Keir Starmer accuses Rishi Sunak of not personally believing in Rwanda policy at PMQs – UK politics live | Politics


Starmer says Sunak does not even personally believe in the Rwanda policy. How has he spent £600m on a gimmick to deport just 300 people.

Sunak says Labour voted against his plan. He say 900 criminals have been arrested thanks to the government’s new people smuggling laws. If Starmer was not Labour leader, he would want to be their lawyer.

Key events

Tahir Ali (Lab) says Sunak will soon be in opposition. Before then, will he recognise the state of Palestine?

Sunak says the government will do that when it will most help the peace process. But the government wants a two state solution, he says.

And that was the last question.

Andy Slaughter (Lab) says the PM has had advice about the legality of the Israel-Hamas war. Is the PM acting on that advice?

Sunak say he is calling on Israel to respect international humanitarian law. He says he and the foreign secretary have repeatedly made this point to Benjamin Netanyahu. He says the government believes Israel is capable of complying with international law.

Ashley Dalton (Lab) asks about the Tory donor Frank Hester, and his comments about Indian members of staff. Does the PM agree those comments were racist?

Sunak says he addressed this last week.

Sarah Atherton (Con) says Wrexham, her town, is doing well. Does the PM agree that has happened under the Tories?

Sunak says Atherton has been an excellent campaigner for her town.

Dan Carden (Lab) says this parliament will be the worst on record for living standards. Why?

Sunak says living standards ar £1,700 higher in real terms than in 2010. Labour would put taxes up for people, he says.

Liam Fox (Con) says tomorrow is world’s Down’s syndrome day. He says abortion for Down’s syndrome is allowed up to 40 weeks. Will the PM back changing this so that it is in line with the normal abortion limit?

Sunak says when parliament legislated for abortion, it said doctors should be able to make decisions in difficult cases. He says votes on these issues have always been conscious matters.

Mark Hendrick (Lab) asks if the PM agrees with the EU’s foreign affairs chief, Josep Borrell, who said Israel was using starvation as a tool of war.

Sunak says the status quo is unsustainable, and that Israel should be allowing more aid into Gaza.

Angela Richardson (Con) invites Sunak to criticise Labour’s plans to build on the green belt.

Sunak says the Tories would protect the green belt, in Guildford and elsewhere.

Layla Moran (Lib Dem) asks about a constituent forced to wait about 24 hours in hospital for an operation that was then cancelled. She says the NHS is being run into the ground.

Sunak says he is sorry to hear about Moran’s constituent’s experience. But the NHS has received record funding from the government, he says. He says waiting lists are coming down.

Sir Edward Leigh (Con) asks if the government will release the RAF Scampton base for regeneration, now that the plans to use if for asylum seekers have been scaled back.

Sunak says the government is looking at this. But he supports the campaigning Leigh has done on this.

Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, the DUP leader, asks about the vote at Stormont yesterday to veto a new EU law. He says the DUP secured the right for Stormont to do this. Will the PM confirm that the government will implement the rest of the measures in the Safeguarding the Union report.

Sunak says the government will implement those proposals at pace.

Stephen Flynn, the SNP leader, says given the Tory party is looking for a unity candidate to replace him, which of the Thatcherites on the Labour front bench would do the job best.

Sunak laughs. He says it was surprising to hear Rachel Reeves talking about the 1970s. He says what has happened in Birmingham under Labour, with street lights going out, is reminscent of the 70s.

Flynn says the IFS says Labour and the Tories are in a conspiracy of silence over future spending cuts.

Sunak says he is surprised to hear Flynn talk about the IFS, because the IFS has been critical of the Scottish government’s “tax and axe” budget.

Keir Starmer speaks during prime minister’s questions. Photograph: House of Commons/UK Parliament/PA
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