Politics RECAP: Boris Johnson to face questions over MPs' second jobs row as sleaze row rumbles on following PMQs grilling
The Prime Minister did not apologise for the Owen Paterson affair but repeated it was a “mistake” to conflate the issue with reforming the standards process more generally.
Sir Keir Starmer questioned if Boris Johnson would back an investigation into contracts given to Randox or “vote for another cover-up”.
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SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford said the Prime Minister’s proposals to update the Code of Conduct for MPs are already “half-botched” and do not “even scratch the surface”.
Boris Johnson will face a showdown with his own backbenchers over plans to ban MPs from paid political consultancy work.
The PM is to be questioned by Liaison Committee with a standards debate from 1pm with vote around scheduled for around 7.
Boris Johnson will face MPs during Prime Minister's Questions and will also face the backbench 1922 Committee in a bid to repair relations with his MPs.
The Prime Minister announced that he supported a ban on consultancy ahead of a vote on the issue called by Sir Keir Starmer on Wednesday.
The Government effectively took over Labour’s opposition day debate by tabling an amendment with its own proposals.
The move provoked a furious response from Labour who accused ministers of “watering down” their original motion, effectively making it non-binding.
You can follow updates in our live blog.
Politics LIVE: Boris Johnson to face questions over MPs’ second jobs row as sleaze row rumbles on following PMQs grilling
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey about ambulance waiting times. He says “Waiting times are not statistics; they are about people. Why are ambulance stations closing?”
Boris Johnson says that the NHS and amblance staff are doing an amazing jobs adding that the government is putting more money into the NHS.
David Duguid asks about the future of Scottish carbon capture and storage with the Prime Minister saying Scottish carbon capture and storage project remains on the reserve list for government backing. He says the UK Government continues to study Acorn project and hopes to bring it forward.
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Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle repeatedly clashed with Boris Johnson as the Prime Minister attempted to question Sir Keir Starmer about any links with Mishcon de Reya.
Sir Lindsay told Mr Johnson: “I don’t want to fall out about it, I’ve made it very clear – it is Prime Minister’s Questions, it’s not for the Opposition to answer your questions.
“Whether we like it or not those are the rules of the game that we’re all into and we play by the rules, don’t we? And we respect this House, so let’s respect the House.”
After Mr Johnson attempted to ask again about the issue in a later exchange, the Speaker said: “Prime Minister, sit down. I’m not going to be challenged, you may be the Prime Minister of this country but in this House I’m in charge.”
Sir Keir Starmer also quizzed Boris Johnson on the sleaze allegations and called on Mr Johnson to confirm that he “stands by that promise” to develop the eastern leg as well as the whole of HS2.
He said: “That was a lot of words but it wasn’t a yes. So that’s one important promise to the North that he won’t stand by.
Some other questions from MPs
- David Linden asks if the UK Government will back a bill to give the parents of premature babies extra time off work, with Boris Johbnson saying that the government will legislate for this one way or another.
- Rebecca Long Bailey asks if the the PM recognise nuclear testing veterans to which the PM says he will look into.
- Caroline Ansell asks Boris Johnson if he thinks migrants would risk the Channel crossing if they knew they would immediately be taken to an offshore processing centre.
Ian Paisley asks when the government will trigger article 16, the PM responds that that there is “No question” triggering Article 16 is legal.”
A heated PMQs comes to an end but Conservative MP Michael Fabricant raises a point of order urging Sir Keir Starmer to withdraw his “coward” jibe aimed at the Prime Minister.
Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle noted: “Coward is not what is used in this House.”
Sir Keir replied: “I withdraw it, but he’s no leader.”
Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle repeatedly clashed with Boris Johnson as the Prime Minister attempted to question Sir Keir Starmer about any links with Mishcon de Reya.
Sir Lindsay told Mr Johnson: “I don’t want to fall out about it, I’ve made it very clear – it is Prime Minister’s Questions, it’s not for the Opposition to answer your questions.
“Whether we like it or not those are the rules of the game that we’re all into and we play by the rules, don’t we? And we respect this House, so let’s respect the House.”
After Mr Johnson attempted to ask again about the issue in a later exchange, the Speaker said: “Prime Minister, sit down. I’m not going to be challenged, you may be the Prime Minister of this country but in this House I’m in charge.”
Mr Johnson later accused Sir Keir of “Mish-conduct”, which prompted calls from the Labour benches for the comment to be withdrawn.
The Speaker said: “I don’t think this has done this House any good today. I’ll be quite honest, I think it’s been ill-tempered, I think it shows the public that this House has not learnt from the other week, I need this House to gain respect but it starts by individuals showing respect for each other.”
During PMQs the Prime Minister also defended the UK’s threats to use Article 16 of the Northern Ireland Protocol to withdraw from the agreement, saying that it is “legitimate” and “perfectly legal”.
At Prime Minister’s Questions, DUP MP Ian Paisley (North Antrim) said: “It has cost businesses in Northern Ireland £850 million to date to operate the failed and suffocating protocol.”
He added: “When will the Prime Minister fix this by legitimately activating Article 16?”
Boris Johnson replied: “I think the word I would fasten on in his question is legitimate.
“There is no question that the use of Article 16, which has already been done by the EU Commission to stop vaccines being exported into this country, it is something that is perfectly legal within the powers of the protocol.”