28/06/2017

:00:38. > :00:41.Morning, folks - welcome to the Daily Politics.

:00:42. > :00:45.28 years after the Hillsborough Stadium disaster and an inquest that

:00:46. > :00:53.concluded the 96 victims were unlawfully killed -

:00:54. > :00:56.the Crown Prosecution Service say they are to bring charges

:00:57. > :00:58.against 6 people - we'll bring you the details.

:00:59. > :01:01.MPs prepare to vote on a Labour call for more police officers,

:01:02. > :01:03.firefighters and an end to the public sector pay cap -

:01:04. > :01:05.how will Theresa May fare in this first test

:01:06. > :01:11.It's the first Prime Minister's Questions of the new parliament -

:01:12. > :01:13.the main characters are the same - but has the election

:01:14. > :01:19.And Nicola Sturgeon reflects on the general election result -

:01:20. > :01:21.she still wants a second independence referendum -

:01:22. > :01:34.All that in the next 90 minutes and with us for the duration on this

:01:35. > :01:36.first Prime Minsiter's Questions of the new parliament

:01:37. > :01:38.is the Transport Secretary, Chris Grayling and the Shadow Brexit

:01:39. > :01:45.First this morning, as we come on air the Crown Prosecution Service

:01:46. > :01:47.have announced that they will bring criminal charges

:01:48. > :01:50.against individuals in relation to the Hillsborough Stadium

:01:51. > :02:09.Among them is the Chief Superintendent and the former Chief

:02:10. > :02:12.Constable of South Yorkshire, and the former Sheffield Wednesday club

:02:13. > :02:13.secretary. This is what Sue Hemming,

:02:14. > :02:16.Head of Special Crime at the CPS had to say in a statement that's

:02:17. > :02:19.just been released. At the turn of the year,

:02:20. > :02:21.the CPS received the first full files of evidence from Operation

:02:22. > :02:24.Resolve and the Independent Police Complaints Commission in relation

:02:25. > :02:26.to their investigations into the Hillsborough disaster

:02:27. > :02:30.and the events which followed. The Operation Resolve files

:02:31. > :02:38.comprised approximately 85,000 pages, and the IPCC

:02:39. > :02:40.South Yorkshire Police file Following these thorough

:02:41. > :02:46.investigations and our careful review of the evidence,

:02:47. > :02:48.in accordance with the code for Crown prosecutors,

:02:49. > :02:53.I have decided that there is sufficient evidence to charge six

:02:54. > :03:08.individuals with criminal offences. Your reaction? The important thing

:03:09. > :03:12.is not to say too much because there is clearly a trial to come. I hope

:03:13. > :03:20.the decision and the process that will follow will give an opportunity

:03:21. > :03:25.for the families to have real closure but whatever the outcome of

:03:26. > :03:29.the trial, it will have hopefully brought the truth into the open and

:03:30. > :03:35.it will give those families, who'd been through so much the years, a

:03:36. > :03:44.degree of closure. I hope it at least gives them satisfaction that

:03:45. > :03:50.proper process has been followed. We cannot talk too much about the

:03:51. > :03:56.charges, they've been announced. We can say that nobody will face

:03:57. > :04:02.corporate charges. All the defendants bar one will appear

:04:03. > :04:07.before magistrates on August nine. I due -- would you like to say

:04:08. > :04:09.something having heard this news? This will be welcomed by the

:04:10. > :04:14.families of the victims of Hillsborough. This is something

:04:15. > :04:20.they've wanted for many years. It has taken 20 years to get here and

:04:21. > :04:24.there will be many people reflecting on the length of time that has

:04:25. > :04:31.taken. There will be vindication for the families that they have kept

:04:32. > :04:37.this campaign alive and been relentless in their campaign to see

:04:38. > :04:44.justice. It is good that we are here, it is so sad that it has taken

:04:45. > :04:46.so long. They were told at a private meeting before it was made public.

:04:47. > :04:48.She promised strong and stable government.

:04:49. > :04:50.But instead Theresa May leads a depleted team

:04:51. > :04:55.Today - as she tries to get her Queen's speech through -

:04:56. > :04:58.she faces Jeremy Corbyn in the first Prime Minister's Questions

:04:59. > :05:02.So how will Mrs May's hung minority government work,

:05:03. > :05:04.what policies will it pursue and how will the opposition

:05:05. > :05:12.Here's Jo with the Daily Politics Minority Report.

:05:13. > :05:17.On Monday Theresa May signed a so-called "confidence and supply"

:05:18. > :05:20.deal with the Democratic Unionist Party.

:05:21. > :05:23.The government gets the support of the DUP on key votes

:05:24. > :05:25.in Parliament concerning the Queen's speech and Budget bills.

:05:26. > :05:27.In return for DUP support, Northern Ireland receives

:05:28. > :05:32.one billion pounds to fund infrastructure projects,

:05:33. > :05:34.improve broadband and relieve pressures on the health service

:05:35. > :05:46.Theresa May was also forced to abandon manifesto proposals

:05:47. > :05:48.to means-test the Winter Fuel allowance and changes to the

:05:49. > :05:55.The first test for May's minority government

:05:56. > :05:57.will be getting the Queen's speech through Parliament.

:05:58. > :05:59.It contains 27 bills - eight relating to Brexit.

:06:00. > :06:05.The UK's position remains that it will leave

:06:06. > :06:08.the single market and customs union with a time limited "transitional

:06:09. > :06:14.deal" to avoid a cliff-edge scenario when new arrangements kick in.

:06:15. > :06:16.Labour has tabled an amendment to the Queen's

:06:17. > :06:20.speech that calls for an end to austerity and the 1%

:06:21. > :06:27.and fire service in the recent terrorist attacks and at

:06:28. > :06:30.the Grenfell fire disaster - and calls for the recruitment

:06:31. > :06:41.off the Labour challenge with the help of DUP support.

:06:42. > :06:50.Thank you. Chris Grayling. By the time of the election, you had

:06:51. > :06:55.presided over seven years of austerity for the British people.

:06:56. > :07:00.You basically promised another five. The British people said, you're not

:07:01. > :07:07.on. Why were they wrong? Let's be clear what you mean about austerity.

:07:08. > :07:17.It means the nation living between its means. Within. Yes. We have

:07:18. > :07:22.sought to keep bringing the amount down, to stop passing debt to the

:07:23. > :07:29.next generation. It has been a difficult balance, there have been

:07:30. > :07:34.tough decisions. We have the lowest unemployment since the 1970s. The

:07:35. > :07:38.jobs picture has been beyond all my expectations. I could never have

:07:39. > :07:45.imagined we would make this progress. Austerity is a 1% public

:07:46. > :07:50.sector pay for some people at a time when inflation is 3%. That is

:07:51. > :07:54.austerity for public sector workers. We've had to take some tough

:07:55. > :07:59.decisions. We will need to think through what we do. But we've not

:08:00. > :08:11.shied away from tough decisions. It has been tough decisions for other

:08:12. > :08:20.people. It enables us to save public sector jobs. You were promising

:08:21. > :08:24.more. It was endless and relentless. During the election public sector

:08:25. > :08:28.workers were saying, we understood everybody had to tighten their

:08:29. > :08:32.belts, we did that, we've been on the front line. There's been a huge

:08:33. > :08:40.cut in public sector jobs as well. But they've had enough. And we are

:08:41. > :08:45.going to listen to the outcome of the referendum. -- the election.

:08:46. > :08:48.What does that mean, listen? We are not going to announce financial

:08:49. > :08:52.measures today. When you talk about the election. We had a disappointing

:08:53. > :08:58.result, we still increased our thoughts. We got more votes than

:08:59. > :09:15.Tony Blair dead. You are a minority government. I would hardly say it is

:09:16. > :09:23.success. I would not say we lost. With this government commits, for

:09:24. > :09:32.the rest of its life, not to cut police numbers any further? Two

:09:33. > :09:36.points, we are protecting police budgets and you will have heard the

:09:37. > :09:42.woman who runs the Fire Service saying she does not have a problem

:09:43. > :09:45.with the resources she's got. Will you commit to not cutting police or

:09:46. > :09:53.Fire Service numbers. You have cut them. We will announce in the

:09:54. > :10:00.budget, not in the Queen's speech debate. Philip Hammond says we are

:10:01. > :10:13.not deaf. That is what he said a day ago. If so, tell us what you are

:10:14. > :10:18.going to do. We've had three terrorist attacks in a row. We've

:10:19. > :10:29.had the worst public disaster since Hillsborough. Surely it stands to

:10:30. > :10:35.reason that police numbers will be protected? The police budget is

:10:36. > :10:41.being protected. Use a budget, I see numbers. You like they are the same

:10:42. > :10:47.thing. They are not. You can spend the budget on all sorts of other

:10:48. > :10:56.things. We are providing them with a budget which is protecting them. Are

:10:57. > :11:03.you just on the wrong side of the zeitgeist? Some gains have been

:11:04. > :11:15.made, but the deficit is still ?50 billion. Perhaps some tax rises to

:11:16. > :11:24.increase public spending is what the public demands? We've done two

:11:25. > :11:32.things on tax. People on lower incomes have been facing a policy of

:11:33. > :11:36.the kind you described. We've been cutting that year after year but

:11:37. > :11:41.we've also increased the taxation on the wealthiest. They pay a higher

:11:42. > :11:47.share of their income than was the case when Labour in power. You have

:11:48. > :11:57.not increased it. The result has been you've got more tax revenues.

:11:58. > :12:00.That is not government policy. It is the case that they are paying a

:12:01. > :12:09.higher share. Not because you've increased their taxes. What taxes

:12:10. > :12:16.have you put up for the rich? They pay a higher share of income today.

:12:17. > :12:24.I understand that. But you've said, we've put taxes up for the rich.

:12:25. > :12:30.What have you put up? We've put in tax avoidance measures which mean

:12:31. > :12:43.people paying a higher share of their income than they did under

:12:44. > :12:48.Labour. You found ?1 billion for the DUP. You found money to fill that

:12:49. > :12:55.hole as well. Where is your magic money tree hidden? Is it in the

:12:56. > :13:01.garden of Downing Street? We have a much sounder public finance than we

:13:02. > :13:05.did seven years ago. You still have the largest budget deficit of any

:13:06. > :13:13.major economy in Europe. Philip Hammond set in place policies with

:13:14. > :13:17.flexibility to allow us to invest in priorities and I make no apologies

:13:18. > :13:20.for investing in infrastructure in Northern Ireland which does not have

:13:21. > :13:26.the same quality in infrastructure. But you're basically using our money

:13:27. > :13:29.to prop up your government. It is not your money. We could well have

:13:30. > :13:33.said we should spend an extra billion and if we had done it

:13:34. > :13:44.through the country we could have had a 2% pay rise for NHS staff,

:13:45. > :13:48.16,000 new social homes, 71 new schools, one year of three primary

:13:49. > :13:54.schools. Instead it has gone to that part of the country that you need to

:13:55. > :13:59.prop you up. Yes, we are spending more money on infrastructure in

:14:00. > :14:10.Northern Ireland and also around the UK, we've got new roads. There are

:14:11. > :14:15.always new roads. In what way was austerity responsible for Grenfell

:14:16. > :14:20.Tower? I'm not saying it was. Some in the Labour Party have. I know,

:14:21. > :14:27.and I've heard what they've said. I think we need to wait for the

:14:28. > :14:31.enquiry to find out what was responsible and who is responsible.

:14:32. > :14:36.Can you give any reason that it was austerity? We know that it was a

:14:37. > :14:41.terrible tragedy and that we need to get to the bottom of it, but as a

:14:42. > :14:45.general consequence of austerity, what is the link between what you

:14:46. > :14:51.regard as austerity and what happened on that terrible night? It

:14:52. > :14:55.would appear, and I'm accepting we need an enquiry, that decisions were

:14:56. > :15:02.taken for financial reasons that led to that Tara being as unsafe as it

:15:03. > :15:11.was. We don't know that. We spent ?8 million on it. It was... It is not

:15:12. > :15:16.clear but it looks like it was spent wrongly, like wrong materials were

:15:17. > :15:22.used, like it is not unique at all to Grenfell Tower. That is not

:15:23. > :15:26.because it did not have money spent on it but it was spent on it in the

:15:27. > :15:34.wrong way. Indeed, and why did that not happen and why were those

:15:35. > :15:37.decisions made? It is culpability but not austerity. I will not make

:15:38. > :15:42.something up that suits me politically about something that was

:15:43. > :15:44.horrific. Have some of your colleagues gone too far? I think

:15:45. > :15:52.some of the language has. One of our missions is to clarify

:15:53. > :15:58.both the government and Labour position on Brexit, which isn't easy

:15:59. > :16:01.in either case. Let me show you this clip from the former Labour Europe

:16:02. > :16:02.minister, Caroline Flint, on the single market membership.

:16:03. > :16:06.Those who aim to keep us in the single market know full well

:16:07. > :16:08.that this is EU membership in all but name.

:16:09. > :16:11.Now, I promised to work for the best deal for jobs in Doncaster,

:16:12. > :16:14.to protect workers' rights, to end free movement as we know it

:16:15. > :16:20.And we can't spend the next 18 months looking like we're just

:16:21. > :16:24.scoring points to vote down every one of the Tories' EU bills.

:16:25. > :16:34.I think, if we do that, we will look like liars.

:16:35. > :16:39.Do you agree? I think that if we have a position which says, we want

:16:40. > :16:44.to maintain full membership as it currently exists of the single

:16:45. > :16:47.market, that would be the wrong position for the Labour Party to

:16:48. > :16:53.take and the wrong thing for the country to try and do. I think we

:16:54. > :16:56.need the fullest possible access and the government needs to be more

:16:57. > :17:00.ambitious in the way it negotiates that, because it seems to have

:17:01. > :17:06.backed off very quickly from trying to have full access and reform of

:17:07. > :17:10.freedom of movement. It wants a free trade agreement and it accepts or

:17:11. > :17:15.believes we cannot be members of the single market. My understanding is

:17:16. > :17:19.that is pretty close to the Labour position, is it not? It's been

:17:20. > :17:22.interesting watching the Tories over the last few weeks. Their position

:17:23. > :17:30.has come a bit closer to ours. They have moved to you? I think so. In

:17:31. > :17:34.January, the Prime Minister was saying that no deal is better than a

:17:35. > :17:39.bad deal. That seems to have been ditched. There is an acknowledgement

:17:40. > :17:43.that we are going to need some form of transitional arrangement. That

:17:44. > :17:46.wasn't the case previously. Now that seems to be accepted. The government

:17:47. > :17:51.is now saying, Philip Hammond has said that he wants jobs and the

:17:52. > :17:56.economy to be the first concern in the Brexit negotiations. This is

:17:57. > :18:01.welcome as well. Let's see how that plays out. It's at an early stage.

:18:02. > :18:05.Into interesting that you say that the integration now perhaps is that

:18:06. > :18:10.jobs should be more important in controlling immigration. We had a

:18:11. > :18:18.bit of a clear out but we found this from, I'm voting Labour, 7th of May

:18:19. > :18:23.2015, controls on immigration. Yes. Would you still like to drink out of

:18:24. > :18:29.that cup? I'd be proud to drink out of it! You need controls on

:18:30. > :18:34.immigration. We need rules and control, but rules and control that

:18:35. > :18:38.don't harm our industry and economy. We would agree on this. We want a

:18:39. > :18:43.broad ranging free trade agreement. We want sensible partnership and to

:18:44. > :18:46.be able to maintain controls on immigration, but not to starve

:18:47. > :18:49.business of the ability to recruit when it meets too, so should be

:18:50. > :18:53.standing side-by-side for the I'd hope that Jenny and her colleagues

:18:54. > :18:58.would... What is more important to you, getting down to your 100,000

:18:59. > :19:04.target, which I still think is your policy, or jobs for the economy? We

:19:05. > :19:08.can debate the immigration mechanisms, and we can have our

:19:09. > :19:13.divisions over them, but if we agree that we need controls, we have to

:19:14. > :19:17.leave the single market and make sure that Brexit works well. We

:19:18. > :19:22.could do this more effectively if Labour simply supported it. We are

:19:23. > :19:24.going to move on, because that had nothing... It's an interesting

:19:25. > :19:27.answer which had nothing to do with what I asked.

:19:28. > :19:30.Now - after the election, the Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn said

:19:31. > :19:32.that the Conservative Party, not Labour, had "lost"

:19:33. > :19:35.and since then Mr Corbyn and his allies have certainly been

:19:36. > :19:40.But some of the language from the Labour leader and his key

:19:41. > :19:47.After the Grenfell Tower disaster, the former Labour

:19:48. > :19:49.frontbencher Clive Lewis posted a tweet saying: "Burn

:19:50. > :19:56.And the Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell told an audience

:19:57. > :19:59.at Glastonbury that the people who died in the Grenfell Tower

:20:00. > :20:01.fire were "murdered by political decisions".

:20:02. > :20:11.The senior Labour backbencher Margaret Hodge

:20:12. > :20:13.criticised Mr McDonnell - she said "That is language

:20:14. > :20:16.of the hard left which is not done in my name".

:20:17. > :20:18.And even John Healey, who sits in the Shadow Cabinet

:20:19. > :20:20.with John McDonnell, said: "I wouldn't use

:20:21. > :20:23.While Jeremy Corbyn was at Glastonbury he told

:20:24. > :20:25.the festival's founder, Michael Eavis, that he would

:20:26. > :20:28.be in Downing Street in just "six months" time.

:20:29. > :20:30.He said he would abolish the Trident nuclear deterrent

:20:31. > :20:34.And John McDonnell has also said that he wants to see

:20:35. > :20:36."a million" people take to the streets for a march

:20:37. > :20:39.in London this Saturday, in order to ensure that the next

:20:40. > :20:49.election comes "as early as possible".

:20:50. > :20:55.We have touched on this, but the claim by the Shadow Chancellor that

:20:56. > :21:01.victims who died in the Grenfell Tower fire had been murdered by

:21:02. > :21:05.political decisions, would you use that language? I wouldn't. The legal

:21:06. > :21:10.definition of murder wouldn't be met by what happened. But John is very

:21:11. > :21:16.angry, as are a lot of people. He is for using colourful language. He

:21:17. > :21:21.feels very strongly about this. And he used language he did. It isn't

:21:22. > :21:27.something I would have said. Should he retract it? To say that people

:21:28. > :21:30.have been murdered by political decisions is pointing the finger of

:21:31. > :21:36.blame very squarely on people before we know any of the answers to what

:21:37. > :21:41.happened at Grenfell. You'd have to put that to him, not me. It isn't

:21:42. > :21:45.something I would have set myself. He is responsible for what he says.

:21:46. > :21:50.It isn't unusual for John to use these kinds of rhetoric. It does

:21:51. > :21:55.occasionally get him into difficulty, but he is the one who

:21:56. > :21:59.needs to account for that. Is the Shadow Chancellor. Clive Lewis,

:22:00. > :22:03.another of your colleagues, said Bernd neoliberalism, not people,

:22:04. > :22:11.implying that deliberately people are being burned. -- said burn

:22:12. > :22:13.neoliberalism. There is real anger out there about what happened and

:22:14. > :22:19.not just among people directly affected. People in my constituency

:22:20. > :22:23.see what happened and are very angry. They feel that people are in

:22:24. > :22:26.a situation where the authorities should have been more mindful of

:22:27. > :22:31.their safety and they weren't, and there is a natural, human response

:22:32. > :22:36.to that, which is anger. Sometimes, people get carried away and they

:22:37. > :22:40.will use language which, in the cold light of day, you might not choose,

:22:41. > :22:45.but that is a human response. I should think that everybody was

:22:46. > :22:50.angry about it, but is it anger or is it politicising what is a

:22:51. > :22:53.terrible tragedy? I think people who say that we shouldn't have any

:22:54. > :22:58.politics in our thoughts around this are wrong as well. There were

:22:59. > :23:02.clearly decisions made by people who are in elected office that had an

:23:03. > :23:08.effect on what happened that night. As I said before, it would be wrong

:23:09. > :23:14.to say which decisions and who is responsible and what should happen

:23:15. > :23:18.to them at this stage... It could be successive government and councils.

:23:19. > :23:23.Yes, but to say there is no politics in this is wrong. It was a private

:23:24. > :23:27.conversation but it has been widely reported and not denied, but Mr

:23:28. > :23:30.Corbyn told the founder of Glastonbury, according to him, that

:23:31. > :23:34.he plans to scrap Trident as soon as possible if he were to become Prime

:23:35. > :23:40.Minister, which he thought would happen in six months. Is that what

:23:41. > :23:43.Jeremy Corbyn has told you and Labour MPs? It isn't. It is great he

:23:44. > :23:48.is feeling so confident, and he is a man with a mojo right now, but our

:23:49. > :23:52.position on Trident is settled and we would keep the nuclear deterrent,

:23:53. > :23:57.and I think that ship has sailed because we have voted on it. So, you

:23:58. > :24:04.know... Has the mood changed in Labour? Is it a confident package?

:24:05. > :24:07.It is. When you think about where we were six or three months ago, we are

:24:08. > :24:13.in a much better place. The election took us to somewhere we didn't

:24:14. > :24:18.expect to be. We gained seats, the Tories lost their majority but this

:24:19. > :24:21.is progress, but we have a hell of a job to win those 62 seats we need to

:24:22. > :24:30.form the next government. That is what we will focus on. How is your

:24:31. > :24:34.mojo? It's always been top notch! I lost mine after ten hours of

:24:35. > :24:36.election results. That careless of you.

:24:37. > :24:38.Now, gardeners at Her Majesty's Treasury are expecting a bumper

:24:39. > :24:40.harvest this year after peculiarly favourable growing conditions

:24:41. > :24:44.for the tree species arbor pecuniae magicae -

:24:45. > :24:48.or to give it its common name, the Magic Money Tree.

:24:49. > :24:53.Much of the crop is being harvested and sent to Belfast.

:24:54. > :24:58.We have no pecuniary interest in any windfall notes that might

:24:59. > :25:01.find their way to the Daily Politics studio, but there's only

:25:02. > :25:05.one thing more sought after here in Westminster

:25:06. > :25:09.than the votes of Northern Irish MPs...

:25:10. > :25:18.Now, of course, we don't take bribes - although the infrastructure

:25:19. > :25:20.round here is starting to feel a bit tatty...

:25:21. > :25:32.We wouldn't mind that! This is the product of austerity, as you can

:25:33. > :25:35.see. A new sofa that much. Or one of those posh desks that

:25:36. > :25:38.Huw Edwards has got - Instead of the ones we got from Blue

:25:39. > :25:50.Peter 40 years ago. Just a thought. We'll let you have our bank account

:25:51. > :25:53.details in a moment - otherwise can you guess

:25:54. > :26:00.when this happened? # Look at my life, look in my heart

:26:01. > :26:06.I have seen it fall apart # Go on, go on

:26:07. > :26:19.Come on, leave my breathless...# He says it's time for someone else

:26:20. > :26:22.to lead the party into the next general and Scottish

:26:23. > :26:25.Parliamentary elections. # I played with your heart

:26:26. > :26:33.Got lost in the game # Oops, you think I'm in love

:26:34. > :26:42.That I'm sent from above # You can try to resist

:26:43. > :26:50.Try to hide from my kiss # But you know, but you know that

:26:51. > :26:55.you can't fight the moonlight # Deep in the dark

:26:56. > :27:00.You'll surrender your heart # But you know, you know that you

:27:01. > :27:07.can't fight the moonlight, no...# # Don't think that I'm not strong

:27:08. > :27:10.I'm the one to take you on # Don't underestimate me, boy

:27:11. > :27:14.I'll make you sorry you were born # You don't know me

:27:15. > :27:18.the way you really should # You got to know that,

:27:19. > :27:27.baby, that will never do # It's time you knew

:27:28. > :27:33.I'm not your baby # I belong to me,

:27:34. > :27:37.don't call me baby...# To be in with a chance of winning

:27:38. > :27:39.a Daily Politics mug, send your answer to our special quiz

:27:40. > :27:42.email address - that's Entries must arrive by 12.30 today,

:27:43. > :27:46.and you can see the full terms and conditions for Guess The Year

:27:47. > :28:04.on our website - that's The compliance department has just

:28:05. > :28:04.kicked another box! It's a big department.

:28:05. > :28:08.It's coming up to midday here - just take a look at Big Ben -

:28:09. > :28:10.and that can mean only one thing: Yes, Prime Minister's

:28:11. > :28:13.The first PMQs of this new parliament.

:28:14. > :28:16.Jeremy Corbyn will still be asking the questions and Theresa May

:28:17. > :28:26.will still be answering them - but having lost the government's

:28:27. > :28:30.majority - how has her own party's view of her changed?

:28:31. > :28:31.I think she's in very difficult place.

:28:32. > :28:33.She's a remarkable and she's a very talented woman,

:28:34. > :28:36.and she doesn't shy from difficult decisions, but she now has

:28:37. > :28:41.Do you think Theresa May is fatally damaged after this result?

:28:42. > :28:43.Does she still have your support, Boris?

:28:44. > :28:50.It's just how long she's going to remain on death row.

:28:51. > :28:54.I don't think it's very seemly to dance on Theresa May's grave.

:28:55. > :28:57.She won, you know, the biggest share of the vote since,

:28:58. > :29:03.I think, the 1987 election, for over 30 years.

:29:04. > :29:09.There's no crisis about this government.

:29:10. > :29:13.It's very clear that she is a good Prime Minister.

:29:14. > :29:25.I'm completely backing Theresa May as our Prime Minister.

:29:26. > :29:33.You'd want a second opinion, wouldn't you? No crisis, says David

:29:34. > :29:40.Davis. I wonder who he could be referring to! Joining us now, the

:29:41. > :29:46.star of stage, screen and the public prints, the BBC's political editor.

:29:47. > :29:51.What we haven't talked about this morning, what are Labour's tactics

:29:52. > :29:55.now towards the Queen's Speech? In a hung parliament, this becomes much

:29:56. > :30:00.more interesting than if the Tories had a 100 seat majority. Of course,

:30:01. > :30:04.and I think the Labour tactic in its simplest terms is to try and keep

:30:05. > :30:08.the momentum going that they created in the general election campaign.

:30:09. > :30:12.For example, today, they are putting down an amendment to try and scrap

:30:13. > :30:16.the public sector pay cap, knowing full well they probably don't have

:30:17. > :30:19.the votes to do that, but it allows them to keep putting political

:30:20. > :30:24.pressure on in the areas they believe worked for them in the

:30:25. > :30:28.campaign. Of course, for Jenny or the other new Labour MPs elected,

:30:29. > :30:31.they can go back to their constituencies this weekend and say,

:30:32. > :30:35.we tried to get this public sector pay cap scrapped and the Tories and

:30:36. > :30:39.their friends in the DUP stopped us, even though we've heard from some

:30:40. > :30:42.Tory Cabinet minister 's acknowledgement that maybe the

:30:43. > :30:47.public sector pay cap has to change. This is campaigning in Parliament,

:30:48. > :30:51.really, in a way that Jeremy Corbyn just didn't try and do in the

:30:52. > :30:56.previous session. Is their refuelling at the top of the Labour

:30:57. > :30:59.Party that the sooner there is another election better? -- is there

:31:00. > :31:04.a feeling. This is a good time for Labour. They are still 40, 50 seat

:31:05. > :31:10.behind the Tories, but the tide seems to be going their way a bit,

:31:11. > :31:14.as Mrs Sturgeon out at a bit, Nicola Sturgeon in Scotland, it doesn't

:31:15. > :31:19.always last. And as quickly as a search can sweep in, it can sweep

:31:20. > :31:23.out again. When we talk to people privately, the first thing they want

:31:24. > :31:26.to discuss is whether or not there will be an early general election.

:31:27. > :31:30.Like everybody else in Westminster, they are trying to work out what the

:31:31. > :31:36.chances really are. It may not be as high as popular opinion would

:31:37. > :31:40.suggest. That's right, and in the immediate aftermath of the election,

:31:41. > :31:45.at about 4am on election night, calling basically for Theresa May to

:31:46. > :31:51.go, that febrile mood has subsided quite a lot, I think. Most Tory MPs

:31:52. > :31:55.have now looked into the abyss, as it were, looking at Labour on the

:31:56. > :31:59.up, looking at themselves, wondering how they are going to go on, and the

:32:00. > :32:43.mood of something immediate has gone.

:32:44. > :32:48.People putting Labour Party posters on my home, photographing them and

:32:49. > :32:55.pushing them through my letterbox. Somebody even your naked on my

:32:56. > :33:06.office door. Hardly a kinder, gentler politics. -- somebody even

:33:07. > :33:13.if you were naked. -- urinated. It may be putting off people from

:33:14. > :33:16.serving in this place. My honourable friend is absolutely right to raise

:33:17. > :33:20.this issue, and she wasn't the only person that experienced this sort of

:33:21. > :33:28.intimidation during the election campaign. Particularly, I'm sorry to

:33:29. > :33:32.say, this sort of intimidation was experienced by female candidates

:33:33. > :33:38.during the election campaign. I believe that this sort of behaviour

:33:39. > :33:44.has no place in our democracy. And I think she's right. I think it could

:33:45. > :33:48.put good people off from serving in this house. We want more people to

:33:49. > :33:53.become engaged, more people to want to stand for election to this house,

:33:54. > :33:57.and I think particularly as I stand here and I see the plaque that has

:33:58. > :34:02.been dedicated to the late Jo Cox that we should all remember what Jo

:34:03. > :34:05.said, we are far more united and have far more in common with each

:34:06. > :34:11.other then the things which divide us. Mr Speaker, I welcome the

:34:12. > :34:15.announcement by the Crown Prosecution Service this morning

:34:16. > :34:19.that they are going to prosecute six people in relation to Hillsborough.

:34:20. > :34:25.This prosecution, the enquiry and this development only happened

:34:26. > :34:27.because of the incredible work done by the Hillsborough justice

:34:28. > :34:31.campaign, Andy Burnham, Steve Rotherham and other colleagues about

:34:32. > :34:37.this house, and I think we should pay tribute to all of those that

:34:38. > :34:45.spend a great deal of time trying to ensure there was justice for those

:34:46. > :34:49.that died at Hillsborough. Mr Speaker, 79 people died in Grenfell

:34:50. > :34:52.Tower. Our thoughts are with the families and friends of those that

:34:53. > :35:02.have died. Those still unaccounted for and those who are going to live

:35:03. > :35:05.with the trauma of this hoary thick -- horrendous and avoidable tragedy.

:35:06. > :35:10.Last Thursday, the Prime Minister said she expected to appoint a judge

:35:11. > :35:14.to chair the enquiry in the next few days. We haven't heard any more. Can

:35:15. > :35:17.she update the house when an appointment will be made and what

:35:18. > :35:27.will be the timetable for the enquiry. May I first of all I -- say

:35:28. > :35:31.that I think we are all welcoming but after so many years of waiting,

:35:32. > :35:36.the Hillsborough families and those different groups within

:35:37. > :35:39.Hillsborough, not just the Justice campaign, the family that came

:35:40. > :35:46.together and the work done by Margaret Aspinall and others, has

:35:47. > :35:49.been absolutely exemplary. And I'm sure obviously today will be a day

:35:50. > :35:55.of mixed emotions for them, that I welcome the fact that charging

:35:56. > :35:59.decisions have been taken. I think that is an important step forward.

:36:00. > :36:03.The right Honourable gentleman asked me to update him in regards Grenfell

:36:04. > :36:09.Tower. I would like to update the house on a number of aspects. We all

:36:10. > :36:12.know what an unimaginable tragedy this was and our thoughts will be

:36:13. > :36:22.with those who have been affected by it. As of this morning, the cladding

:36:23. > :36:29.in 30 areas has been tested and it has failed the combustibility test.

:36:30. > :36:33.Given the 100% failure rate, we are clear that they should not wait for

:36:34. > :36:38.test results but get on with the job of fire safety checks. You should

:36:39. > :36:43.take any action necessary and the government will support them in

:36:44. > :36:46.doing that. The community secretary has set up an independent advisory

:36:47. > :36:55.panel to advise on the measures that need to be taken, which is meeting

:36:56. > :36:58.this week. On the housing offer, 282 good-quality temporary properties

:36:59. > :37:03.have been identified. 132 families have had their needs assessed, and

:37:04. > :37:11.65 offers of temporary accommodation have already been made to families.

:37:12. > :37:17.The payment from the funds, those payments continue. As of this

:37:18. > :37:22.morning, nearly one point -- one 25p has been paid. We are giving an

:37:23. > :37:28.extra ?2 million to the local consortium of charities that has

:37:29. > :37:34.been doing so much important work. On the issue of the public enquiry,

:37:35. > :37:39.I expect to be able to name a judge soon. The process is that the Lord

:37:40. > :37:48.Chief Justice recommends the name of a judge. What we want to do is make

:37:49. > :37:54.sure as the process is going forward, the families, the

:37:55. > :37:58.survivors, have involvement. I thank the Prime Minister for that answer

:37:59. > :38:01.but I hope she is able to stick to her promise of everyone being

:38:02. > :38:04.rehoused within three weeks because at the moment it does not look

:38:05. > :38:09.anything like that target will be achieved. She, I hope, understand

:38:10. > :38:18.the fear that so many people have living in power blocs all around the

:38:19. > :38:23.country. In 2017, the all-party fire safety group said, today's buildings

:38:24. > :38:26.have a much higher content of readily available combustible

:38:27. > :38:29.material. There have been contradictory messages from the

:38:30. > :38:36.government. Can the Prime Minister give a clear answer, is cladding

:38:37. > :38:47.with a combustible core illegal and was the cladding of Grenfell Tower

:38:48. > :38:49.legal? The situation is, in relation to the cladding, the building

:38:50. > :38:56.regulations identify the cladding which is compatible and that which

:38:57. > :39:00.is noncompliant. My understanding is this particular cladding was not

:39:01. > :39:08.complying with the building regulations. This raises wider

:39:09. > :39:15.issues and it is important that we are careful in how we talk about

:39:16. > :39:19.this. There is a criminal investigation taking place and it is

:39:20. > :39:22.important that we allow the police to do that and take the decision

:39:23. > :39:28.that they need to take. But there is a much wider issue here. As we have

:39:29. > :39:33.seen from the number of buildings where the cladding has failed the

:39:34. > :39:37.combustibility test, from those samples sent in from local

:39:38. > :39:42.authorities already, this is a much wider issue, it is an issue that has

:39:43. > :39:46.been continuing for many years, for decades, in terms of cladding being

:39:47. > :39:50.put up in buildings. There are real questions as to how this has

:39:51. > :39:54.happened, why this has happened, and how we can ensure that it does not

:39:55. > :39:59.happen in the future. That's why I'm clear that in addition to the

:40:00. > :40:03.enquiry that needs to identify the specific issues for Grenfell Tower,

:40:04. > :40:06.what happened in relation to Grenfell Tower and who was

:40:07. > :40:11.responsible, we will also need to look much more widely at why it is

:40:12. > :40:19.that over decades, under different governments, under different

:40:20. > :40:21.councils, material has been put up on these power blocs that is

:40:22. > :40:31.noncompliant with building regulations. There is a very wide

:40:32. > :40:34.issue here. -- tower blocks. Last birthday the Prime Minister told the

:40:35. > :40:37.member for Leeds Central that she would make the results of the

:40:38. > :40:42.Grenfell Tower cladding testing public within 48 hours. I'm not sure

:40:43. > :40:48.if she has actually done that with her statement today. As of

:40:49. > :40:52.yesterday, and the Prime Minister has confirmed this, 120 high-rise

:40:53. > :41:00.blocks have had fire safety tests and feel Ben. -- failed them. What

:41:01. > :41:05.timetable has the Prime Minister set for such tests to be completed

:41:06. > :41:10.including schools and hospitals, and what plans does she have to compel

:41:11. > :41:16.the testing of high risers such as office blocks and hotels which may

:41:17. > :41:22.also have combustible cladding on them? If I can just say, my

:41:23. > :41:29.understanding was the police are going to make a statement and I

:41:30. > :41:34.think the police made a statement about the possession. In relation to

:41:35. > :41:38.the test, my message is a very simple one. As I said in my answer

:41:39. > :41:44.to his first question, what we are seeing two people is this is not a

:41:45. > :41:50.question of waiting for the tests. Don't wait until you've got a sample

:41:51. > :41:55.in. So far, 100% of the samples have proved to be combustible sole work

:41:56. > :42:01.on the assumption that you should be doing the test now. That's what we

:42:02. > :42:07.are telling people to do. Parts of the private sector are also doing

:42:08. > :42:11.their work but my response to all those who have buildings covered by

:42:12. > :42:18.this is do the fire safety checks with the Fire Service. Take any

:42:19. > :42:25.measures that are necessary and the government will support you in doing

:42:26. > :42:30.that. Since 2010 only a third of new schools have had sprinkler systems

:42:31. > :42:34.installed soap parents are quite rightly unsure about the safety of

:42:35. > :42:41.their children. A letter formally recommended that the government

:42:42. > :42:46.inform suppliers to consider retrofitting sprinklers. It was

:42:47. > :42:51.reported that 1% of council tower blocks had sprinklers fitted. Can

:42:52. > :42:55.the Prime Minister let us know what the government actually did to

:42:56. > :43:02.encourage retrofitting during the last four years? The government did

:43:03. > :43:08.ensure that local authorities were aware of the recommendations. They

:43:09. > :43:12.did act on that recommendation. But I say to the Right Honourable

:43:13. > :43:15.gentleman if we look at what has happened, and the identification of

:43:16. > :43:22.the issues in a number of tower blocks so far, their -- there are

:43:23. > :43:27.various issues that lead to concerns about fire safety. If we look at

:43:28. > :43:33.Camden, one of the five blocks was considered to be habitable but four

:43:34. > :43:38.were not. That was not just because of the cladding, it was because of

:43:39. > :43:43.other issues in relation for example to the gas rise. These issues raised

:43:44. > :43:50.wider questions about the inspections that have taken place,

:43:51. > :43:57.about residents complaints, voices not being heard. That is an issue

:43:58. > :44:04.that has been raised at Grenfell Tower. It is also in Camden. This is

:44:05. > :44:08.a much wider question. A terrible tragedy took place. People lost

:44:09. > :44:13.their lives who should never have lost their lives. We need to look at

:44:14. > :44:22.what has happened over decades in this country. Building regulations

:44:23. > :44:27.have not been overhauled, local authorities, whilst asked to act

:44:28. > :44:34.upon them, have had their budgets cut by 40%. Under her predecessor,

:44:35. > :44:41.fire safety audits and inspections work at by a quarter. Fire authority

:44:42. > :44:46.budgets were cut by a quarter. Can the Prime Minister give an assurance

:44:47. > :44:57.to the house that the further 20% cut to the Fire Service planned by

:44:58. > :45:01.2020 will be halted? I say to the right honourable gentleman that, in

:45:02. > :45:04.his reference to the building regulations, I think he has missed

:45:05. > :45:09.part of the point, which is that it is not just a question of what laws

:45:10. > :45:15.you have, it's how those are being applied, and that is the issue. We

:45:16. > :45:22.have the building regulations about compliant materials. The question

:45:23. > :45:26.is, why is it that, despite that, we have seen in local authority area

:45:27. > :45:29.after local authority area materials being put up that appear not to

:45:30. > :45:37.comply with those building regulations. And he talks about...

:45:38. > :45:41.That is what we need to get the bottom of, why is that fire

:45:42. > :45:49.inspections, that local authority inspections seem to have missed this

:45:50. > :45:52.essential issue. I think I can help the Prime Minister with this issue.

:45:53. > :46:03.When you cut local authority expenditure by 40%, you end up with

:46:04. > :46:10.fewer building control inspectors... SHOUTING.

:46:11. > :46:15.Order! It's pretty bad when people shout. For somebody to be sitting

:46:16. > :46:18.right by the Speaker's chair and shouting displays, let's say, a lack

:46:19. > :46:23.of wisdom which should not be repeated. Order. Every member in

:46:24. > :46:32.this chamber must and will be heard, however long the session has to run.

:46:33. > :46:36.Jeremy Corbyn. I was simply making the point, which seems to have upset

:46:37. > :46:39.a lot of members opposite, that when you cut local authority budgets by

:46:40. > :46:49.40% we all pay a price in public safety. Fewer inspectors, fewer

:46:50. > :46:55.building control inspectors, planning inspectors. We pay a price.

:46:56. > :47:00.And, Mr Speaker, those cuts to the Fire Service have meant there are

:47:01. > :47:07.11,000 fewer firefighters. The public sector pay cap is hitting

:47:08. > :47:11.recruitment and retention right across the public sector. What the

:47:12. > :47:19.tragedy of Grenfell Tower is exposed is a disastrous effects of

:47:20. > :47:29.austerity. RENEWED SHOUTING.

:47:30. > :47:30.Mr Speaker. This disregard for working-class communities, the

:47:31. > :47:36.terrible consequences of deregulation and cutting corners. I

:47:37. > :47:44.urge the Prime Minister to come up with the resources needed to test

:47:45. > :47:48.and remove planning, retrofit sprinklers, properly fund the Fire

:47:49. > :47:55.Service and the police so that all our communities can truly feel safe

:47:56. > :48:00.in their own homes. Mr Speaker, this disaster must be a wake-up call.

:48:01. > :48:06.CHEERING .

:48:07. > :48:11.The cladding of tower blocks didn't start under this government. It

:48:12. > :48:16.didn't start under the previous coalition government. The cladding

:48:17. > :48:27.of tower block began under the Blair government. The right honourable

:48:28. > :48:34.gentleman talks about local authority resources, and he talks

:48:35. > :48:36.about changes to the regulation. In 2005, it was a Labour government

:48:37. > :48:44.that introduced the regulatory reform fire safety order, which

:48:45. > :48:48.changed the requirement to inspect a building on fire safety from the

:48:49. > :48:52.local fire authority, which was usually the Fire Brigade, to a

:48:53. > :48:57.responsible person. The legislation governing fire safety in tower

:48:58. > :49:04.blocks, and this was commented on by the lack in all house report into

:49:05. > :49:11.that fire, it criticised that 2005 order which had been put in place by

:49:12. > :49:16.the Labour government. Order. The Prime Minister's answer must be

:49:17. > :49:24.heard. What approach and laws which took effect in 2006 ended the

:49:25. > :49:26.practice of routine fire inspections, passing the

:49:27. > :49:31.responsibility to councils. That is why I say to the right honourable

:49:32. > :49:36.gentleman, this should be an issue that across this house we recognise

:49:37. > :49:41.is a matter that has been developing over decades, is a matter that has

:49:42. > :49:44.occurred under governments of both colours, councils of all political

:49:45. > :49:55.persuasions, and is something which I would hope we would say we should

:49:56. > :50:01.come together and ensure that we... NOISE IN THE HOUSE.

:50:02. > :50:05.We get to the answers of why this has happened over the years, what

:50:06. > :50:13.has gone wrong and how we stop it from happening in the future. Order.

:50:14. > :50:15.Understandably, on this most solemn and sensitive matters, the front

:50:16. > :50:20.bench exchanges have been, perhaps inevitably and rightly, very

:50:21. > :50:25.pensive. I am now keen that all backbenchers scheduled to take part

:50:26. > :50:33.should have the opportunity. -- very comprehensive. Businesses in my

:50:34. > :50:35.constituency share the Prime Minister's desire to provide

:50:36. > :50:39.certainty for trade arrangements in the years immediately following our

:50:40. > :50:42.exit from the EU. In my right honourable friend confirm that any

:50:43. > :50:46.transitional arrangements will be for a strictly time-limited period

:50:47. > :50:51.and that any suggestion of ever retweeting deadlines or perpetual

:50:52. > :50:54.status quo would fall short of honouring the decision made by the

:50:55. > :51:00.people of this country to leave the EU? My honourable friend is

:51:01. > :51:05.absolutely right. For very practical reasons, when we know what the

:51:06. > :51:07.future relationship with the EU will be, we may need implementation

:51:08. > :51:11.periods. That will be to ensure that the practical arrangements can be

:51:12. > :51:15.put in place for that new relationship. But I am very clear

:51:16. > :51:19.that this doesn't mean unlimited transitional phase. We are going to

:51:20. > :51:25.leave the EU, that's what people wanted and that's what we will

:51:26. > :51:29.deliver. Can I welcome the announcement of the prosecutions on

:51:30. > :51:33.Hillsborough, and congratulate the families and all those involved in

:51:34. > :51:37.the many years of campaigning. Mr Speaker, the Scottish Secretary

:51:38. > :51:43.insisted that Scotland would see increased funding if the DUP secured

:51:44. > :51:50.money for Northern Ireland as part of a confidence and supply deal,

:51:51. > :51:53.insisting, quote, I'm not going to agree to anything that could be

:51:54. > :51:58.constructed as back door funding to Northern Ireland. Did the Prime

:51:59. > :52:01.Minister received any representations from the Scottish

:52:02. > :52:08.Secretary about the DUP deal, either before or after it was signed? I say

:52:09. > :52:11.to the honourable gentleman that, of course, when we look at what has

:52:12. > :52:16.happened in terms of funding for the rest of the UK, in the Autumn

:52:17. > :52:20.Statement last year, my right honourable friend, the Chancellor,

:52:21. > :52:25.set aside an infrastructure fund of ?23 billion. We are putting more

:52:26. > :52:29.money into our NHS, more money into our schools, and of course there is

:52:30. > :52:33.an impact on Scotland as a result of that Autumn Statement. ?800 million

:52:34. > :52:37.extra spending is going to Scotland. As a result of the budget, ?350

:52:38. > :52:41.million extra is going to Scotland. I don't remember when that money was

:52:42. > :52:47.announced the honourable gentleman complaining about more money should

:52:48. > :52:58.be going to Northern Ireland. But then, of course, he is a nationalist

:52:59. > :53:02.and not a unionist. Mr Speaker, the Prime Minister's failure to give a

:53:03. > :53:08.straight answer to that question speaks volumes.

:53:09. > :53:18.NOISE IN THE HOUSE. Order. Let's hear the fellow. Mr Ian

:53:19. > :53:22.Blackford. Thank you, Mr Speaker. The Prime Minister's failure to give

:53:23. > :53:24.a straight answer to that question speaks volumes and has only

:53:25. > :53:32.succeeded in piling more pressure on the Scottish Secretary, whose

:53:33. > :53:37.position looks less secure with every day that passes. The

:53:38. > :53:45.honourable gentleman's question, and I think he is reaching it, must be

:53:46. > :53:51.heard. I will give the Prime Minister one more opportunity. Did

:53:52. > :53:54.she receive any representations about the DUP deal from the

:53:55. > :54:00.Secretary of State for Scotland, yes or no? I can assure the honourable

:54:01. > :54:06.gentleman that I regularly receive representations from the Secretary

:54:07. > :54:09.of State for Scotland about matters relating to Scotland, including

:54:10. > :54:12.regular representations which point out that, if the Scottish

:54:13. > :54:19.Nationalists actually had the interests of Scotland at heart, they

:54:20. > :54:23.would want to remain part of the UK. Given that rail passengers in my

:54:24. > :54:27.constituency of Lewis are once again facing rail misery with an overtime

:54:28. > :54:31.ban and strike action looming, does the Prime Minister not agree with me

:54:32. > :54:34.that the only way to end the 18 months rail misery for my

:54:35. > :54:37.constituents and all passengers on Southern Rail is for the unions to

:54:38. > :54:45.stop their strike and get back round the table? My honourable friend is

:54:46. > :54:47.absolutely right. Southern Rail passengers have experienced

:54:48. > :54:51.absolutely unacceptable delays and disruption to their service, and an

:54:52. > :54:58.expert report has found that the main cause of widespread disruption

:54:59. > :55:02.was union action. So, for the sake of the passengers, get round the

:55:03. > :55:07.table and solve this dispute. Can I thank the Prime Minister for coming

:55:08. > :55:13.to my constituency of Wrexham during the general election campaign? And

:55:14. > :55:19.for making a widely welcomed U-turn on the dementia tax. Can I invite

:55:20. > :55:25.the Prime Minister backs of Wrexham to make another announcement

:55:26. > :55:30.reversing her appalling cuts to police budgets, which my

:55:31. > :55:43.constituents want to see the back of? We are protecting police

:55:44. > :55:46.budgets, yes... NOISE IN THE HOUSE.

:55:47. > :55:53.We are protecting the least budgets. But we are, of course, making

:55:54. > :55:55.reforms to policing. That's why I introduced National Crime Agency, to

:55:56. > :55:59.deal with serious and organised crime that relates to crime on the

:56:00. > :56:03.streets. That is why we have put money into a new national cyber

:56:04. > :56:07.crime unit to ensure police can deal with the new sorts of crimes there

:56:08. > :56:11.are that they have to deal with. We are reforming policing, but the key

:56:12. > :56:15.to this is not that the number of police on the streets, but about

:56:16. > :56:25.what happens to crime, and crime has fallen to a record low. Mr Speaker,

:56:26. > :56:28.the Grenfell Tower tragedy shot and so many of us, because we all

:56:29. > :56:32.believe there is much that should never have happened, but to claim,

:56:33. > :56:38.the opposition front bench did, ahead of any enquiry, that, quote,

:56:39. > :56:42.residents were murdered by politicians, unquote, is grotesquely

:56:43. > :56:45.inappropriate. Would my honourable friend confirm that our government

:56:46. > :56:51.will get on with rebuilding lives and homes and progressing enquiries

:56:52. > :56:56.with urgency and nonpartisan calm? I think my honourable friend raises a

:56:57. > :57:01.very important point. What all of those affected by Grenfell Tower

:57:02. > :57:06.deserve is an enquiry that gets to the truth and provides them with the

:57:07. > :57:12.truth and with knowing who was responsible. We need to do that in a

:57:13. > :57:15.careful, calm and determined way and we need to use that same calm

:57:16. > :57:21.determination to make sure we get to the bottom of the wider issue of why

:57:22. > :57:24.it is that materials have been used in tower blocks around the country

:57:25. > :57:29.which appear to have been noncompliant with building

:57:30. > :57:35.regulations. There are real issues here and we are not going to get to

:57:36. > :57:39.the truth by pointing fingers. We will buy calm determination.

:57:40. > :57:44.Regarding the deal she has done with the DUP, is it true that on the one

:57:45. > :57:47.hand she is shelling out all of this extra money to secure their support

:57:48. > :57:51.while, on the other hand, she is still giving them tax payers' cash

:57:52. > :57:58.in the form of short to be in opposition? Is that what we get from

:57:59. > :58:02.this by Minister, no pay rise for nurses but double bubble for her

:58:03. > :58:07.friends in the DUP? -- is that what we get from this Prime Minister.

:58:08. > :58:11.Let's be clear about what the government has done in the agreement

:58:12. > :58:14.with the Democratic Unionist Party. As a result of the election, no

:58:15. > :58:24.party has a majority in this house. Yes.

:58:25. > :58:31.NOISE IN THE HOUSE. The party that had... The party that

:58:32. > :58:33.had the largest number of seats and the only party that can form an

:58:34. > :58:37.effective government is the Conservative Party. That's the right

:58:38. > :58:45.thing to do and that's what we've done. Does the Prime Minister share

:58:46. > :58:51.my concern that last year 50,000 people were stopped at the controls

:58:52. > :58:55.at Calais, 150 people every day? Does that underline not only that we

:58:56. > :58:59.should keep those controls in place but we should consider the case for

:59:00. > :59:03.investing more in state-of-the-art technology and more border officers

:59:04. > :59:07.so we can win the war against people traffickers and keep our borders

:59:08. > :59:11.safe and secure? I say to my honourable friend at our border

:59:12. > :59:16.force officers do an excellent job at the juxtaposed controls and the

:59:17. > :59:19.work they do in his constituency. Particularly the work they are doing

:59:20. > :59:25.to stop illegal immigrants and the human traffickers. They have indeed,

:59:26. > :59:29.we have been investing in the system capabilities. 108 million has been

:59:30. > :59:34.invested in the last two years in new technology, and a further 71

:59:35. > :59:36.million is earmarked for that in the current financial year. Of course,

:59:37. > :59:41.there are particular pressures on Dover. That's why we've invested

:59:42. > :59:44.more money to maintain security there, and to ensure the Calais camp

:59:45. > :59:49.remains closed, and we are meeting efforts upstream as well to ensure

:59:50. > :59:58.that we reduce the number of people trying to get to the UK illegally.

:59:59. > :00:00.The Foreign Office are putting extra money into the central Mediterranean

:00:01. > :00:06.route, for extra humanitarian support. I know the Prime Minister

:00:07. > :00:16.is well aware of the misery and suffering caused by reckless

:00:17. > :00:19.gambling. Following her recent own experience and the turmoil it has

:00:20. > :00:24.caused to her friends and colleagues, will she now commit to

:00:25. > :00:28.legislating against fixed odds betting terminals, because of so

:00:29. > :00:32.much hardship across our communities? As the honourable lady

:00:33. > :00:36.knows, a consultation was undertaken in relation to that particular

:00:37. > :00:38.issue, which the department for culture, media and sport are

:00:39. > :00:45.considering and we will announce a response in due course. In Fareham,

:00:46. > :00:50.63% of voters chose the Conservatives, giving us a record

:00:51. > :00:54.share of the vote not seen since 1935. Will my right honourable

:00:55. > :01:00.friend join me in reminding the chamber that this side won the

:01:01. > :01:09.election? Will she join me in thanking... Join me in thanking the

:01:10. > :01:12.good people of Fareham for placing their trust in the Conservatives,

:01:13. > :01:16.and in reassuring them that she is the best person to deliver a

:01:17. > :01:24.prosperity lead and successful Brexit? I am very happy to join her

:01:25. > :01:29.in thanking the good people of Fareham for re-electing a

:01:30. > :01:34.first-class Member of Parliament to represent them. She is absolutely

:01:35. > :01:37.right, of course. It was the Conservative Party that got the

:01:38. > :01:42.highest percentage share of votes in the election, the Conservative Party

:01:43. > :01:44.that got the most seats, 56 more than the Labour Party, and the

:01:45. > :01:51.Conservative Party that got more votes, and that's why we are an

:01:52. > :01:55.effective government. Thank you, Mr Speaker. Will the Prime Minister

:01:56. > :02:02.confirm that, last week, Britain's for most senior police officers, the

:02:03. > :02:04.commission of the Matt, the head of counterterrorism, the National Crime

:02:05. > :02:12.Agency and the police chiefs cancel all wrote to the government saying

:02:13. > :02:15.that counterterrorism, policing and protective security grant is being

:02:16. > :02:22.cut by 7.2 billion -- 7.2%? Doesn't that show contrary to what she just

:02:23. > :02:30.told the member for Wrexham, that her to protect police budgets is not

:02:31. > :02:33.being kept? -- that her promise to protect police budgets. We have

:02:34. > :02:38.protected counterterrorism policing. We have put money in. We have also

:02:39. > :02:44.put money in to an uplift, for an uplift in armed policing, and the

:02:45. > :02:47.commission of the Metropolitan Police has made the point that the

:02:48. > :02:53.Metropolitan Police are well resourced and have a wide diversity

:02:54. > :02:57.of tools that they can encounter in terrorism. That's the point, it's

:02:58. > :03:00.not just about the funding but ensuring they have the powers they

:03:01. > :03:02.need to deal with the terrorists. That's what we are determined to

:03:03. > :03:16.ensure. I was deeply alarmed to hear the

:03:17. > :03:19.announcement made from the Leader of the Opposition at the Glastonbury

:03:20. > :03:34.festival that he would abandon Trident. Would pro-government that

:03:35. > :03:37.provides -- would the payment to agree that it is only our party that

:03:38. > :03:46.can provide the safety the country needs? Can I welcome my honourable

:03:47. > :03:56.friend to this house. I'm sure he will be a fine representative of the

:03:57. > :04:04.constituency. And I join with him in seeing that in public Leader of the

:04:05. > :04:13.Opposition wanted to appear to support Trident but in private

:04:14. > :04:14.wanted to scrap it. It is only the Conservative Party that is clear

:04:15. > :04:38.about maintaining the deterrent. After being defeated by my

:04:39. > :04:44.honourable friend in Perth, this government has honoured the defeated

:04:45. > :04:48.candidate, Ian Duncan, with a job in the Scotland Office. Instead of this

:04:49. > :04:54.affront to democracy does she think she should stop treating the

:04:55. > :05:02.Scottish people with contempt and give the Scottish Government a seat

:05:03. > :05:07.at the Brexit negotiations table? We have, throughout the time, been

:05:08. > :05:09.working with and talking with the Scottish Government and other

:05:10. > :05:19.devolved administrations and we will continue to do that. I hope and

:05:20. > :05:21.trust that this means the Scottish Nationalists will be focused on

:05:22. > :05:32.issues that matter to Scotland rather than independence. If the

:05:33. > :05:36.Prime Minister aware of the current crisis in Venezuela and is this an

:05:37. > :05:47.example of how an experiment in socialist revolution can go horribly

:05:48. > :05:57.wrong? I have to say that I think he's made an extremely important

:05:58. > :06:00.point. When we are talking about trade deals in the future, the

:06:01. > :06:04.Leader of the Opposition and the Shadow Chancellor think the only

:06:05. > :06:12.good trade deals are with Venezuela, Cuba and North Korea. The brave men

:06:13. > :06:17.and women in our emergency services have consistently put the safety of

:06:18. > :06:21.others first. Especially in response to the terrible events we've seen in

:06:22. > :06:25.recent months. We pay tribute to the professionalism. That's why I

:06:26. > :06:30.believe it's important that we give them the resources they need to do

:06:31. > :06:38.their vital job. In Scotland it is outrageous that police and Fire

:06:39. > :06:50.Services are required to pay VAT, front line services paying ?35

:06:51. > :06:56.million. Order, Mr cleverly. You are usually the embodiment of calm,

:06:57. > :07:06.repose and statesmanship. Take some sort of tablet, man. Thank you

:07:07. > :07:16.again, Mr Speaker. I repeat that. It is outrageous that Fire Services and

:07:17. > :07:21.police services must pay VAT and it cost them ?35 million last year

:07:22. > :07:31.alone. Now that the Prime Minister has found the magic money tree, will

:07:32. > :07:36.she... We got the gist of it. The Prime Minister. When the Scottish

:07:37. > :07:41.Government took the decision to merge police forces into a single

:07:42. > :07:48.force, they were told that this would lead to VAT being paid by

:07:49. > :07:54.Police Scotland. They were advised that was the position that they

:07:55. > :08:02.chose to go ahead with the merger. Thank you very much. Today is the

:08:03. > :08:09.festival Day of Saint Alden is. What more can be done to protect persons

:08:10. > :08:15.of faith being persecuted for their faith, particularly students who are

:08:16. > :08:21.suffering large amounts of anti-Semitism? I am happy to

:08:22. > :08:24.recognise its. It is important. Sometimes we talk a lot about people

:08:25. > :08:30.being persecuted for their faith in countries abroad. We need to be very

:08:31. > :08:41.clear that sadly we do see people suffering attacks. The CST do a lot

:08:42. > :08:45.of work with students to support and I'm happy for that. We are

:08:46. > :08:54.supporting Muslim communities suffering from Islamophobic. There

:08:55. > :09:00.is no place for this in our society. The current Prime Minister recently

:09:01. > :09:05.visited my constituency. Upon being asked about the precarious situation

:09:06. > :09:09.facing the District Hospital and the Royal Infirmary she stated that

:09:10. > :09:13.people work scaremongering. And she used this opportunity to reassure my

:09:14. > :09:16.constituents that all services will be retained at both hospitals

:09:17. > :09:25.including a full accident and emergency provision? The honourable

:09:26. > :09:30.lady knows, I was asked, and I can confirm that Dewsbury accident and

:09:31. > :09:36.emergency is not closing. The service will be open 24 hours a day,

:09:37. > :09:45.seven days a week. A majority of patients will see no change. Thank

:09:46. > :09:51.you, Mr Speaker. The repeated claim that spending ever increased amounts

:09:52. > :09:56.of money on foreign aid keeps this country safe has been shown by

:09:57. > :10:00.recent events to be utter nonsense. Can I tell the Prime Minister that

:10:01. > :10:05.spending more money on overseas aid does not make of the compassionate,

:10:06. > :10:12.it makes us look idiotic, when that money is much needed in the United

:10:13. > :10:18.Kingdom. Can she promised to slash the overseas aid budget, spend it on

:10:19. > :10:22.priorities in the UK? I hope she does not have a strange political

:10:23. > :10:27.aversion to pursuing policies that might be popular with the public. I

:10:28. > :10:31.can assure my honourable friend that I don't have that aversion but on

:10:32. > :10:37.this issue I do take a different view. I think it is important that

:10:38. > :10:40.given the position we hold, the state of our economy, one of the

:10:41. > :10:46.largest economies in the world, we recognise that we can help those

:10:47. > :10:52.around the world. We are seeing millions of people, particularly

:10:53. > :10:56.girls, being educated. I think that's important. I recognise what

:10:57. > :11:00.my honourable friend has said, that we have suffered from terrible

:11:01. > :11:07.terrorist attacks in the United Kingdom, are services have also

:11:08. > :11:11.foiled a number. Going back over recent years as well. I think it's

:11:12. > :11:17.important that we are able to use the money to ensure good governance

:11:18. > :11:22.in countries saw that we don't see the creation of spaces where

:11:23. > :11:27.terrorists are able to train. I must thank the Prime Minister and most of

:11:28. > :11:37.the Cabinet for visiting healing because my majority went up 50

:11:38. > :11:40.times. 53,000 EU nationals reside in the London Borough of Ealing and

:11:41. > :11:45.they would like some clarity on this fair and generous offer of how much

:11:46. > :11:48.extra the applications are going to cost them and why it is that they

:11:49. > :11:54.are not going to be able to vote in local elections as they are now? I

:11:55. > :11:57.would say, I'm grateful she described it as a fear and generous

:11:58. > :12:03.offer. I think it is fair and generous for people to ensure that

:12:04. > :12:13.they are able to stay and they will have rights.

:12:14. > :12:20.A significant number of charities, including those having to look after

:12:21. > :12:27.the most vulnerable in our society, our under closure because of the

:12:28. > :12:31.National living wage and HMRC's insistent that there is six years

:12:32. > :12:38.back page despite the advice only changing last year. With the Prime

:12:39. > :12:42.Minister asked HMRC to suspend any actions until we find a workable

:12:43. > :12:45.solution. My honourable friend has raised a very important issue and it

:12:46. > :12:49.is one that he cares about particularly. It is through the

:12:50. > :12:55.National living wage that we are making sure that PSP. That pay is

:12:56. > :12:58.fair. But on this point, the Department of Health and the

:12:59. > :13:03.relevant department are looking at this carefully because they want to

:13:04. > :13:06.ensure that enforcement protects low paid workers in a proportionate

:13:07. > :13:13.manner. We've invested more money in social care. We need to look at this

:13:14. > :13:20.issue on a longer-term basis. I can assure him are looking at the

:13:21. > :13:29.specific issues. Does the Prime Minister think, like her Brexit

:13:30. > :13:33.secretary, it will be simple to deliver the free trade deal with the

:13:34. > :13:37.European Union. The Brexit secretary and I have said we think a

:13:38. > :13:44.comprehensive trade agreement is not just possible but will be easy over

:13:45. > :13:52.other third-party countries because we are operating on the same basis

:13:53. > :13:56.at the moment. Therefore, we are not negotiating in the same position as

:13:57. > :14:02.say, Canada or other countries. I think we can achieve that and it

:14:03. > :14:08.will be good for the UK and good for the EU. With the Prime Minister

:14:09. > :14:13.agree that an opposition leader who claims to be all things to all men

:14:14. > :14:18.saying one thing to remain voters in London and quite another in leave

:14:19. > :14:24.voters constituencies is no kind of leader at all and maybe that is why

:14:25. > :14:34.he was rejected in the recent elections? I would like to welcome

:14:35. > :14:43.my honourable friend. I was very pleased to visit his constituency.

:14:44. > :14:48.Absolutely right. People want to know the position of the parties on

:14:49. > :14:53.this question. We are very clear that we want to see the country

:14:54. > :15:05.coming together and we want to deliver. It is what the government

:15:06. > :15:08.will do. Can I beg the Prime Minister at this crucial time to

:15:09. > :15:12.listen to the many friends we have in Europe and the world who fear

:15:13. > :15:19.that we are sleepwalking into a disastrous deal with Europe. They've

:15:20. > :15:23.no confidence in the three ministers in charge of the deal and believe

:15:24. > :15:28.our country is going to be deeply damaged, in terms of our economy and

:15:29. > :15:37.our fall in the world, if we don't get our act together. I have to say

:15:38. > :15:42.that the Brexit negotiations have started formally. There was a

:15:43. > :15:47.constructive and positive start with my right honourable friend, the

:15:48. > :15:52.Secretary of State for exiting the EU, and the commission's appointed

:15:53. > :15:58.negotiator. We've set up three working groups dealing with citizens

:15:59. > :16:04.rights, and a dialogue on the issue of the border between Northern

:16:05. > :16:14.Ireland and Ireland. That is important. We've set out our

:16:15. > :16:17.objectives, published our objectives, we know the plan. The

:16:18. > :16:25.party that does not know the plan is his party. The Prime Minister was

:16:26. > :16:31.crystal clear on Monday that the reciprocal agreements should include

:16:32. > :16:36.the people of Gibraltar. On Tuesday the Spanish Foreign Minister sought

:16:37. > :16:42.yet again to suggest Spain should have unilateral veto. Will make it

:16:43. > :16:48.clear that this is pointless and counter-productive and our

:16:49. > :16:52.commitment is absolute. I thank my honourable friend for raising that

:16:53. > :17:04.issue. This government's commitment to Gibraltar has not changed and it

:17:05. > :17:07.will remain. Suicide rates in Northern Ireland, in my

:17:08. > :17:14.constituency, are some of the worst in Europe and the developed world.

:17:15. > :17:20.Clinicians have pointed to the legacy of 30 years of terrorism and

:17:21. > :17:27.violence and the awful legacy. Part of the money we are investing goes

:17:28. > :17:34.to health care. Isn't it time people recognised this is delivery for all

:17:35. > :17:40.of the people of Northern Ireland and is going to help some of the

:17:41. > :17:46.most vulnerable and disadvantaged people in Northern Ireland? People

:17:47. > :17:50.should get behind it and welcome it. My right honourable friend makes a

:17:51. > :17:57.very important point on this. It is the case, as we said in the

:17:58. > :18:02.agreement, that we recognise the particular circumstances of Northern

:18:03. > :18:06.Ireland that have arisen as a result of its history. There will be mental

:18:07. > :18:14.health issues that arise as a part of that. It is important we put more

:18:15. > :18:27.into mental health across the UK. I visited a school in Bristol. As he

:18:28. > :18:36.says, the money is for the good of all people across Northern Ireland.

:18:37. > :18:41.I wonder if the Prime Minister has an opportunity to see the British

:18:42. > :18:48.attitudes survey which stated 75% of British people wanted to leave the

:18:49. > :18:54.EU. She will now that more than 80% of the British electorate voted for

:18:55. > :19:02.parties that want to leave the EU. She will know from her extensive

:19:03. > :19:06.canvassing that thousands of people tell me the referendum to say that

:19:07. > :19:14.the issue, just get on and leave the EU. Would she assure the house that

:19:15. > :19:20.she will make it her priority? What I've seen across the country is eyed

:19:21. > :19:24.unity of purpose for people. Regardless of how they voted in the

:19:25. > :19:35.referendum, their view is the decision has been taken, just

:19:36. > :19:41.deliver it. Thank you very much. With 9 million people in our country

:19:42. > :19:46.lonely all or most of the time, and loneliness as bad for your health as

:19:47. > :19:49.smoking 15 cigarettes a day, will the Prime Minister join with the

:19:50. > :19:55.honourable member for South Rebel and myself in encouraging members of

:19:56. > :20:00.the host to attend the Jo Cox loneliness event immediately after

:20:01. > :20:06.PMQs today to find out what all of us can do to tackle this blight in

:20:07. > :20:12.our society? The honourable lady has raised an important point and I

:20:13. > :20:18.would like to say the work you're both doing is excellent, I encourage

:20:19. > :20:25.members of the house to do what she says. We all recognise the impact

:20:26. > :20:36.loneliness has on health. We've been able to put some support into the

:20:37. > :20:42.programme. We are helping the skills of volunteers over 50 in looking at

:20:43. > :20:43.these issues. It's an important issue and honourable members should

:20:44. > :20:55.recognise the work. Order. That brings us to the end of the

:20:56. > :21:00.first Prime Minister's Questions of the new parliament, and it set a

:21:01. > :21:05.record, over 50 minutes long, probably the longest PMQs on record.

:21:06. > :21:09.The speaker wants to have an hour-long PMQs, if so, perhaps he

:21:10. > :21:13.should just have one and tell us and then we could make our plans

:21:14. > :21:18.accordingly, instead of just making it up as he goes along. Over 50

:21:19. > :21:23.minutes. The exchanges between the front benches concentrated above all

:21:24. > :21:26.on Grenfell Tower, as it's the first time we have had PMQs since that

:21:27. > :21:32.terrible disaster. Mr Corbyn began by asking some detailed questions

:21:33. > :21:38.about the cladding, about the file revelations and so on, and we got

:21:39. > :21:42.some answers, or at least some points, but he finished up by

:21:43. > :21:46.accusing the austerity cuts, claiming that the austerity cuts and

:21:47. > :21:49.cuts to local government spending were the reason that these sort of

:21:50. > :21:58.things happened. The really interesting thing that came out was

:21:59. > :22:03.that 120 blocks are now being investigated, and 120 blocks have

:22:04. > :22:09.failed the fire test. Every one investigated so far was found to

:22:10. > :22:13.have cladding that was combustible. On a question from Mr Corbyn, the

:22:14. > :22:22.Prime Minister seemed to indicate that it was actually illegal to use

:22:23. > :22:26.this cladding, because it was combustible, and yet it was on 120

:22:27. > :22:31.blocks and rising, and that would seem to be the big question. How was

:22:32. > :22:35.it, given that the cure rate -- given the building revelations

:22:36. > :22:39.seemed to forbid this kind of cladding on high rise, that it was

:22:40. > :22:43.used almost ubiquitously, everywhere? That's the question that

:22:44. > :22:47.so far nobody seems to be able to answer. Such a huge question. It's

:22:48. > :22:52.not clear that people are prepared to wait for a long inquest before

:22:53. > :22:56.they get to the bottom of it. Finally, the Prime Minister saying

:22:57. > :23:02.that, given 120, every one so far, you shouldn't wait for tests, that

:23:03. > :23:05.local authorities should get on and fit new fire and safety checks into

:23:06. > :23:12.these buildings right away, assuming that actually almost all the blogs

:23:13. > :23:15.that are going to be tested will pour into the field category. -- all

:23:16. > :23:22.of the blocks. What did the viewers make of it? Dave said that Jeremy

:23:23. > :23:28.Corbyn cleverly walked Mrs May down a seemingly neutral path and hit her

:23:29. > :23:32.with austerity very well. He seems transformed. Has he been replaced

:23:33. > :23:35.with a competent double? Martin said, it's clear that Labour is

:23:36. > :23:40.going to be that lingers deficit reduction by linking austerity with

:23:41. > :23:45.deaths. It is argued that money is the only thing that makes people do

:23:46. > :23:49.the right thing and is required to keep people safe. In effect, human

:23:50. > :23:54.beings have responsibility. John says, Mrs May has lost some arrogant

:23:55. > :23:59.and Jeremy Corbyn has gained confidence, but it is still the

:24:00. > :24:02.mediocre facing the mediocre. Ken says, difficult decisions, taxing

:24:03. > :24:07.and a freezing the just about managing isn't difficult. It's now

:24:08. > :24:10.time for difficult decisions, taxing the wealthy and inflicting seven

:24:11. > :24:16.years austerity on them, or is that too difficult for the Conservatives?

:24:17. > :24:20.This is the big mystery, and it's taking Grenfell Tower for us as a

:24:21. > :24:24.country to realise it, that it looks like it was almost par for the

:24:25. > :24:31.course that buildings were being clad in combustible material which

:24:32. > :24:33.would seem to have been banned by the building regulations, and

:24:34. > :24:39.certainly should have been banned. The Prime Minister said, this

:24:40. > :24:43.cladding, in the case at Grenfell, wasn't complying. She was unwilling

:24:44. > :24:47.to go much further is an investigation running. But this is

:24:48. > :24:51.the question being asked across the political spectrum. There are lots

:24:52. > :24:55.of theories floating around. One thing that one of our colleagues on

:24:56. > :24:59.Newsnight, Chris Cook, is on a lot of work on is trying to show how the

:25:00. > :25:04.changes in regulation lead to a system where they were being

:25:05. > :25:10.considered more as broad guidelines rather than as specifics. Jeremy

:25:11. > :25:14.Corbyn was asking some detailed questions about who was responsible

:25:15. > :25:18.for fire safety checking and so on. They're clearly has, in terms of the

:25:19. > :25:23.culture of regulation, been quite a big change over the last decade or

:25:24. > :25:26.so, but what we also saw today, for the first time, was Theresa May very

:25:27. > :25:32.carefully and definitely trying to push back at some of the accusations

:25:33. > :25:36.about how austerity was part of what's happened here. We saw a

:25:37. > :25:39.Conservative MP, Richard Graham, ask her to condemn John McDonnell's

:25:40. > :25:46.comments, and you were talking about this before, and of course this is a

:25:47. > :25:51.political situation. Of course it is a political question. But we saw how

:25:52. > :25:56.Theresa May was trying to tiptoe away, and actually quite directly

:25:57. > :25:58.say, this started under the Blair government. Cladding these buildings

:25:59. > :26:03.began a long time ago, and I think most people across politics would

:26:04. > :26:08.accept this is something that hasn't been taken seriously enough over a

:26:09. > :26:13.quite a long terrible time. Cladding isn't necessarily bad. It has made a

:26:14. > :26:19.lot of buildings look more modern, it has helped with insulation. Did

:26:20. > :26:24.we have any idea that, as we were doing this cladding, that we were

:26:25. > :26:29.using material that was combustible? That is what the public enquiry will

:26:30. > :26:33.have to identify. There is also a criminal investigation taking place.

:26:34. > :26:37.We have to let that happen. It is right and proper that we take urgent

:26:38. > :26:41.action to remove the fire risk. That is a real and immediate priority.

:26:42. > :26:45.Understanding what has gone wrong is something we have to do. My regrets

:26:46. > :26:49.today is distinct Jeremy Corbyn trying to link austerity, as he

:26:50. > :26:55.phrases it, which from my point of view is dealing with a huge deficit

:26:56. > :26:58.post 2010, to a national tragedy. We don't yet know the causes and

:26:59. > :27:03.understand what's gone wrong. We know it goes back many years. We

:27:04. > :27:05.know it's been a feature in authorities of all political

:27:06. > :27:10.persuasions. I think it's important that we take a step back. Let's not

:27:11. > :27:13.as politicians throw mud at each other over this. Let's try and work

:27:14. > :27:16.out what's gone wrong and make sure it can never happen again and

:27:17. > :27:21.provide support to authorities to make sure. Whether it started under

:27:22. > :27:27.the Blair government doesn't seem to me to be relevant. There was a

:27:28. > :27:30.policy of doing more cladding. What will surprise people, and it's not

:27:31. > :27:36.linked to austerity, is that you would need a building regulation to

:27:37. > :27:41.tell you not to put a combustible material on. I think the dog could

:27:42. > :27:46.have told you that! Yes, and that's the first question that needs to be

:27:47. > :27:49.answered. Jeremy went to Grenfell and met families and looked them in

:27:50. > :27:54.the eye and said he would support them, and what politicians always do

:27:55. > :27:58.when they don't want to confront these very difficult challenges is

:27:59. > :28:03.say, let's not bring politics into this, but it is political. Decisions

:28:04. > :28:08.were made not just about cladding but other issues. But long before

:28:09. > :28:12.austerity. We don't know that. But it goes back to the Blair

:28:13. > :28:15.government. We don't know how much of this is the cladding, how much of

:28:16. > :28:20.this is failure to inspect and to do testing. Wood I need to stop you

:28:21. > :28:23.both. We think of something totally different.

:28:24. > :28:26.There's just time to put you out of your misery and give

:28:27. > :28:36.It was the year 2000. Jenny, do you want the press that button? I'd be

:28:37. > :28:40.delighted. Don't worry, nothing terrible happens. The winner is

:28:41. > :28:45.David Upton from Ruislip in Middlesex was well done. The year

:28:46. > :28:48.was 2000. That is near where my mum lives. She'll probably trying to

:28:49. > :28:49.nick it! The one o'clock news is starting

:28:50. > :28:51.over on BBC One now. Jo and I will be here at noon

:28:52. > :28:55.tomorrow with all the big political Brexit means Brexit.

:28:56. > :29:04.We did it! To pretend that it's going to be

:29:05. > :29:07.plain sailing is such knuckle-headed lunacy.

:29:08. > :29:11.Happy days are here.