Prime Ministers Questions with Keir Starmer Wednesday November 06 2024 - Kemi Badenoch makes her debut as leader of the opposition
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00:00I first of all welcome the Leader of the Opposition. I wish her well as Leader of the Opposition.
00:10I now call Dame Caroline Dynage.
00:14Prime Minister.
00:17Mr Speaker, can I begin by congratulating President-elect Trump on his historic election
00:27victory. As the closest of allies, the UK and US will continue to work together to protect
00:34our shared values of freedom and democracy. Having had dinner with President-elect Trump
00:41just a few weeks ago, I look forward to working with him in the years to come.
00:47May I also welcome the Leader of the Opposition to her place, my fourth Tory Leader in four
00:54and a half years, but I do look forward to working with her in the interests of the British
00:59public.
01:02This weekend is Remembrance Sunday and people across the country will come together to pay
01:07solemn tribute to those who made the ultimate sacrifice defending the values and freedoms
01:14that we enjoy today. I am sure the entire House will join me in paying tribute to them.
01:22This morning I had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. In addition to my duties
01:26in this House, I shall have further such meetings later today.
01:30Dame Caroline.
01:31Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. My constituent Susan is going to miss out on her winter fuel
01:37allowance this winter because she is just £10 above the pension credit threshold. So
01:42as well as losing out on this vital money to keep her house warm, she also does not
01:47get the £150 warm home discount, she does not get the £169 free TV licence or free
01:53NHS prescriptions. For the sake of a tenner, Prime Minister, is this fair?
02:01We passed a Budget which was to fix the foundations of this country and to rebuild our country.
02:11One of the issues we had to confront was the £22 billion black hole that was left by the
02:16last Government. We have taken the tough decisions. That will stabilise our economy. That means
02:22we can commit to the triple lock and that means that pensioners will be better off seeing
02:27the increase in their pension than they would have been under the party opposite.
02:33Jacob Collier.
02:34Thank you, Mr Speaker. Every week I meet hard-working families in Burton and Utoxto who are juggling
02:41raising their children and their family finances when they hear the party opposite and its
02:47new leader say that maternity pay has gone too far. They are terrified about what this
02:57means for them. To ease the worry felt by thousands of hard-working families, can the
03:04Prime Minister please commit that he has no plans to change maternity pay or to roll back
03:09the hard-won rights of working families?
03:15I thank my hon. Friend for his question. He is a champion for families in his constituency.
03:20My answer is simple—yes. I do not agree with the Leader of the Opposition when she
03:27says that maternity pay is excessive and that it has gone too far.
03:40Mr Speaker, can I thank the Prime Minister for his almost warm welcome and can I also
03:48echo the comments that he has made? It is an immense privilege and the honour of my
03:53life to lead the Conservative party and I look forward to joining him at the Senate
03:58half this Remembrance Sunday. As Leader of His Majesty's Opposition, I will be taking
04:03a different approach to the last Opposition by being a constructive Opposition. I would
04:08like to start by congratulating President-elect Trump on his impressive victory this morning.
04:14The Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary met him in September. Did the Foreign Secretary
04:18take that opportunity to apologise for making derogatory and scatological references, including
04:24that Trump is not only a woman-hating, neo-Nazi-sympathising sociopath, he is also a profound threat to
04:31the international order? If he did not apologise, will the Prime Minister do so now on his behalf?
04:37There will be many issues on which the Leader of the Opposition and I disagree, but there
04:46will be issues that unite this House on national security and Ukraine. I look forward to working
04:53closely with her on that and I will provide her with the information that she needs to
04:57discharge her duties. That is the right thing for the country and it is far more important
05:03than party politics. The Foreign Secretary and I met President-elect Trump just a few
05:07weeks ago for dinner for about a couple of hours and we discussed a number of issues
05:12of global significance. It was a very constructive exercise.
05:20The Prime Minister did not distance himself from the remarks made by the Foreign Secretary.
05:24I am very sure that President Trump will soon be calling to thank him for sending all those
05:30North London Labour activists to campaign for his opponent. Given that most of his Cabinet
05:38signed a motion to ban President Trump from addressing Parliament, will the Prime Minister
05:43show that he and his Government can be more than student politicians by asking the Speaker
05:48to extend—
05:49Order. Mr Perkins, I do not need you any more. Your voice carries. It is like mine, too loud.
06:07Will the Prime Minister show that he and his Government can be more than student politicians
06:11by asking you, Mr Speaker, to extend an invitation to President Trump to address Parliament on
06:18his next visit?
06:22The Leader of the Opposition is giving a masterclass on student politics. Seriously, Mr Speaker,
06:30we live in probably a more volatile world than we have lived in for many decades. It
06:35is absolutely crucial that we have a strong relationship—that strong special relationship
06:41forged in difficult circumstances between the US and the UK. We will continue to work,
06:47as we have done in the four months in government, on issues of security, our economy and global
06:52conflict.
06:53Mr Speaker, he does not answer the questions. Just read the lines the officials have prepared
06:59for him. It does not sound like he wants to invite President-elect Trump to Parliament.
07:04He needs to look after the special relationship. The US is our single biggest trade partner.
07:10Given the risk of increased tariffs on UK exports, which threaten our manufacturing
07:15sector, will the Prime Minister commit now to continue the negotiations on our free trade
07:19agreement with the US, which the Biden administration cancelled when it came into office?
07:27Of course we will discuss issues of our economy with the President-elect, as we already have
07:35done. Economy, security and global conflict are issues of real significance that ought
07:42to unite this House. When it comes to the economy, what we have done with our Budget
07:48is to fix the foundations after 14 years. We have returned to economic stability, with
07:55a £23 million black gold. We have protected the payslips of working people. We have done
08:02the single biggest investment in our country for a generation in the NHS, in schools and
08:08homes. We have given a pay rise to the £3 million lowest pay. If she is opposed to that
08:14investment or the pay rise for working people—she is a straight talker, as I understand it—perhaps
08:19she should say so.
08:23Discuss, discuss, discuss. He has no plans whatsoever for building on the special relationship.
08:33He needs to realise that we in this country rely on our single biggest trade partner.
08:40Mr Trump is also right to argue that Europe needs to increase its defence spending. The
08:45last Conservative Government committed to raising defence spending to 2.5% by 2030.
08:52Will the Prime Minister finally match this commitment?
08:59There is no more important duty than keeping the people of this country safe. It was the
09:04Labour Government who signed the NATO treaty in the first place, and we are strong supporters.
09:10We have a strategic defence review, and we are committed to 2.5%. I remind the Prime
09:15Minister that the last time 2.5% was met was under the last Labour Government, 14 years
09:24ago, and they never did it once. Last year, the NAO identified a £17 billion black hole
09:30in the MOD finances. The former Defence Secretary said that the previous Government hollowed
09:36out the armed forces, and the plan they put forward at the election was pure fantasy.
09:45He will not make that commitment. That is very clear. All that he is doing—
09:55I am going to hear the questions. If the people who do not want to hear it can leave now.
10:01He will not make that commitment, and yet the world is getting more dangerous. His Chancellor's
10:05budget did not even mention defence. The Chancellor's budget last week was a copy and paste of Bidenomics.
10:13It turns out that a high-spending, high-borrowing, high-inflation approach is less popular than
10:19she may have thought. May I suggest that he now urge her to change course, or is he determined
10:24to be a one-term leader?
10:28The one thing I learned as Leader of the Opposition is that it is a good idea to listen to what
10:33the Government are actually saying. I think the right hon. Lady just said that defence
10:36was not mentioned in the Budget. It was seven days ago that it was absolutely clear and
10:42central to the Budget, as was economic growth. We are fixing the foundations. We are giving
10:48a pay rise to millions of people. We are picking up the mess that they left—£22 billion—and
10:55a pay rise for working people. I have not yet heard her welcome that pay rise to the
11:01£3 million lowest-paid worker. Does she now welcome it, or does she stick to her previous
11:07policy that it is excessive?
11:13I was the one who raised the minimum wage last year as Business Secretary. I have a
11:16strong record on this, but we need to make sure that we balance the books. His scripted
11:21lines are showing that he has not even listened to the Budget himself, so I will try a different
11:27question. Perhaps he can give something that is unscripted to the people watching.
11:32Farmers across the United Kingdom—
11:34Order. I do not need any help. Can I just say that if somebody wants to leave, I will
11:52be helping them do that? I am going to hear the question, and I certainly want to hear
11:56the answer as well, so please, let us have some courtesy.
12:01We have heard the right hon. Gentleman repeat the lines on the television, fixing the foundations
12:05and so on, over and over again, but what does he say to farmers who are facing uncertainty
12:12about their futures as a result of the increased taxes announced by the Chancellor? I am very
12:18clear that we would reverse Labour's cruel family farms tax. What can he say now to reassure
12:27the farming community, which provides security for the whole nation?
12:31I am happy to help the Leader of the Opposition. If she is going to complain about scripted
12:38answers, it is probably best not to read that from a script.
12:42What I must say about farmers is this. I am glad she has raised farmers, because the Budget
12:52last week put £5 billion over the next two years into farming. That is the single biggest
12:58increase, unlike the £300 million, which was an underspend under the last Government.
13:04When it comes to inheritance, the vast, vast majority of farmers will be unaffected. Assume
13:11that they are as well-known as they are well-known, but that Budget was about fixing the foundations—fixing
13:19the whole £22 billion that they left—and investing in the future of our country, in
13:24our NHS, in our schools, in our hospitals and in our homes. I am proud that that is
13:30the investment work. If the Opposition oppose it, they should go out there and tell their
13:33constituents that they are against that investment in the future of our country. That is the
13:38difference that the Labour Government are taking us forward. They are stuck in the past.
13:42I am going to hear Matthew Patrick.
13:52Emily left her ex, but the abuse did not stop. He stayed in their home, cancelled the mortgage
13:58contributions and destroyed her credit score. Now she cannot even take out a mobile phone
14:05Surviving economic abuse and UK finance have made progress tackling this issue, but more
14:09has to be done. Will the Prime Minister and his Government work with me to introduce new
14:14provisions so that we can restore the credit files for survivors of economic abuse like
14:18Emily?
14:19I thank my hon. Friend for raising this really important issue, because economic abuse has
14:27a devastating impact on victims, leaving them vulnerable and isolated. We are committed
14:32to ending this national emergency and keeping women safe from domestic abuse, harassment
14:38and stalking. That includes £200,000 this year to the charity Surviving economic abuse,
14:47and HMRC has launched an online tool to help charities and businesses identify and respond
14:53to economic abuse. I will make sure that the hon. Gentleman has a meeting with the relevant
14:56Minister.
14:57The Leader of the Liberal Democrats, Sir Ed Davies.
15:02Can I join the Prime Minister in his comments about Remembrance Sunday? We must always remember
15:07the brave British men and women who gave their lives for our country. Can I join him in welcoming
15:13the Conservative leader to her place? Can I congratulate her on becoming the first black
15:18leader of a UK-wide party, a major and historic achievement?
15:26President-elect Trump praised Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine. He called it genius.
15:35He also said he would encourage Russia to do whatever the hell it wants to NATO allies.
15:42What action is the Prime Minister taking to encourage a Trump presidency and to change
15:49its mind? Otherwise, it is a huge threat to global security and national security in the
15:55UK. Does the Prime Minister agree that if the US will not oppose President Putin and
16:01support our brave Ukrainian allies, the UK must lead in Europe, so that together we do?
16:11I am very proud that in this House we are united on the question of Ukraine and clear
16:17about Russian aggression, and we will continue to do so. I have long taken the view that
16:22the only winner, if we are divided in this House, is Putin, and I am not prepared to
16:26let that happen. Our relationship with the US is a strong relationship forged in very
16:32difficult circumstances historically. It remains as strong today as it was when it
16:36was first forged, and I look forward to working with President-elect Trump to ensure that
16:40relationship stays the special relationship.
16:43I am grateful for the Prime Minister's comments on Ukraine, but Donald Trump has also said
16:49that trade wars are good. He calls himself a tariff man. People are really worried that
16:56Trump trade wars and tariffs will damage our economy, damage businesses and hit the cost
17:02of living here in the UK. Given this, does the Prime Minister recognise that it is more
17:10urgent than ever that we support our British economy by getting rid of the damaging trade
17:17barriers with Europe put in place by the Conservatives?
17:20As the Prime Minister will know, we have put the economy centrepiece to our Budget, and
17:31we will do everything that we need to do to ensure that our economy grows. That is measured
17:35in living standards going up for working people across the country.
17:39There are so many families across Aldershot and Farnborough who have struggled for years
17:47to get their children the help they need with special educational needs. Is it therefore
17:53shameful to read misguided claims that autistic people may well get better treatment and receive
18:01economic privileges and protections, made by the Leader of the Opposition? Will the
18:11Prime Minister stand with families of autistic children and distance this Government from
18:17those awful words?
18:19I will leave the Leader of the Opposition to respond to those words. As the recent NAO
18:28report exposed, under the previous Government, children with SEND were being failed by the
18:33system. That has come up five times in the last two or three weeks at PMQs. It is clearly
18:40a serious issue. Our focus will be on ensuring that every child receives the right support
18:46to succeed in their education.
18:49Salsa Eastworld.
18:50Prime Minister, Northern Ireland is considered one of the most dangerous places in Europe
18:56to be a woman. In the last four years, 24 women have been killed, but one of the most
19:03dangerous places for women and girls is online. I also pay tribute to the work of Belfast
19:09and Lisburn Women's Aid, which is tireless in its advocacy for women. What is this Government
19:16doing to keep women and girls safe online, not just in Ligon Valley but right across
19:21the United Kingdom?
19:24The right hon. Member is right to draw attention to this issue. Misogyny and abuse, both online
19:30and offline, cause horrendous harm to women and girls across the UK. I commend her honesty
19:39and bravery in speaking out about her own experiences and her dedication to creating
19:44safe spaces for women in her constituency. We must create a safer world online for women
19:53and girls through the Online Safety Act, mitigating the risk of illegal content and activity which
19:58is abusive or incites hatred.
20:01Everyone in Sulloch will benefit from the positive measures in the Budget last week,
20:06especially the thousands on the minimum wage getting a real-terms increase to help themselves,
20:13their families and the economy. The new leader of the Tory party, this week's leader, is
20:18on record as saying she wants to scrap it, having seemingly learned nothing from July.
20:24Will the Prime Minister pledge to protect the minimum wage and increase it in this Parliament
20:29as finances allow?
20:34The last Labour Government transformed the labour market with the national minimum wage,
20:39something which was opposed by the party opposite at the time. Sadly, they do not seem
20:44to have changed. I was surprised by the comments of the Leader of the Opposition. I was surprised
20:50to see the new shadow Business Secretary say that the minimum wage is
20:54something legislators pass to make themselves feel good. I disagree, and I am very proud
21:01of the fact that this Labour Government have raised wages for 3 million of low-paid workers,
21:05and I expect the party opposite to welcome that.
21:08After 14 years shaping the UK's long-term strategies for life science, agritech, fusion
21:15and space, I welcome the Government's industrial strategy, but too many of our great companies
21:20are being bought out by our competitors. To build the industries of tomorrow here, we
21:25need to unlock some of the hundreds of billions in UK pension funds in the city, only 3% of
21:30which are now investing in UK equities. With the new Lord Mayor making this a priority
21:35and the Manchester House speech imminent, will the new Government commit to see-through
21:39the last Government's reforms to unlock British capital for British R&D growth?
21:44I thank the Prime Minister for welcoming the industrial strategy. I know that this is an
21:49issue close to his heart that he has spoken about and acted on for many years. The Budget
21:57sees record numbers of R&D investment, with more than £20 billion next year, including
22:02over £2 billion to support our world-leading life sciences sector. Through the British
22:07Growth Partnership, we will crowd in pension funds investment to support innovative business,
22:13and we have launched our landmark pensions review to unlock the billions of investment
22:18into the UK and boost growth and living standards across the country.
22:25As the Chancellor said last week, we were left a toxic legacy by the previous Government,
22:32including rivers filled with polluted waste. Will the Prime Minister put the River Wye
22:38into special measures by designating it a water protection zone, and will he meet me
22:44and the excellent cross-border Wye catchment partnership to deliver their plan to clean
22:49up the Wye?
22:53The River Wye is one of our most important and iconic rivers, and we are working closely
22:58with the Welsh Government on this pressing issue. A destruction of our waterways should
23:04never have been allowed, and that is why we launched a water commission to attract investment
23:10and speed up infrastructure delivery. We also introduced legislation to enable tougher penalties
23:16and severe fines to crack down on polluters. I will make sure that she gets a meeting with
23:21the relevant Minister.
23:22I call the Minister for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Sir Robert Lee.
23:26As a good lawyer, I know that the Prime Minister will want to listen to the evidence. If the
23:32evidence mounts from experts in organisations such as the NFU that smaller family farms
23:38of average size—250 acres—are going to be severely impacted by this tax, in a spirit
23:46of compromise, will he listen to the evidence, keep an open mind and perhaps be prepared
23:50to raise the thresholds to preserve our family farms?
23:55We are listening to farmers. The Environment Secretary and the Treasury Minister met the
24:01NFU on Monday this week. We have taken a fair and balanced approach. The vast majority of
24:10farms will not be affected by this.
24:13I will also say this. Having grown up in a rural community, I know that rural communities
24:20also need an NHS that is back on its feet. They also need schools that their children
24:25can go to and homes that their families can afford to live in, but we will continue to
24:30talk the NFU and others.
24:32The Leader of the Opposition told us this week that any outrage at suitcases full of
24:40wine and karaoke machines in Downing Street, while people across the country were told
24:46to stay at home, was all overblown. For the people and businesses in my constituency who
24:54followed the rules—many of us at great personal cost—this is an insult. Will the Prime Minister
25:02join me in ensuring that, as a country, we learn the lessons from covid and that, as
25:07a party, the Conservatives learn the lessons of their behaviour too?
25:15Across the country, people made enormous sacrifices during covid. They missed weddings, births
25:22and deaths—really important moments in their lives and their families' lives. In doing
25:27so, they saved the lives of people they will probably never meet. That was a collective
25:33effort. Unfortunately, the party opposite, which set the rules, did not follow them
25:38themselves. It was a betrayal of those who did. I think the Leader of the Opposition
25:44was wrong to describe the public anger and upset as overblown. I am sure she will want
25:53to clarify that at the first opportunity.
25:56The Minister for Business, Fair Work and Skills
25:59Glancourse Nursing Home is in my constituency and it is mourned. It tells me that the budget
26:03changes mean a 10% increase in its cost. That is a staggering £127,500 extra in-year cost.
26:13Will the Prime Minister reconsider the rise in employers' national insurance?
26:19What we did in the budget last week was to ensure that no one would face tax rises in
26:25their payslip. We had to deal with the £22 billion black hole, but when we did so we
26:33protected the smallest businesses and charities. We doubled the employment allowance to £10,500.
26:42That means that 40% of employers will not pay employers' NICs. Companies with four
26:47employees or less on a minimum wage will pay no employers' NICs at all, and half
26:54of businesses that pay NICs will see no change or pay less after the budget.
27:02My constituents in Bolton West were pleased to hear last week's budget prioritise investment
27:06in public infrastructure, including important projects such as the electrification of the
27:11Wigan to Bolton railway line, which will deliver more reliable and greener journeys. Does the
27:16Prime Minister agree that investment in the key infrastructure of towns such as Horwich,
27:22West Horton, Blackrod and Bolton is the only way to deliver economic growth and prosperity
27:26for all?
27:27My hon. Friend is a champion for the north-west. The budget secured investment for vital transport
27:35projects to transform connectivity across the north of England and drive economic growth.
27:41That includes completing the Wigan to Bolton electrification, which is a really important
27:46momentum on the northern powerhouse rail. There is over £5 billion to support everyday
27:51journeys for working people. By restoring economic stability and increasing investment,
27:56we are taking our country forward.
27:58The Swan Youth project in Berkhamstead is an incredible drop-in centre that intervenes
28:05to bring hope and a better future to teenagers like Lex and Megan, who have been facing anxiety,
28:10depression and long mental health waiting lists, as well as families coping with SEND.
28:15It has already written to the Treasury saying that it is worried about getting the funds
28:18that it needs as our communities face a tough winter and grants are depleting. Parole the
28:24Manager also assures me that she makes a mean curry and would welcome the Prime Minister.
28:29Will the Prime Minister join me to discuss its concerns and ensure that organisations
28:33in a third sector such as theirs get the support they need as they work tirelessly for our
28:37communities?
28:39I have been to Berkhamstead a number of times. We have very good friends who live there.
28:45I want to pay tribute to the work of the Swan Youth project. Too many young people are struggling
28:53with mental health and not receiving the support they need. That is why we will recruit an
28:59additional 8,500 mental health workers and are introducing reforms to the Mental Health
29:04Act 1998, which is happening today. Of course, we will also put more money into SEND, but
29:11we also need to look at reforming SEND, which I think and hope will be supported across
29:16this House. I will make sure that the right hon. Lady gets a meeting with the relevant
29:19Ministers about that.
29:21My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister will know that, after 14 years of Tory ideological
29:26hostility and cuts, our universities are in financial meltdown. In my constituency of
29:33Norwich South, the University of East Anglia is having to make redundancies, as are many
29:38others. Our hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education has started to address the problem,
29:43but we need a longer-term solution that does not simply saddle more debt on our young people.
29:49Can my right hon. Friend say how we can move to fix the foundations of higher education
29:55as we go forward?
29:57My right hon. Friend is right to raise higher education, because we inherited a sector facing
30:05severe financial challenges. Universities have suffered real-terms decline in their
30:12income and the gap between disadvantaged students and their peers is the highest on record.
30:18We have had to take tough decisions to put that on a secure footing, but we are also
30:22taking the step of easing the living pressures by increasing the maintenance loans, which
30:28is worth £414 extra per year.
30:33Alex Brooke.
30:34The Prime Minister and the hon. Lady
30:35My hon. Friend the Member for Hamilton East, former sub-postminister and constituent of
30:38North East Hampshire, has long been campaigning, along with Alan Bates, for compensation following
30:44the Horizon post-office scandal. Can the Prime Minister give an exact timeframe in which
30:50those who have been waiting over a decade might finally be compensated?
30:54I am grateful to her for raising this important issue, because a commitment was made to properly
31:03compensate the victims of this scandal. Unfortunately, regrettably, having made that commitment,
31:10the party opposite, the winning Government, did not allocate any money to that compensation.
31:16Her constituents will be pleased to know that we have changed the approach. We have
31:20set out the compensation within the transparent and accountable Budget, and we will make the
31:27payments just as soon as we can.
31:30John Coltrane.
31:31May I quickly echo the Prime Minister's sentiments to that other son of Lewis, who
31:37I wish I had woken up to today in the Isle of Harris? My constituents face long delays,
31:44cancellations and loss of service because of the SNP's incompetent handling of ferry
31:48procurement. In last week's Budget, the Scottish Government received a record settlement.
31:53Can I urge the Prime Minister to tell the Scottish Ministers to use that to improve
31:58public service in Scotland, to invest in the NHS in the hill and year, to build schools
32:03in places such as Barra and to finally fix the ferry fiasco?
32:11Last week in the Budget, we delivered the largest settlement for the Scottish Government
32:15in real terms since devolution. That includes £3.4 billion through the Barnett formula,
32:22a fuel duty freeze and an increase to the national living wage, benefiting his constituencies
32:27and all those across Scotland. The result of the Budget is now clear. The SNP in power
32:35in Scotland have the powers, they now have the money and they have no more excuses.
32:49Does the Prime Minister really think it is acceptable for a backbench MP to suggest that
32:54the Leader of the Opposition represents white supremacy in blackface and is the most prominent
33:00member of white supremacy's black collaborator class, with all the race-traitor innuendo
33:04that that carries? If he does not, why has he not removed the whip?
33:11No I do not.
33:19As a semi-retired violinist and rock musician asking a semi-retired multi-instrumentalist,
33:27I feel confident that the Prime Minister shares my belief in the importance of music education.
33:34Does my right hon. Friend agree that, as we unleash the potential of our country,
33:39we must invest in the educational infrastructure of creative arts subjects so that they are
33:43accessible to all? Will he visit my constituency to see the great work of the schools there,
33:48despite the inheritance we received?
33:52I am not sure about the description of semi-retired, although that may be the wish of
33:56the Opposition. I know from personal experience that music, the creatives and art are really
34:05important for children and young people in terms of the pleasure it gives them, the knowledge,
34:11but also the working in groups and the leadership. That is why we are determined
34:14to ensure that they are counted subjects again within the curriculum, which will encourage many
34:19more schools to provide it within the curriculum and enrich the futures of children and young
34:24people across the country.
34:26Will the Prime Minister join me in welcoming James Cleverley to the House of Commons?
34:40Before the election, he claimed that he would not put up national insurance contributions.
34:45He put it up. Before the election, he claimed he would scrap tuition fees. He put it up. Before
34:51the election, he said he would not tax family farms. He is taxing family farms. Will he address
34:57his party's growing reputation for dishonesty by making good on his commitment to close the
35:03Wethersfield asylum accommodation centre in my constituency?
35:10We are keeping the promises we made in our manifesto.
35:14The Prime Minister's problem is that he cannot add up. If he could add up, he might be down here
35:19rather than up there, and would take up the issue in his constituency.
35:30Monday of this week marked the seven-year anniversary of my constituent
35:34Jaktar Singh Johal's arbitrary detention in India. Can the Prime Minister assure me that
35:40he and his Government will do all they can to secure his immediate release and bring him home?
35:48We are absolutely committed to pushing the Government of India on this really
35:51important case. The Foreign Secretary has raised it, and we will continue
35:56to do so. We will make sure that we speak to him as we do.