic chaos and increasingly creative traffic diversions, residents of Parkside and Marston Grange in my constituency are beginning to wonder whether the A513 at Beaconside is a permanent monument to the traffic cone. In the time that Staffordshire county council and Taylor Wimpey have taken to complete one stretch of road, we have had six Prime Ministers—not to mention Notre Dame having burned down and been rebuilt using medieval building techniques. What can be done to hold developers and local authorities properly to account so that essential infrastructure is delivered on time, with minimum disruption?

Question

University Hospitals Sussex currently has 350 people well enough to go home, but occupying beds. That is the same number of beds as in Princess Royal hospital in Haywards Heath in my constituency. The reason they cannot go home is that there is no social care package for them to go on to. This is terrible for them, puts strain on the trust and is ruinous to the taxpayer. Given that there is no urgent plan to reform social care, what is the Prime Minister’s plan to bring them home for Christmas?

Question

Is the Prime Minister aware that, because of the decision by Reform’s Durham county council to scrap support introduced by Labour in 2013, a typical working family in Stanley will be £170 worse off? How would the Prime Minister contrast the values of this Labour Government with a Reform party dividing our country and hitting working people in their pockets?

Question

Lewis—not his real name—is an Eastbourne boy with special educational needs who was left traumatised after his passenger assistant relentlessly and brutally restrained him on his home-to-school transport. What happened on that day only became clear to Lewis’s mum, who is in the Gallery today, when he returned home visibly distressed and bruised, and that is because, shockingly, there is no statutory requirement to report incidents of physical restraint on school transport, nor national training standards. Will the Prime Minister address this loophole in his upcoming special educational needs and disabilities reforms to ensure that SEND children in Eastbourne and beyond can travel to school with the safety and dignity that they deserve?

Question

Last week, Roman Osborne—a 10-year-old from my constituency—hand-delivered a letter to 10 Downing Street to tell the Prime Minister about an accident he had in February outside his primary school at Trimley St Martin, which left him spending three days in hospital and many more months recovering. Will the Prime Minister back my campaign #SaferAtTheGates, and will he call on Tory-led Suffolk county council to do the right thing by re-reviewing the road and putting the right safety measures in place outside Trimley St Martin and the other schools in my constituency?

Question

This morning, I met farmers on Whitehall and on Saturday I met farmers supplying milk to family-run Wyke Farms, which has been making traditional cheddar cheese near Bruton for 160 years. They all told me that the family farm tax, as it stands, will devastate their businesses. If the Prime Minister really wants growth, will he listen to farmers, industry, the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee and even his own MPs, and pause and rethink this damaging and regressive tax?

Question

Last week, the covid inquiry reported that 23,000 deaths occurred in England in the first wave of the pandemic that could have been prevented due to the UK response being too little, too late. Those were not just 23,000 deaths; they were 23,000 people who had family and friends who loved them, and valuable lives that were cut short due to an abysmal failure of leadership by Boris Johnson and his Government. Those people were categorically failed by a Prime Minister who prevaricated, delayed and prioritised political expediency over making the tough decisions that could have averted tragedy. If the Prime Minister were to lead us through the next pandemic, would he value saving lives above all else?

Question

I hope the Prime Minister will agree with me that the defence industry in Somerset is a key engine for growth, jobs and innovation. Leonardo in Yeovil is making fantastic progress with the Proteus uncrewed helicopter, but the future of that project, thousands of jobs at the site in Yeovil and the £320 million that Leonardo contributes to local GDP are dependent on the new medium helicopter contract. Will the Prime Minister reassure my constituents that he supports the industry in Yeovil, and will his Government finally get around to awarding this long overdue contract?

Question

On International Men’s Day, I joined Wednesfield Men Walking and Talking—a fantastic group who are strengthening our community through good company and what Stephen calls a growing band of brothers. In an age of pressure, polarisation and endless phone scrolling, they bring men together to support one another. Will the Prime Minister join me in congratulating all involved and explain how the first ever men’s health strategy will back similar grassroots initiatives?

Question

Consequential to President Trump’s misunderstanding of Putin’s strategic intent for both Ukraine and Europe is the Prime Minister’s solemn responsibility to keep this country safe. Given the known hypersonic and ballistic missile threat from Russia, and the fact that the United Kingdom has no current counter to that, what is the Prime Minister going to do to keep this country safe from those that have already threatened us?

Question

My constituents tell me that our top national priority must remain as it is: economic growth. Does the Prime Minister agree that the swiftest way to achieve growth is for the Government to be even more ambitious in negotiating with the European Union to remove the new red tape and trade barriers that have been holding back UK businesses, especially small and medium-sized ones, since the Conservatives’ poorly managed exit from the European Union?

Question

Mr Cocking asked what the Government are doing about economic losses due to roadworks and traffic jams which affect his constituents every day. He inquired when the Government will support working people and improve transportation in Britain.

Question

Ms Darlington congratulated Mr Speaker on his commitment to make this House the first national White Ribbon Parliament in the world. She asked if the Prime Minister would join her and others in making the White Ribbon promise to never use, excuse or remain silent about men’s violence against women.

Question

Ms Roberts questioned why the Prime Minister was unwilling to take responsibility and launch a full investigation into foreign interference in our democracies given the limitations of the Reform party's leader.