05/07/2017

:00:37. > :00:41.Morning, folks, welcome to the Daily Politics.

:00:42. > :00:45.The Grenfell Tower disaster looks set to loom large again today,

:00:46. > :00:47.as we reach the Prime Minister's own deadline for offering

:00:48. > :00:51.But are Labour MPs right to call for the head

:00:52. > :00:58.Theresa May has to umpire the argument in the Conservative

:00:59. > :01:00.Party over public sector pay, but does she have the authority

:01:01. > :01:08.Grenfell and austerity are both subjects likely to come up

:01:09. > :01:14.when Theresa May faces Jeremy Corbyn at Prime Minister's Questions,

:01:15. > :01:19.we'll have all the extended action live at noon.

:01:20. > :01:26.Yes, I wouldn't argue that that is strictly accurate, no doubt

:01:27. > :01:28.complimentary and it sounds like a car advert.

:01:29. > :01:32.We'll be looking at the Conservative MP who's become an unlikely

:01:33. > :01:40.All that in the next 90 minutes of public service broadcasting

:01:41. > :01:42.so good you won't even think about turning over

:01:43. > :01:52.Is Wimbledon on the other channel? I think so. Very well. Bye, bye.

:01:53. > :01:54.We're trusting you to make the right decision.

:01:55. > :02:10.And speaking of being second choice, we're joined today

:02:11. > :02:12.by Westminster's answer to Henman and Rusedski,

:02:13. > :02:15.minister Steve Baker, and shadow health secretary

:02:16. > :02:21.So PMQs is just half an hour away, and we're expecting the Prime

:02:22. > :02:23.Minister to be asked about the response to the Grenfell

:02:24. > :02:27.Today marks the deadline she gave for ensuring all those affected

:02:28. > :02:29.are found a new home, and officials say all survivors

:02:30. > :02:32.of the fire who want to be rehoused have been offered temporary

:02:33. > :02:44.accommodation, although many are still in hotels.

:02:45. > :02:47.The Government has also said it will send in a taskforce to take

:02:48. > :02:48.over parts of Kensington and Chelsea Council,

:02:49. > :02:50.which has been widely criticised for its response.

:02:51. > :02:53.There have also been calls at Westminster for the judge leading

:02:54. > :02:55.the inquiry into the fire, he's called Sir Martin

:02:56. > :02:59.Labour MP for Tottenham, David Lammy, said Sir Martin

:03:00. > :03:02.Moore-Bick was "a white, upper middle class man who I suspect

:03:03. > :03:04.has never visited a tower block housing estate" and should "never

:03:05. > :03:19.Yesterday Emma Dent Coad, the new Labour MP for Kensington,

:03:20. > :03:21.called the judge "a technocrat" who lacks "credibility" and said

:03:22. > :03:24.he should be replaced by "somebody who can understand human beings."

:03:25. > :03:26.Chris Williamson, Labour's shadow fire services minister

:03:27. > :03:28.said he had been shown, in previous court cases to "err

:03:29. > :03:31.on the side of the establishment rather than on the side of ordinary

:03:32. > :03:45.people" and should be replaced by "a more appropriate" judge.

:03:46. > :03:54.So what do you think? A technocrat, lacks credibility, somebody with a

:03:55. > :04:00.human face is needed. What say you? I would say that he should carry on

:04:01. > :04:04.with the inquiry. He should be allowed to get on with it. There are

:04:05. > :04:10.clearly concerns from people in the local area and I hope he can move

:04:11. > :04:13.quickly to allay their concerns, involve them. The residents' groups

:04:14. > :04:16.have made some suggestions about having a panel to work alongside

:04:17. > :04:22.him. I hope those suggestions can be taken on board. The key thing now is

:04:23. > :04:30.not to personalise it around him. The key thing is that the inquiry,

:04:31. > :04:33.that we get on with it and it is a wider inquiry, looking at all the

:04:34. > :04:37.issues. Local MPs, I understand why they would speak out in very

:04:38. > :04:41.passionate terms, given what has happened in the area that they

:04:42. > :04:46.represent. But I think the key thing now is we let him get on with it.

:04:47. > :04:51.Chris Williamson, the shadow fire minister is not a local MP, he is on

:04:52. > :04:58.the Labour front bench. What is it with some of your colleagues? Is

:04:59. > :05:00.this a class thing? Do they think a judge, wept to Cambridge,

:05:01. > :05:04.double-barrelled name, sort of accent that most High Court judges

:05:05. > :05:08.in this country have, do they think he just doesn't understand areas and

:05:09. > :05:13.the people of Grenfell Tower? I guess that's some of it. I'm from a

:05:14. > :05:17.working class background. I don't necessarily have a problem with him.

:05:18. > :05:20.The challenge for him is when he does Is inquiry is that he

:05:21. > :05:26.demonstrates he knows the concerns of the people of the area and when

:05:27. > :05:32.he comes up with proper, meaty conclusions but I think the key

:05:33. > :05:37.thing is to let him get on with it and not personalise it around him. I

:05:38. > :05:42.don't think that would do justice to anyone. The significance is not that

:05:43. > :05:47.although one of your shadow ministers has called for him to go,

:05:48. > :05:50.and the local MP, but Mr Corbyn isn't calling for his resignation?

:05:51. > :05:55.Jeremy is not. Jeremy quite rightly raised concerns and spoken on behalf

:05:56. > :05:59.of the residents and taken up some of their points about having an

:06:00. > :06:03.expert panel and wanting greater involvement and for the inquiry to

:06:04. > :06:06.be wide enough to look at the broader issues around social

:06:07. > :06:12.housing. You have to be careful not to make it so wide that it is 2025

:06:13. > :06:17.before it reports. Quite. You can do inquiries in different ways. You can

:06:18. > :06:20.have an initial report that looks at the precivic circumstances of the

:06:21. > :06:27.fire and a wider report that looks at the broader issues, which I think

:06:28. > :06:30.is the point that Jeremy has been making in recent days.

:06:31. > :06:33.It would seem that your front bench, you are almost as dysfunctional as

:06:34. > :06:35.the Tories with different views coming out from everywhere.

:06:36. > :06:38.Collective Cabinet and Shadow Cabinet collective be responsibility

:06:39. > :06:43.is a rare breed? I have read the Foreign Secretary saying one thing

:06:44. > :06:50.and the Environment Secretary. You are making my point. You lot are

:06:51. > :06:55.doing the same. If I may, I think this is far too important to be used

:06:56. > :07:00.as a political football. I welcome what Jonathan has said. I would

:07:01. > :07:07.agree with Jonathan that he should be able to get on with it. We are

:07:08. > :07:13.consulting the terms of reference of the inquiry and it is right that he

:07:14. > :07:18.should be allowed to get on. I want him to succeed and as quickly as

:07:19. > :07:21.possible. Meanwhile the Prime Minister's promise that all those

:07:22. > :07:25.affected should be rehoused has not been met in the spirit of what we

:07:26. > :07:27.thought the Prime Minister meant. Some have accepted some

:07:28. > :07:30.accommodation and many have been offered homes in towers, which could

:07:31. > :07:33.be frightening or didn't have enough rooms for their families. The Prime

:07:34. > :07:36.Minister has already apologised earlier for the response. It doesn't

:07:37. > :07:43.seem to be getting much better. Well to see the tower is to understand

:07:44. > :07:47.we've had a catastrophe of a kind we could never have foreseen and we

:07:48. > :07:51.know people have been through hell. It would be wrong to force them out

:07:52. > :07:56.of hotels and into temporary accommodation. I don't think anybody

:07:57. > :07:58.is suggesting that. We are suggesting they are offered an

:07:59. > :08:01.accommodation that given the terrible ordeal they have been

:08:02. > :08:04.through, They would feel comfortable N they would be able to have their

:08:05. > :08:12.families with them. Comfortable in. That is what we want to do. We don't

:08:13. > :08:18.want people to be forced to move twice when it is not what they want

:08:19. > :08:23.to do. There is new housing coming online, including the Barclay homes

:08:24. > :08:27.low rise that will become available. If people want to avoid going into

:08:28. > :08:31.temporary accommodation and going straight into a permanent home we

:08:32. > :08:38.want to work with them at their pace to put them in the right home. The

:08:39. > :08:42.money is vale and we're committed to do the right things as we accepted

:08:43. > :08:48.the initial response was not good enough. Your Government has put in a

:08:49. > :08:50.task force to take over housing, community relations, regeneration

:08:51. > :08:55.and various other things, all of which was an implicit criticism of

:08:56. > :08:59.how the council has handled Grenfell Tower. But it hasn't had the guts

:09:00. > :09:03.just to put in commissioners and take over from the council. We have

:09:04. > :09:07.recognised the initial response was not good enough but we need to

:09:08. > :09:11.correct the problems, recognising it is not likely any council could've

:09:12. > :09:15.coped with a disaster on this scale, which is why we made the

:09:16. > :09:19.announcements we did about civil disaster response in the Queen's

:09:20. > :09:24.Speech but we also do need to try and preserve democracy. I think it

:09:25. > :09:29.is right we should continue to have a council but given right help...

:09:30. > :09:33.Without much power where it matters. It is right they should be helped to

:09:34. > :09:35.cope with an extraordinary, devastating disaster of a category

:09:36. > :09:41.we never would have expected. Would you put in commissioners? I think we

:09:42. > :09:44.need to now. Politicians should not easily come to these decisions

:09:45. > :09:47.overriding local democracy but in these circumstances, the council and

:09:48. > :09:48.council leadership has failed and radical action like that is needed

:09:49. > :09:49.now. All right. Thank you both.

:09:50. > :09:49.Our Guest of the Day, Steve Baker, is now a minister

:09:50. > :09:50.at the Brexit department, and as a backbencher

:09:51. > :09:54.He's even been described as one of the five people who made

:09:55. > :10:12.Let's have a look at him speaking about the EU at an event in 2010.

:10:13. > :10:15.I think the European Union needs to be wholly torn down.

:10:16. > :10:18.The thing is, of course, that is actually impractical,

:10:19. > :10:22.unless the whole people of Europe can be persuaded to rise up and vote

:10:23. > :10:24.for politicians who are prepared, in a moderate and consistent

:10:25. > :10:27.and principled and gentle way, to say that the European Union

:10:28. > :10:30.project has merely succeeded in raising economic nationalism

:10:31. > :10:35.It was to defeat economic nationalism.

:10:36. > :10:38.It is therefore a failure in its own terms and if we wish

:10:39. > :10:41.to devolve power to the lowest possible level, make it accountable

:10:42. > :10:47.and move on into a free society, then it's clearly incompatible.

:10:48. > :10:55.Steve Baker that was you in 2010 saying you think the EU should be

:10:56. > :11:01.wholly torn down. Do you still think that? What I said in that speech, as

:11:02. > :11:08.you heard, that it was a matter for the electors of Europe. It is a

:11:09. > :11:13.matter for the electors of Europe. A lot of time have passed in seven

:11:14. > :11:18.years and many things have happened. One of the things we have seen which

:11:19. > :11:23.I'm grateful for is the electors of Europe have rejected the nationalist

:11:24. > :11:28.politicians who are Europe sceptics on the contin and the I'm glad

:11:29. > :11:30.they've. They've chosen to solve the problems by further incompetent

:11:31. > :11:34.gracing, for example by electing President Macron. Our duty now is to

:11:35. > :11:37.negotiate in good faith in our mutual interests to help the

:11:38. > :11:43.European Union succeed and have a deep and special partnership in our

:11:44. > :11:49.interests. Do you still think the EU should be torn down? What I think we

:11:50. > :11:53.need is the European Union to succeed in the interests of all of

:11:54. > :11:56.its people. What I said in that speech was I wanted free trade,

:11:57. > :11:59.peace, dispersed political power and democracy. I don't think those

:12:00. > :12:02.watching this programme will think they are controversial demands. But

:12:03. > :12:11.thousand do I they can't happen with the EU as it is, you also said it

:12:12. > :12:17.was an obstacle to world peace and incompatible with a free society N

:12:18. > :12:22.what Wasilewski or is it an obstacle to world peace? The point I was

:12:23. > :12:26.making there is when you recognise that economic nationalism causes

:12:27. > :12:29.conflict, for me it is a bad idea to raise that nationalism to a

:12:30. > :12:36.continental scale of the the point is we are where we are, the European

:12:37. > :12:39.Union needs to change, Jean-Claude Juncker has said it is an

:12:40. > :12:45.exsitential crisis. He has recently - I think today it was reported - he

:12:46. > :12:50.has told the European Parliament it is ridiculous and threatened to

:12:51. > :12:55.boycott it. He said that because no-one turned up to hear him speak

:12:56. > :13:00.in the European Union Parliament. He was with the Maltese President and

:13:01. > :13:05.they are holding the presidency. If you think the EU is an obstacle to

:13:06. > :13:07.world peace, were you saying countries like France and Germany

:13:08. > :13:14.were object if obstacle to world peace? Well I was saying that they

:13:15. > :13:19.have to... You want it to collapse. It is not in the interests of half a

:13:20. > :13:22.billion people who live in the European Union. We need to ensure

:13:23. > :13:25.that the mistakes which undoubtedly have been made, with, for example,

:13:26. > :13:29.the eurozone, have the opportunity to be corrected, so that all of us

:13:30. > :13:35.who share common values in Europe are able it go forward in prosperity

:13:36. > :13:39.together. You have tallen into line with what Theresa May has said, she

:13:40. > :13:44.wants the EU to be strong and successful and David Davis your boss

:13:45. > :13:46.is determined to build a strong and special partnership between

:13:47. > :13:54.ourselves and our European Allies, you are now of course a minister and

:13:55. > :14:00.agree. Yes, I do. Seven years sore a long time in politics. Well, you

:14:01. > :14:06.could transform the EU in seven years if you thought it was an

:14:07. > :14:11.obstacle to world peace and it is no longer is, it is a miraculous turn

:14:12. > :14:15.around. I have a concern that it causes conflict. I want the European

:14:16. > :14:19.Union to be more Liberal, have more power dispersed under democratic

:14:20. > :14:25.control to reform, in other words, happily people agree with me because

:14:26. > :14:29.you will know that this is a white paper in Europe on European reform

:14:30. > :14:32.and people will look at to how it should change and return to nation

:14:33. > :14:35.states. I'm sure they are listening and people might say that

:14:36. > :14:40.embarrassing that those comments might have been, take your point it

:14:41. > :14:45.was seven years ago but could it risk the ability to secure good

:14:46. > :14:49.Brexit terms when you have made the comments about nation states as part

:14:50. > :14:55.of the EU? Not at all. I'm fully committed to the position the

:14:56. > :14:58.Government has set out to deliver a successful relationship which we

:14:59. > :15:02.believe we can achieve and I'm looking forward to doing it in the

:15:03. > :15:09.interests of not only the UK. But Europe. And you must be pleased that

:15:10. > :15:12.that Emmanuel Macron think it is can be rejuvenated, and anp opportunity

:15:13. > :15:17.to be liberated without Britain, to go ahead without the veto constantly

:15:18. > :15:23.by the UK. It is an extremely good point and one of the reasons why we

:15:24. > :15:28.needed to come out. We were an impediment to them doing what is

:15:29. > :15:32.necessary to rescue the economy of the eurozone. I repeat what I said -

:15:33. > :15:35.I want free trade, peace, prosperity, dispersed power. We all

:15:36. > :15:38.want those. I'm delightful to discover they are not controversial

:15:39. > :15:42.comments. We want it make sure the European Union has the best possible

:15:43. > :15:48.chance of succeeding for the people within it. We are where we are and

:15:49. > :15:55.that will mean a degree of fiscal centralisation to make it work.

:15:56. > :16:00.Dominic Cummings said that he thought that the Brexit vote could

:16:01. > :16:01.have been an error? We have not always agreed and I do not agree on

:16:02. > :16:02.this occasion. The debate within the Conservative

:16:03. > :16:05.Party over austerity and public sector pay continues,

:16:06. > :16:07.we might well hear more about it at And now former Prime Minister,

:16:08. > :16:12.David Cameron, has weighed in, saying giving up on sound

:16:13. > :16:20.finances is "selfish". So who has said what on this tricky

:16:21. > :16:23.question for the Government? JoCo has the Wimbledon-themed

:16:24. > :16:28.details. I haven't got the racket,

:16:29. > :16:31.unfortunately! Yes, the Prime Minister has had

:16:32. > :16:34.a tough job umpiring her party But perhaps she served up the idea

:16:35. > :16:38.of a change of policy at the Queen's speech,

:16:39. > :16:40.when she said the Government would "reflect on the message voters

:16:41. > :16:43.sent" at the election. Her Chancellor Philip Hammond agreed

:16:44. > :16:45.with her saying we are "not deaf" and he could see that the public

:16:46. > :16:49.want an end to the "long Mrs May has then seen

:16:50. > :16:53.a prolonged rally between The Foreign Secretary,

:16:54. > :16:59.Boris Johnson, "strongly believes" that a public sector pay rise can be

:17:00. > :17:02.done in a "responsible way" and The Environment Secretary,

:17:03. > :17:08.Michael Gove, said the Government has "got to listen" to the pay

:17:09. > :17:14.review bodies, and that he did not believe that taxes would have

:17:15. > :17:17.to be increased to pay It's thought that Education

:17:18. > :17:22.Secretary, Justine Greening, and Health Secretary,

:17:23. > :17:24.Jeremy Hunt, have also appealed for more money

:17:25. > :17:26.for teachers and health workers. But there have been some

:17:27. > :17:30.return serves from those Greg Hands, International Trade

:17:31. > :17:34.Minister, said, "There's no change We must live within our means

:17:35. > :17:39.and that is the right thing to do." On Tuesday evening the Chancellor

:17:40. > :17:41.said the Government And keen tennis player

:17:42. > :17:49.and former PM, David Cameron, said yesterday that "giving up

:17:50. > :17:53.on sound finances isn't being generous, it's being selfish,

:17:54. > :18:09.spending money today That's as clear as mud! So, Steve

:18:10. > :18:12.Baker, which of these positions most accurately described the government

:18:13. > :18:17.position on public sector pay? You strongly believe our rights can be

:18:18. > :18:20.given in a responsible way, Boris Johnson, that's something you could

:18:21. > :18:26.have to consider, Michael Fallon, too soon to let borrowing up, David

:18:27. > :18:31.Cameron, it would be a mistake to end the pay cap, Ken Clarke, which

:18:32. > :18:36.is it? The correct position is that the pay review bodies will make

:18:37. > :18:39.their report and be considered. Bearing in mind the balance between

:18:40. > :18:42.the desire to give people a fair pay rise and the need to make sure we

:18:43. > :18:47.continue to have a sound economy. It's not by accident that we have

:18:48. > :18:53.record employment, the economy is growing and we have been recovering

:18:54. > :19:00.from the economic calamity that happened during the crash. Do you

:19:01. > :19:06.believe that arise could be given in a responsible way, as per Boris

:19:07. > :19:09.Johnson? We could see that people have their quality of life rising

:19:10. > :19:17.without it affecting the economy. The pay review bodies... They

:19:18. > :19:20.operate within the guidelines of the government, so they will be

:19:21. > :19:24.influenced by the framework within which they deliberate. Yes, but we

:19:25. > :19:28.need to give them an opportunity to report and consider it, rather than

:19:29. > :19:33.engaging in signalling now. So if the government pay bodies come out

:19:34. > :19:37.and say, we don't think you should take the cap off, the government

:19:38. > :19:40.would go along with it? I don't think I should speculate on what

:19:41. > :19:44.they might say and how people might react. It's a camouflage, isn't it?

:19:45. > :19:49.It's not up to the pay bodies in the end, it up to the government. And

:19:50. > :19:53.there are four different opinions at the moment in the government. The

:19:54. > :19:56.reality is as you well know, we take collective decisions and there will

:19:57. > :20:04.be a discussion within cabinet, some of which has been in topic, and I

:20:05. > :20:07.think it should return to private collective Cabinet decision-making.

:20:08. > :20:10.I want the Cabinet to come to a decision which is responsible and

:20:11. > :20:14.which balances the need for pay rises with the overall need to

:20:15. > :20:19.ensure our economy keeps performing and keeps people in work. So how

:20:20. > :20:26.could you give recent pay rise in the public sector, above the cap,

:20:27. > :20:32.without adding to the deficit? We need economic growth, that's why...

:20:33. > :20:35.It slowing down. So that's why we need to make sure we give businesses

:20:36. > :20:39.the confidence to understand that we are certain where we're going with

:20:40. > :20:44.our Brexit negotiations... The election was a great help with that.

:20:45. > :20:49.That result was disappointing for all of us but we need to continue

:20:50. > :20:52.down the path to deliver the deep and special partnership which will

:20:53. > :20:56.lead to economic growth for us and the economic union and give us the

:20:57. > :21:01.opportunity to pivot outwards to the rest of the world where 90% of the

:21:02. > :21:05.growth will come from by 2020. I think it's important we have a

:21:06. > :21:12.settled position and trajectory. I'm trying to find out what that

:21:13. > :21:16.position might be. Finally, before I come to Jonathan Ashworth, it's not

:21:17. > :21:19.really your decision now, it's a sign of the position the government

:21:20. > :21:23.is in. There are 40 Tory backbenchers who think that in some

:21:24. > :21:28.way, the cap has had its day. And given that you haven't got a

:21:29. > :21:30.majority, the cap has had its day, that's the reality, isn't it?

:21:31. > :21:34.Conservatives are defined by our commitment to a sound economy in the

:21:35. > :21:38.public interest. That's one of the central tenets of being a

:21:39. > :21:42.Conservative. I think conservative MPs will listen to the argument as

:21:43. > :21:46.they are advanced and prioritise a successful economy in the long term

:21:47. > :21:51.because there is no kindness in adopting policies which wrecked

:21:52. > :21:56.people's prospect of employment. Your manifesto talked about 4

:21:57. > :22:01.billion for public sector workers, but that's nowhere near enough. If

:22:02. > :22:05.public sector pay merely kept pace with private sector pay in the next

:22:06. > :22:09.two or three years, and private sector pay is not exactly booming,

:22:10. > :22:13.if it merely kept pace with that, you would need a lot more than 4

:22:14. > :22:20.billion according to the ISS. Where would the money come from? --

:22:21. > :22:26.according to the eye S S. As I understand from the IFS, the way

:22:27. > :22:29.they did their calculation is different, they are not taking into

:22:30. > :22:33.account the national insurance contributions. If you can deal with

:22:34. > :22:38.this public sector pay issue, and that knocks into the wider workforce

:22:39. > :22:45.issues in the NHS, you should be able to bring the agency bill down.

:22:46. > :22:49.I heard you at the weekend making this point, the government has saved

:22:50. > :22:55.600 million on agency fees, it's put a cap on it, that is factored in. We

:22:56. > :22:59.spent 3.7 billion on agency fees, that's not going to change overnight

:23:00. > :23:04.even with a pay rise, given the nursing shortage. You will continue

:23:05. > :23:08.to need to pay to .5 billion in agency fees for the foreseeable

:23:09. > :23:14.future. You need to find 9 billion by 20 one, 20 two. That's for the

:23:15. > :23:19.kind of pay rise in the public sector you are talking about. Where

:23:20. > :23:23.does it come from? Al calculation is art different -- our calculation is

:23:24. > :23:30.different from the IFS. We are saying that the government does not

:23:31. > :23:35.need to go forward with the corporation tax changes. That is 4

:23:36. > :23:39.billion, you need 9 billion. We can test the figure on that. We seek the

:23:40. > :23:44.government can find it by not going ahead with tax changes. What they

:23:45. > :23:47.mustn't do, which is what I suspect might happen, is given the chaos

:23:48. > :23:51.we've got in government, I worry if the government will get rid of the

:23:52. > :23:55.cap but then say to the NHS, you have to find this extra money from

:23:56. > :24:01.the existing budget and that will put huge budget pressure on the

:24:02. > :24:07.wider NHS. What is more important, cabin corporation tax -- cutting

:24:08. > :24:11.corporation tax or giving a pay rise the public sector workers? Both,

:24:12. > :24:15.because cutting corporation tax will increase revenues. But that could be

:24:16. > :24:18.because we are in the seventh year of a recovery and companies have

:24:19. > :24:23.been making more profit. We don't know that it is directly result of

:24:24. > :24:29.cutting corporation tax, you could have got more revenue in if you had

:24:30. > :24:33.not cut it to 19%. Just don't know. It's certainly a matter of dispute

:24:34. > :24:36.amongst economists but the fact is that we have cut corporation tax and

:24:37. > :24:41.revenues have gone up and that is the sort of effect we would go to

:24:42. > :24:44.expect. My point is, at this stage in the business cycle, it could have

:24:45. > :24:49.been at anyway. It's a matter for debate amongst economists. You

:24:50. > :24:53.cannot be sure if you cut it by more, it will continue to generate

:24:54. > :24:57.revenue. We can be sure that if we raise corporation tax, the effect

:24:58. > :25:01.will be felt by Italy's firms, consumers and it will harm

:25:02. > :25:09.economies. We need a shrug it will be felt by employees of firms. There

:25:10. > :25:11.is a lot to pick up there but we need to move on.

:25:12. > :25:13.Jeremy Hunt wasn't having his best day at the office yesterday.

:25:14. > :25:16.First the Health Secretary appeared close to the bottom

:25:17. > :25:18.of the Conservative Home league table showing the popularity

:25:19. > :25:21.of cabinet ministers among party members,

:25:22. > :25:26.although he was still better liked than the Chancellor

:25:27. > :25:30.He then became the latest victim of the snappers of Downing Street,

:25:31. > :25:32.when he was photographed holding a note

:25:33. > :25:34.which read read "hard Brexit means people fleeing the UK".

:25:35. > :25:38.He later said it referred to a potential criticism

:25:39. > :25:41.that he was expecting from opposition MPs in the Commons.

:25:42. > :25:44.But we thought there might be more to it than that,

:25:45. > :25:47.and when we asked the Daily Politics boffins to have a closer look,

:25:48. > :25:53.Yes, it was a plea from Mr Hunt for what else

:25:54. > :26:04.Well, I'm sorry Jeremy, it probably would put you up

:26:05. > :26:08.there in the popularity stakes with David Davis

:26:09. > :26:12.or Ruth Davidson, but the rules for cabinet ministers are the same

:26:13. > :26:19.You'll need to enter our guess the year competition,

:26:20. > :26:31.MUSIC: Baker Street by Gerry Rafferty.

:26:32. > :26:43.The man stabbed him in the thigh with an umbrella and ran away.

:26:44. > :26:46.As far as I remember, it went like this.

:26:47. > :26:55.# I lost my heart to a starship Trooper

:26:56. > :27:08.The official advice to Britain's housewives was don't panic.

:27:09. > :27:12.# Don't you know I'll be your substitute #

:27:13. > :27:18.# Mr Blue Sky, please tell us why you had to hide away for so long #

:27:19. > :27:21.What do you think about the broadcasting of Parliament?

:27:22. > :27:24.I think it'll give us a chance to see our

:27:25. > :27:27.own members actually speaking up for us.

:27:28. > :27:49.To be in with a chance of winning a Daily Politics mug,

:27:50. > :27:51.send your answer to our special quiz email address,

:27:52. > :27:57.Entries must arrive by 12.30 today, and you can see the full terms

:27:58. > :28:09.and conditions for Guess The Year on our website.

:28:10. > :28:18.There's going to be a statement on public sector pay coming up after

:28:19. > :28:21.Prime Minister's Questions, from Liz Truss, the Chief Secretary of the

:28:22. > :28:26.Treasury. She will make the statement after PMQs. We do not know

:28:27. > :28:32.how long it will last but hopefully we will get it in before supper to

:28:33. > :28:38.night. We like to look at Big Ben, it is glorious summer stay in London

:28:39. > :28:44.town. Primus 's questions in a few -- prime ministers questions in a

:28:45. > :28:52.few minutes. We're expecting a kind of statement by the Prime Minister

:28:53. > :28:57.on rental tower? -- Grenfell Tower? Yes, she has given a lot of updates

:28:58. > :29:02.at the start of prime ministers questions and I imagine she will do

:29:03. > :29:05.that. We have seen this morning how Kensington Council has had a task

:29:06. > :29:09.force sent in on top of other individuals to help them deal with

:29:10. > :29:13.the aftermath of the tragedy, not exactly taking over the council but

:29:14. > :29:16.to help them come to use that phrase, with their housing problems,

:29:17. > :29:19.dealing with those displaced by the fire and the things that surround

:29:20. > :29:24.that. So the government and other local councils have piled in to help

:29:25. > :29:30.out Kensington. I guess people watching will say, why wasn't that

:29:31. > :29:35.done the next day? Why wasn't that done, not for you to answer, but

:29:36. > :29:38.people will think this was such a national tragedy, so visible as

:29:39. > :29:42.well, seeing into the public consciousness, that you would just

:29:43. > :29:46.drop everything and get the resources in to help. A lot of those

:29:47. > :29:50.people are on the ground in Kensington, trying to get together

:29:51. > :29:54.some sort of crisis response after the fire with no help from the local

:29:55. > :29:58.authority. When I was there briefly, people complained about that and

:29:59. > :30:01.since then we've had the Prime Minister talking about the failures

:30:02. > :30:05.on the part of the state, Sajid Javid, the communities minister,

:30:06. > :30:10.saying they had been let down by public policy over decades. There is

:30:11. > :30:17.no shortage of contrition. What do we expect Mr Corbyn to go on? He has

:30:18. > :30:23.rich pickings. He does, but we will see to the target, one of them is

:30:24. > :30:27.Grenfell which transformed itself very quickly into a political

:30:28. > :30:34.argument after the tragedy and then into a party political argument, and

:30:35. > :30:38.Jeremy Corbyn's argument was to blame it on austerity and lay the

:30:39. > :30:44.blame on the Conservative administration. We saw Theresa May

:30:45. > :30:49.pushback on that. Public pay, Theresa May's response will be

:30:50. > :30:55.interesting on that, interesting, in quotes, I suggest. I would suggest a

:30:56. > :31:01.reiteration of Philip Hammond 's line. Maybe Philip Hammond without

:31:02. > :31:06.his fireworks. You sending our audience to sleep? Philip Hammond

:31:07. > :31:09.without the fireworks! We have not had the Prime Minister herself say

:31:10. > :31:13.very much about public sector pay, if she has to say something, I'm

:31:14. > :31:18.sure she will come it will underline her weakness. She is being buffeted

:31:19. > :31:23.around by the pressures inside the Tory party in the country as a

:31:24. > :31:26.whole, and from the Labour opposition. This whole situation

:31:27. > :31:33.flows not just from weakness but political impotence in number ten.

:31:34. > :31:37.The leadership in the government has gone missing. We have seen

:31:38. > :31:42.government ministers ploughing their own furrows at will with no

:31:43. > :31:44.semblance with what we used to consider cabinet discipline. That

:31:45. > :31:49.has been interesting. We don't know how it shakes out, they haven't yet

:31:50. > :31:53.pronounced the public sector pay cap dead but it is a dead policy

:31:54. > :31:57.walking. It seems to be perfectly clear from where I'm sitting that it

:31:58. > :31:59.would be politically impossible to carry on with this policy, even

:32:00. > :32:21.though they might need to do that. Last week saw the 80th anniversary

:32:22. > :32:26.of the 999 service. I know members will want it join plea paying

:32:27. > :32:31.tribute to the men and women who work tirelessly saving lives, day-in

:32:32. > :32:34.and day-out. Mr Speaker, this morning I had meetings with

:32:35. > :32:38.ministerial colleagues and others n addition to my duties in this House,

:32:39. > :32:44.I shall have further such meetings later. Later this week I will attend

:32:45. > :32:46.a meeting of the G20 where I'll discuss the global economy,

:32:47. > :32:49.counter-terrorism and sustainable development with my fellow leaders.

:32:50. > :32:56.THE SPEAKER: Hannah Bardell. Thank you. Her face smashed with an iPad.

:32:57. > :33:01.Her body beaten and forced to abort a baby girl. This is only some of

:33:02. > :33:07.the domestic abuse my constituent, Lola has faced by her estranged

:33:08. > :33:11.husband because she has refused the genital mutilation of her daughter.

:33:12. > :33:15.She's ledgicated, has moot and had a good job with RBS until the Home

:33:16. > :33:23.Office revoked her right to work. I have been writing to the Home Office

:33:24. > :33:28.since March and got nowhere. So will the Prime Minister now intervene to

:33:29. > :33:30.stop this family being deported and the three-year-old girl being

:33:31. > :33:32.subject to female genital mutilation?

:33:33. > :33:37.I say to the honourable lady that the Home Secretary has obviously

:33:38. > :33:42.heard the case she set out here today. The issue of female genital

:33:43. > :33:47.mutilation is one on which I think we are all agreed across this whole

:33:48. > :33:51.House. It is an abhorrent activity T should not be taking place. Great

:33:52. > :33:56.efforts have been made over recent years, in terms of strengthening the

:33:57. > :34:02.law on it but also on getting information out about this issue and

:34:03. > :34:06.also trying to support people in these communities where there is a

:34:07. > :34:13.practice of FGM. The message has to go out from this House today - we

:34:14. > :34:17.will not accept FGM in this country. THE SPEAKER: James Morris. Thank

:34:18. > :34:21.you, Mr Speaker. Until the last few days, Iraqi security forces assisted

:34:22. > :34:24.by coalition air strikes have made significant progress in eradicating

:34:25. > :34:27.Isil fighters from Mosul. This is a significant step forward in the

:34:28. > :34:31.military conflict against Isil in Iraq. But would the Prime Minister

:34:32. > :34:35.agree with me that the UK and the United States and abroad

:34:36. > :34:38.international alliance needs to work with the Iraqi Government to ensure

:34:39. > :34:43.reconstruction in places like Mosul, as well as working with the Iraqi

:34:44. > :34:50.Government to make sure that it is sufficiently strong to withstand the

:34:51. > :34:56.poisonous ideology of the Isil as we seek to defeat it. My honourable

:34:57. > :35:03.friend is right. In order to keep the streets of Britain safe we must

:35:04. > :35:06.continue to I a tack Isil in Iraq and Syria. The RAF has conducted

:35:07. > :35:12.over 1,400 strikes. There are over 500 British soldiers on the ground,

:35:13. > :35:16.providing further assistance but my honourable friend makes the

:35:17. > :35:22.important point that it is not just about the military action that takes

:35:23. > :35:24.place, it is about how we ensure there is sustainable reconstruction

:35:25. > :35:27.and rebuilding afterwards. Our troops have helped train 55,000

:35:28. > :35:31.Iraqi security force personnel. We are providing over 169.5 million

:35:32. > :35:35.pounds in humanitarian aid and a further ?30 million to help Iraq

:35:36. > :35:39.stabilise these liberated areas. And together we must also work, not just

:35:40. > :35:44.in Iraq but internationally, to ensure that the hateful ideology of

:35:45. > :35:52.extremism is not able to poison the minds of people. THE SPEAKER: Jeremy

:35:53. > :35:56.Corbyn? Thank you, Mr Speaker. Can I start by wishing everyone a happy

:35:57. > :36:02.Pride month and especially those taking part in the Pride maefrp this

:36:03. > :36:06.Saturday. We should be aware - the survey taken by Pride in London

:36:07. > :36:11.found half of LBGT people in London had experienced hate crime in the

:36:12. > :36:17.past 12 months. I join the Prime Minister in wishing the NHS a very

:36:18. > :36:21.happy birthday. I was hoping she was going to say a bit more about NHS

:36:22. > :36:26.staff and their pay during birthday greetings, because after a week of

:36:27. > :36:30.flip flopping and floundering, we thought we got some clarity from

:36:31. > :36:35.Downing Street at last. On Monday the announcement was that the public

:36:36. > :36:38.sector pay cap at 1% remains and a rare moment of agreement between

:36:39. > :36:42.number 10 and 11 was seen but yesterday we had news that

:36:43. > :36:47.firefighters are going to be offered 2% this year and 3% next year. So,

:36:48. > :36:50.account Prime Minister confirm whether the public sector pay cap

:36:51. > :36:55.will remain for all other public servants until 2020? May I join The

:36:56. > :36:59.Right Honourable gentlemen in wishing everybody who is going to

:37:00. > :37:06.take part in Pride London on Saturday an excellent day. I'm sure

:37:07. > :37:12.it will be a very good occasion as it always has been. Can I also say

:37:13. > :37:17.that I and all members of this House value the work that is done,

:37:18. > :37:26.incredibly important work done by our public sector

:37:27. > :37:33.JEERS And I understand the concerns about

:37:34. > :37:40.the pay. But for the information of the House perhaps I can set out the

:37:41. > :37:44.current position. We have had three pay review bodies in the public

:37:45. > :37:46.sector reporting in March. That covered doctors and dentists, NHS

:37:47. > :37:49.staff, including nurses and the Armed Forces and the Government

:37:50. > :37:53.accepted the recommendations in all three of those cases. The

:37:54. > :37:57.firefighters award is not a matter that is determined by Government, it

:37:58. > :38:03.is determined by the employers and it is not subject to a pay review

:38:04. > :38:06.body. There are outstanding pay review body reports. Those cover

:38:07. > :38:10.teachers, prison officers, police officers and senior salaries and the

:38:11. > :38:15.Government will consider those reports very carefully and we'll

:38:16. > :38:21.respond to them. But while we do that, we will always recognise the

:38:22. > :38:25.need to ensure that we take those decisions, against the need to live

:38:26. > :38:28.within our means. The right honourable gentleman and I both

:38:29. > :38:38.value public sector workers and our public services. The difference is,

:38:39. > :38:43.I know we have to pay for them. Mr Speaker, the public sector pay cap

:38:44. > :38:47.causes real shortages in nursing and teaching and many other professions,

:38:48. > :38:52.as well as real hardship. I had a letter last week from a teacher

:38:53. > :38:59.called David. It's all right, he is a teacher, he is doing a good job,

:39:00. > :39:05.all right. Inhe says, and I quote, "I've been teaching for ten years. I

:39:06. > :39:10.have seen my workload increase. I have seen more people leave the

:39:11. > :39:14.profession than start and no form of pay increase in seven years. The

:39:15. > :39:18.only thing holding the education system together is the dedication 20

:39:19. > :39:22.struggle on for their students and staff." And he says, "This

:39:23. > :39:30.dedication is starting to run out." So what we are doing, by this pay

:39:31. > :39:32.cap, I say to the Prime Minister, is recklessly exploiting the goodwill

:39:33. > :39:41.of public servants, like David. They need a pay rise. The Leader of the

:39:42. > :39:45.Opposition refers to the numbers of nurses and teachers we have working

:39:46. > :39:49.in the public sector. Of course we now have more nurses in our

:39:50. > :39:52.hospitals than we had in 2010. More teachers in our schools. But let me

:39:53. > :39:56.remind the right honourable gentleman of why it has been

:39:57. > :40:01.necessary for us to exercise restraint in public spending,

:40:02. > :40:10.including capping public sector pay? It's because we inherited the

:40:11. > :40:23.biggest deficit in our history... Shouts and jeers SHOUTS

:40:24. > :40:31.THE SPEAKER: Order. I noticed earlier Mr Mcmood you seem to be in

:40:32. > :40:34.a hyper condition today. I recommend you take a soothing medicamen, you

:40:35. > :40:39.will probably feel better. We've acted to bring the deficit down. It

:40:40. > :40:44.is now down by three-quarters. At the same time, we have seen the

:40:45. > :40:48.economy grow and we've seen recordlevels of people in

:40:49. > :40:53.employment. Our policy on public sector pay has always recognised

:40:54. > :40:59.that we need to balance the need to be fair to public sector workers, to

:41:00. > :41:07.protect... To protect jobs in the public sector and to be fair to

:41:08. > :41:11.those who pay for it. That is the balance we need to strike and we

:41:12. > :41:16.continue to assess that balance. We've had seven years of tax cuts

:41:17. > :41:25.for the richest and tax breaks for the biggest corporations. And last

:41:26. > :41:32.year, Mr Speaker, there was a net loss of 1,700 nurses and midwives to

:41:33. > :41:38.the NHS, and in the first two months of this year alone, 3,264 have left

:41:39. > :41:43.the profession altogether. Not a great birthday present for the NHS,

:41:44. > :41:48.is it? Last week the Chancellor said "We all value our public services

:41:49. > :41:55.and the people who provide them to us." And went on to laud his own

:41:56. > :41:58.economic record by saying #wed a fundamentally robust economy. Well,

:41:59. > :42:06.the Prime Minister found ?1 billion to keep her own job, why can't she

:42:07. > :42:11.find the same amount of money to keep nurses and teachers in their

:42:12. > :42:15.jobs, who afterall, serve all of us? The right honourable gentleman talks

:42:16. > :42:21.about the number of nurses. In fact I think some of those figures he was

:42:22. > :42:26.talking about was the number of nurses who are registered in the

:42:27. > :42:32.United Kingdom. There are about 600,000 nurses registered in the UK.

:42:33. > :42:38.About half of them, 300,000 work in the NHS in England. And contrary to

:42:39. > :42:44.what he says, we have 13,000 more nurses working in the NHS today than

:42:45. > :42:48.compared to 20 o 10. SHOUTS But ginned stand that it has been

:42:49. > :42:53.hard for people who have been working hard and making sacrifices,

:42:54. > :43:03.over the years, as we have been dealing with Labour's mismanagement

:43:04. > :43:07.of the economy. But let me just... Let me remind the right honourable

:43:08. > :43:13.gentleman of what happens when you don't deal with the deficit? It's

:43:14. > :43:18.not a theoretical issue, let's look at those countries that fail to deal

:43:19. > :43:28.with it? In Greece, where they haven't dealt with the deficit...

:43:29. > :43:34.Yes... SHOUTS AND JEERS What did we see?

:43:35. > :43:41.Spending on the health service cut by 36%. Thatp doesn't help nurses or

:43:42. > :43:46.patients. I hope the Prime Minister's proud of her record of

:43:47. > :43:51.controlling public sector pay to the extent that hard-working nurses have

:43:52. > :44:01.to access food banks in order to survive. And the frozen wages of

:44:02. > :44:05.teaching assistants, par meddies and council workers. But, Mr Speaker, it

:44:06. > :44:10.not -- paramedics. But across the economy wages are

:44:11. > :44:17.rising by 2.1% while inflation is nearly 3%. 6 million workers already

:44:18. > :44:22.earn less than the living wage. What does the Prime Minister think that

:44:23. > :44:25.tells us about seven years of a Conservative Government, and what

:44:26. > :44:30.it's done to the living standards of those people on whom we all rely to

:44:31. > :44:35.get our public services, our health services, delivered to us? I'll tell

:44:36. > :44:38.the right honourable gentleman what has happened over the last seven

:44:39. > :44:48.years, we see record numbers of people in employment. Nearly 3

:44:49. > :44:54.million more people in work. We have seen the introduction of the

:44:55. > :45:02.national living wage - never done by Labour. Done by a Conservative

:45:03. > :45:08.Government. And we've seen 4 million people taken out of paying income

:45:09. > :45:14.tax altogether. And a cut in income tax and a change in the personal

:45:15. > :45:18.allowance which is the equivalent of ?1,000 to basic rate tax payers,

:45:19. > :45:20.including nurses. That's the record of good management of the economy.

:45:21. > :45:36.You only get it with a Conservative. Mr Speaker. Mr Speaker, the Prime

:45:37. > :45:42.Minister simply doesn't get it. SHOUTS AND JEERING.

:45:43. > :45:55.There is, Mr Speaker,... We've got plenty of time, I'm quite happy to

:45:56. > :45:59.go for a lot of time. People should try to calm themselves and give a

:46:00. > :46:03.moments thought as to whether they'd like to be viewed by their

:46:04. > :46:12.constituents shrieking their heads off, it's very down-market. Mr

:46:13. > :46:17.Speaker, there is a low pay at the panic in this country. And it has a

:46:18. > :46:23.terrible -- P epidemic in this country and it has a terrible effect

:46:24. > :46:26.on young people. Those in their 20s will earn less than a generation

:46:27. > :46:31.don't before them. The first generation to be worse off than the

:46:32. > :46:35.last. They are less likely to be able to buy their own home, more

:46:36. > :46:40.likely to be saddled with debt, more likely to be in insecure, low-paid

:46:41. > :46:43.work. Except for more misery, what does the Prime Minister and her

:46:44. > :46:52.government actually offer for the young people of this country?

:46:53. > :46:59.THE SPEAKER: Prime Minister. Yes, to echo those colleagues, what

:47:00. > :47:06.we offer young people is more jobs, more homes, and opportunity to own

:47:07. > :47:11.their own home. But let me just, let me just tell the Right Honourable

:47:12. > :47:15.gentleman what isn't fair. It isn't fair to refuse to take tough to

:47:16. > :47:23.sessions and to load debts on our children and grandchildren in the

:47:24. > :47:26.future. It isn't, it isn't fair to bankrupt our economy because that

:47:27. > :47:31.leads to people losing their jobs and losing their homes. And it isn't

:47:32. > :47:35.fair to go out and tell people that they can have all the public

:47:36. > :47:45.spending they want without paying for it. Labour's away leads to fewer

:47:46. > :47:52.jobs, higher prices, more taxes and Labour's way means everyone pays the

:47:53. > :47:57.price of labour. Mr Speaker, when Tories talk of tough choices, we

:47:58. > :48:05.know who suffers, it's the poorest and most vulnerable within our

:48:06. > :48:10.society. Young people, Mr Speaker, in Clwyd on zero hours contracts,

:48:11. > :48:13.are more likely to have -- employed on zero hours contracts, are more

:48:14. > :48:17.likely to have worse physical and mental health. University students

:48:18. > :48:24.who have graduated with ?50,000 worth of debt which will stay with

:48:25. > :48:28.them until they retire. Mr Speaker, let me spell it out to the Prime

:48:29. > :48:34.Minister. This is the only country in which wages have not recovered

:48:35. > :48:38.since the global financial crash. More people are using food banks. 4

:48:39. > :48:47.million children living in poverty. Record in work. Poverty. Young

:48:48. > :48:51.people who see no prospect of owning their own home and 6 million earning

:48:52. > :48:59.less than the living way. The low Payet Adamic is a threat to our

:49:00. > :49:03.economic stability. -- the low Payet Adamic. So can she take some tough

:49:04. > :49:09.choices and instead of offering platitudes, offer some real help for

:49:10. > :49:12.those in work, young people who deserve better and deserve to be

:49:13. > :49:20.given more optimism rather than greater inequality? We actually now

:49:21. > :49:25.see the proportion of people in absolute poverty is at record lows.

:49:26. > :49:31.He asks for help for those who low-paid. I'll tell him the help

:49:32. > :49:38.that we have given, we introduced the mandatory national living wage,

:49:39. > :49:48.the lowest earners fastest pay rise in 20 years. We have cut taxes for

:49:49. > :49:51.those on the basic rate. We are doing what is important for this

:49:52. > :49:55.country which is insuring there are jobs and an economy which provides

:49:56. > :50:02.jobs, which is the best route out of poverty, being in work. And I know,

:50:03. > :50:08.I know that the right honourable gentleman has taken to calling

:50:09. > :50:15.himself a government in waiting. Well, we all know what that means.

:50:16. > :50:18.Waiting to put up taxes, waiting to destroy jobs, waiting to bankrupt

:50:19. > :50:21.our country, we will never let it happen.

:50:22. > :50:36.CHEERING I understand the House is excited

:50:37. > :50:40.about hearing the right honourable member, Nicky Morgan.

:50:41. > :50:44.I know that the Prime Minister and her ministers and many other members

:50:45. > :50:49.of the House are committed to better mental health care for everyone. I'm

:50:50. > :50:53.a founder of the Loughborough well-being project and I recently

:50:54. > :51:03.visited an eating disorder service in Leicester. As a result of the

:51:04. > :51:08.Rodman's careful financial management, 1.4 billion more is

:51:09. > :51:13.going into mental health services. How can she insure that this goes

:51:14. > :51:16.into the service is consistently? May I commend her on her work in

:51:17. > :51:21.this project and I'm happy to join her in paying tribute to the work of

:51:22. > :51:25.the eating disorder service in Leicester. As she says, they do

:51:26. > :51:29.incredibly important work and we must do more to transform the mental

:51:30. > :51:33.health services that we provide for young people, but also mental health

:51:34. > :51:36.generally. That's why, as she says, we are putting more money into

:51:37. > :51:44.mental health and it will reach a record 11.6 billion, it reached that

:51:45. > :51:48.last year. That funding, we need to make sure it gets through to the

:51:49. > :51:52.front line, we are working to ensure that people and staff in schools are

:51:53. > :51:55.trained to better identify and deal with mental health problems when

:51:56. > :52:00.they are present with children. I saw that when I visited a school in

:52:01. > :52:03.Bristol last week, excellent work being done, improving the quality of

:52:04. > :52:11.services for young people with mental health. In Blackford. As we

:52:12. > :52:14.meet here today, the funeral is taking place in Dundee for the

:52:15. > :52:19.former leader of the Scottish National Party and member of

:52:20. > :52:22.Parliament for Dundee East from 1974 to 1987, I'm sure the House would

:52:23. > :52:24.like to join with me in commemorating the life and

:52:25. > :52:31.contribution to politics of the late, dearly missed friend and

:52:32. > :52:35.colleague, Gordon Wilson. Mr Speaker, the UK Government has not

:52:36. > :52:39.announced any measures to address rising inflation and slamming wage

:52:40. > :52:49.growth which the eye S S has described as dreadful. -- which the

:52:50. > :52:52.IFS has destroyed as dreadful. As workers endure the worst pay for 70

:52:53. > :52:57.years, does the Prime Minister think she is looking out for the just

:52:58. > :53:00.about managing? Can I first of all say to the honourable gentleman as I

:53:01. > :53:04.did last week, I am sure all members of the House would like to offer our

:53:05. > :53:08.condolences to the friends, families and colleagues of the late Gordon

:53:09. > :53:13.Wilson but also to recognise the role he played in politics in the UK

:53:14. > :53:17.including in this house. And I say to the honourable gentleman, as I

:53:18. > :53:21.have said to the Leader of the Opposition, what is important is

:53:22. > :53:25.that we ensure that we have an economy which is increasing the

:53:26. > :53:29.number of jobs because the best route out of poverty is for people

:53:30. > :53:34.to be in work. That is what we are doing. We've seen nearly 3 million

:53:35. > :53:39.more jobs being created over recent years. That's important for people.

:53:40. > :53:43.We also help people, for example, by cutting taxes, it's what we've done

:53:44. > :53:50.for people who are you lower paid, introducing the national living

:53:51. > :53:57.wage, that is what people need. It is the forecast in the rise in work

:53:58. > :54:01.poverty which should concern us, particularly the increase of young

:54:02. > :54:07.people in poverty. Since the general election in 2010, the FTSE 100 has

:54:08. > :54:12.risen by 39.6%. Monetary policy, not least quantitative easing, has

:54:13. > :54:18.helped drive up financial assets while workers have paid the price

:54:19. > :54:23.for austerity. Workers will earn no more in 2021 than they did in 2008.

:54:24. > :54:27.Will the Prime Minister give workers a pay rise? I would have thought

:54:28. > :54:31.that particularly with his background, he would have recognised

:54:32. > :54:36.the role that the monetary policy including quantitative easing has

:54:37. > :54:44.done in ensuring that we at able to see those jobs in the enquiry --

:54:45. > :54:47.economy which are so important. Can my right honourable friend tell me

:54:48. > :54:52.what steps the government is taking to drive value for money and

:54:53. > :54:55.efficiency in the aid budget to ensure taxpayer money is used to

:54:56. > :55:00.promote global peace and security in the national interest? Can I say to

:55:01. > :55:03.my honourable friend that I am proud that the government is committed to

:55:04. > :55:06.honouring our international commitment on aid, that is important

:55:07. > :55:11.for this country. This money is saving lives, building a more stable

:55:12. > :55:14.and prosperous world, that's firmly in our UK national interest but of

:55:15. > :55:17.course, but he's absolutely right, we need to make sure the money we

:55:18. > :55:23.are spending is being spent utterly and efficiently. The international

:55:24. > :55:27.developer and secretary, I can assure him, is driving value for

:55:28. > :55:30.money and efficiency in the aid budget, focusing on greater

:55:31. > :55:36.transparency, boosting payment by results and driving value for money

:55:37. > :55:42.as well. We set up in 2011 and independent aid watchdog together

:55:43. > :55:45.with stronger controls in DfiD. It's important we are committed to this

:55:46. > :55:50.money but it is also important that it is spelt well. My young

:55:51. > :55:59.constituent paid ?300 house reservation fee to an estate agent

:56:00. > :56:03.their landlord clients -- grow which they will not refund after they

:56:04. > :56:10.refused to honour the contract after the landlord pulled out. When will

:56:11. > :56:16.the Prime Minister act and put an end to these rip-off fees and stop

:56:17. > :56:23.these agents capitalising on young people and others? We have made

:56:24. > :56:27.reference in the Queen's speech to what we're doing in this area, we

:56:28. > :56:30.recognise the issues. He says when, but he will recognise in the House

:56:31. > :56:34.that we need to ensure that anything we bring forward in legislative

:56:35. > :56:37.terms get right, so it's going to work. We recognise the problem and

:56:38. > :56:43.we are going to do something about it. In 2008, I brought forward an

:56:44. > :56:48.amendment to the animal welfare act that would have extended the

:56:49. > :56:51.sentences for cruelty to animals from weeks to years. Will my right

:56:52. > :56:55.honourable friend look and see what can be done to ensure that people

:56:56. > :57:00.who are deliberately and wilfully cruel to animals are punished far

:57:01. > :57:07.more severely? I'm grateful to my honourable friend for raising this

:57:08. > :57:09.issue and we all share a high regard for animal welfare, the importance

:57:10. > :57:12.of having strict laws in place to ensure that we deal with people

:57:13. > :57:17.properly who are not looking after animals. And anyone who is cruel to

:57:18. > :57:25.an animal doesn't provide for welfare needs may be and from --

:57:26. > :57:29.banned from owning animals, given a fine sent to prison. We are in

:57:30. > :57:35.discussion with the Ministry of Justice regularly in remission to

:57:36. > :57:40.the sentencing policy for animal welfare. With this awful service

:57:41. > :57:46.reportedly having to explain in crayon to the -- with the civil

:57:47. > :57:53.service reportedly having to explain in crayon to the Cabinet that there

:57:54. > :57:57.is now know have your cake and eat it option for Brexit, will she

:57:58. > :58:02.admits she is prioritising her own red lines? He will have heard the

:58:03. > :58:08.answer before. We want to negotiate the best possible answer for the

:58:09. > :58:11.United Kingdom which ensures we have a comprehensive free trade

:58:12. > :58:14.agreement, we can trade with our partners, we have a deep and special

:58:15. > :58:19.partnership with the European Union, that we ensure that we are growing

:58:20. > :58:22.our economy but it's not just about our relationship with the European

:58:23. > :58:26.Union, it's about trade deals that we will do with countries around the

:58:27. > :58:33.rest of the world. And it's about ensuring sound management

:58:34. > :58:37.conservative government. Commissioners have highlighted to me

:58:38. > :58:42.the valuable contribution that retired police Sergeant and now

:58:43. > :58:45.special constable Ross Hall has made to maritime policing. Does my right

:58:46. > :58:49.honourable friend believe that joined up working with other

:58:50. > :58:54.agencies is essential and can make a positive contribution to beating

:58:55. > :59:00.crime in our small harbours? And helps protect our borders? Can I

:59:01. > :59:04.join my honourable friend in recognising the contribution that

:59:05. > :59:10.special contribution Ross Hall has made in her constituency, and she

:59:11. > :59:13.makes an important point. When I was Home Secretary, I brought various

:59:14. > :59:18.agencies together to look at just this issue of how we deal with

:59:19. > :59:23.protecting our borders. That joined up working can make a real and

:59:24. > :59:26.positive contribution. As she will know, of course, what matters is not

:59:27. > :59:31.just how we do that but ensuring that we're having an impact but as

:59:32. > :59:39.she will know, crime has fallen by a third since 20 ten to eight record

:59:40. > :59:44.low. -- 2010 to a record low. Thank you for advising me on my blood

:59:45. > :59:50.pressure, when I go to my consultant on Monday, he will give me the same

:59:51. > :59:54.advice. My blood pressure rises because when I go and see those

:59:55. > :59:57.nurses in those hospitals, overstretched, overworked and

:59:58. > :00:04.underpaid and having to use food banks, she pays lip service and does

:00:05. > :00:07.not look at the pace sector gap and does not reduce it. Listen to the

:00:08. > :00:14.plea of those nurses and do something about the pace sector cap.

:00:15. > :00:25.I have set out the position to the Leader of the sop significance when

:00:26. > :00:30.he spoke earlier. -- Leader of the Opposition. And for nurses there is

:00:31. > :00:33.the overall public sector pay increase but also many nurses

:00:34. > :00:37.receive increments or progression pay. And for a typical band 5 nurse,

:00:38. > :00:47.they'll be receiving 3.8% over and above the 1%. It is a strong economy

:00:48. > :00:53.that power this is Government's investment in the NHS and it is a

:00:54. > :00:57.strong economy that is allowing this Government to create 1,500 new

:00:58. > :01:04.medical school places and new medical schools. Does the Prime

:01:05. > :01:10.Minister agree with me that Lincolnshire makes a new case for a

:01:11. > :01:18.new medical school in this great county? My honourable friend makes

:01:19. > :01:25.an important point. We can only pay for public services with a strong

:01:26. > :01:30.economy. And as he said we are going to train 1,500 more doctors every

:01:31. > :01:33.year to ensure the NHS has enough doctors to continue providing a

:01:34. > :01:37.safe, compassionate care we all want to see. We are looking at the

:01:38. > :01:39.question of how to allocate the places and will publish their

:01:40. > :01:42.consultation response. They are also looking at the possibility of new

:01:43. > :01:48.and aspiring medical schools bidding for these places and I'm sure that

:01:49. > :01:52.as my honourable friend has always been a champion for his constituents

:01:53. > :01:56.and constituency, he will continue to make an excellent case for Lynne

:01:57. > :01:59.coreshire. On Saturday the Shadow Chancellor and I joined staff from

:02:00. > :02:02.picture house cinemas outside the Ritzy in Brixton who are striking

:02:03. > :02:07.because their employer reus foos to pay the London living wage and has

:02:08. > :02:11.outrageously stacked their trade union representatives. Will the

:02:12. > :02:15.Prime Minister join me on calling of Picture House cinema who made a

:02:16. > :02:21.profit last year of ?18 million to pay their staff the London living

:02:22. > :02:26.wage and to rein-Tait their local res madly -- reinstate. It is about

:02:27. > :02:30.a relationship between employers and their employees. What I say to her

:02:31. > :02:34.overall is the importance of Government taking the right

:02:35. > :02:44.decisions to ensure we can - excuse me - taking right decisions to

:02:45. > :02:50.ensure that growing the economy and providing those jobs for people in

:02:51. > :02:55.the first place. Tait THE SPEAKER: Andrew Bowie. Thank you Mr Speaker,

:02:56. > :03:01.I would to thank the Prime Minister for taking time during the general

:03:02. > :03:08.election to come up to campaign in my constituency where I think we did

:03:09. > :03:13.rather well. I would like to ask if she agrees with me that it is

:03:14. > :03:17.utterly shameful that the Scottish Government have for the second year

:03:18. > :03:21.in a reh to go pleading to the European Commission for an extension

:03:22. > :03:27.to the farm payment deadline, and is this not proof, if further proof

:03:28. > :03:29.were needed that the SNP are failing rural Scotland? THE SPEAKER: Order.

:03:30. > :03:33.We're fascinated to hear the answer, I should just say although I'm

:03:34. > :03:36.interested to hear the answer and we will, the Prime Minister is not

:03:37. > :03:42.responsible for the Scottish Government. Prime Minister. Can I

:03:43. > :03:49.first of all welcome my honourable friend to his place in this House

:03:50. > :03:53.and I very much enjoyed my visit to his constituency during the election

:03:54. > :03:57.campaign. But what he says is absolutely right because time and

:03:58. > :04:02.again, in this Chamber, Mr Speaker, we hear the Scottish Nationalists

:04:03. > :04:08.demanding more powers for Scotland. Yet what do we see? They are failing

:04:09. > :04:14.to deliver for the Scottish people on the powers they already have. Yet

:04:15. > :04:18.again Scottish schools are now outperformed in every category by

:04:19. > :04:22.schools in England, Northern Ireland, Estonia and Poland. Powers

:04:23. > :04:27.are kept in Edinburgh rather than being devolved to local people and

:04:28. > :04:31.as my honourable friend says, yet again we see farmers waiting months

:04:32. > :04:35.for their subsidy payments. The simple fact is that the SNP's

:04:36. > :04:39.qualities are not in the best interests of the people of Scotland.

:04:40. > :04:42.THE SPEAKER: Order. I say to the honourable gentleman the member for

:04:43. > :04:45.Glasgow South who persists in gesticulating in an eccentric

:04:46. > :04:52.matter, he seems discome bob lighted from the world he inhabits. It is an

:04:53. > :04:58.unhappy state of affairs. The southern rail dispute is causing

:04:59. > :05:01.real damage to the economy of Eastbourne and South East. My

:05:02. > :05:05.constituents have had a shocking time with the services provide the

:05:06. > :05:11.or not for the last 1 months. This shrimp cannot go on. With the Prime

:05:12. > :05:15.Minister enlighten me, my constituents and the House, why the

:05:16. > :05:21.Department for Transport and the train operator will not meet with

:05:22. > :05:25.the unions at the same time in the same room, together, to negotiate a

:05:26. > :05:28.deal? I recognise the problems that have been experienced by passengers

:05:29. > :05:35.on southern rail, this is a matter that has been raised by a number of

:05:36. > :05:38.my colleagues in the House, including my honourable friend the

:05:39. > :05:41.member for Lewes who raised it last weevenlingt I'm very disappointed

:05:42. > :05:44.that they have called more industrial action. It is completely

:05:45. > :05:49.unnecessary. All it will do is cause more disruption and frustration for

:05:50. > :05:53.passengers. The recent independent report says the main cause of

:05:54. > :05:58.widespread disruption on Southern has been union action. So, I would

:05:59. > :06:01.urge the unions to call off these strikes, work with the operators and

:06:02. > :06:11.deliver the services the passengers need. THE SPEAKER: Alex Burghart.

:06:12. > :06:17.Businesses across my constituency will be cock ahoop to hear that

:06:18. > :06:20.their calls for better broadband are being answer bid the digital

:06:21. > :06:24.infrastructure investment fund. Which is going to unlock about ?1

:06:25. > :06:27.billion for full fibre service. It is going to help them create jobs,

:06:28. > :06:31.particularly in rural areas. Will the Prime Minister agree with me

:06:32. > :06:36.that this is exactly the sort of infrastructure spend we need to get

:06:37. > :06:41.our country Brexit-ready? My honourable friend makes a very

:06:42. > :06:44.important point. And wear already a digital world leader and we're

:06:45. > :06:50.committed to making sure this unremains so. We already see 93% of

:06:51. > :06:58.the UK accessing superfast broadband and we are on track to reach 95% by

:06:59. > :07:01.the end of the year but we do want to see more commercial investment in

:07:02. > :07:04.the gold standard connectivity full fibre provides and this is' why

:07:05. > :07:05.we've launched this digital infrastructure investment fund

:07:06. > :07:11.accompanies aaround the UK will be able to apply for match funding for

:07:12. > :07:14.projects which would see fibre delivered right to the doorstep.

:07:15. > :07:18.Yesterday we also announced 100% business rate relief for businesses

:07:19. > :07:22.rolling out new fibre. This is important. We want to continue to be

:07:23. > :07:27.woorld leader and these are the actions Government are taking in

:07:28. > :07:31.making sure we will be. Police officer numbers in Wales have

:07:32. > :07:35.dropped by 10% since her party came to power. The policing is devolved

:07:36. > :07:40.in Northern Ireland and Scotland and have xrap funding worth ?25 million

:07:41. > :07:46.at their disposal. This would more than replace those lost officers.

:07:47. > :07:50.What justification is there for refusing to want to devolve

:07:51. > :07:55.policing? We have been around this discussion before but can I address

:07:56. > :07:59.the central issue of what the honourable lady is talking about,

:08:00. > :08:03.police budgets and the number of police officers. We are currently

:08:04. > :08:07.protecting police budgets. We have been doing that since 2015. That I

:08:08. > :08:12.believe is acknowledged across the House. And we have we are not

:08:13. > :08:18.protecting the police budgets but ensuring the police need the cape

:08:19. > :08:22.acts they need to deal with new types of crime, creating the

:08:23. > :08:27.national cybercrime unit and national police agency and this is

:08:28. > :08:35.why what we are doing to cut crime and crime is at a record low. THE

:08:36. > :08:38.SPEAKER: Scott Mann. Can I thank the Prime Minister for introducing the

:08:39. > :08:42.trade and fishery Brexit bill in the Queen's Speech. It'll be welcome in

:08:43. > :08:45.the West Country however we are facing significant challenges with

:08:46. > :08:49.rural Post Office network and the trands flings some branches from

:08:50. > :08:52.community branches to community village stores and community

:08:53. > :08:59.buildings. Some of those moves have been smooth and some haven't. Can I

:09:00. > :09:04.ask her to take a look at this and see if there is anything more the

:09:05. > :09:07.Government can do to help my constituents? My honourable friend

:09:08. > :09:11.again raises an important point and it is right we should recognise the

:09:12. > :09:16.role played in communities by rural Post Offices and rural Post Offices

:09:17. > :09:19.in places like Campbell Ford and in his constituency but in the

:09:20. > :09:24.constituencies of other honourable members. We've invested in the

:09:25. > :09:29.network up to 2018. It is at its most stable for decades but he is

:09:30. > :09:35.right, I would urge the Post Office to help to make it as easy as

:09:36. > :09:40.possible for shops who want it take over postal services to be able to

:09:41. > :09:44.do so. . THE SPEAKER: Diana Johnston. Mrnchts speaker, 2,400

:09:45. > :09:47.people have died as a result of the NHS contaminated blood scandal. More

:09:48. > :09:50.than Hillsborough and all the other disasters over the previous few

:09:51. > :09:54.decades put together. With the excel effort that the former right

:09:55. > :09:58.honourable member for Leigh presented to Parliament on April

:09:59. > :10:02.25th of a criminal cover-up of an industrial scale, will the Prime

:10:03. > :10:08.Minister now do the right thing and order a public inquiry for the whole

:10:09. > :10:11.of the United Kingdom? The honourable lady raises an important

:10:12. > :10:18.issue. I know the thoughts of members of the House will be with

:10:19. > :10:21.all of those who've been affected by this terrible tragedy in relation to

:10:22. > :10:24.contaminated blood. Serious allegations have been made and I

:10:25. > :10:29.would say obviously information that has been brought forward to the

:10:30. > :10:33.House will be looked at bhinsteres at the Department of Health but if

:10:34. > :10:36.any honourable member has further information or evidence they believe

:10:37. > :10:39.would be important that should go to ministers, so they can properly

:10:40. > :10:42.investigate T we are providing more compensation than any previous

:10:43. > :10:48.Government and committed ?125 million of extra funding for those

:10:49. > :10:52.affected for the contaminated blood tragedy last July. But the

:10:53. > :10:58.Department of Health will look at any new evidence that is brought

:10:59. > :11:02.forward. Mr Speaker, rather than celebrating the NHS, the party

:11:03. > :11:09.opposite rather shamelessly have tried to weaponise the NHS with the

:11:10. > :11:15.political campaigning tools. Will the Prime Minister assure me that

:11:16. > :11:19.services like the 999 service will be decided upon, based on clinical

:11:20. > :11:22.decision, not those of politicians that are trying to weaponise our

:11:23. > :11:26.public services? My honourable friend is absolutely right. In

:11:27. > :11:30.relation to the services that are provided by the NHS, it is so

:11:31. > :11:34.important that decisions are taken on a clinical basis by those who

:11:35. > :11:40.understand the needs and requirements of people and in

:11:41. > :11:46.different areas. And that's why we have set up NHS England which has a

:11:47. > :11:51.plan for developing services in the NHS, over a five-year period. It's

:11:52. > :11:57.important that politicians allow clinicians and others in the NHS to

:11:58. > :12:01.make the decisions they need to. I'm thinking of my constituents Konnie

:12:02. > :12:09.and Chris Guard and Charlie at this difficult time. It's clear that if

:12:10. > :12:12.Charlie remains in the UK there is no further treatment available and

:12:13. > :12:17.that life support will be switched off. There are differing views about

:12:18. > :12:20.the charges of the by pass therapy that other children, albeit with

:12:21. > :12:23.less swear forms of Charlie's condition have benefited from. I

:12:24. > :12:26.understand the chances of improvement for Charlie are low but

:12:27. > :12:32.that doctors would be able to say within three months whether Charlie

:12:33. > :12:36.is responding and whether the change is clinically beneficial. If there

:12:37. > :12:42.is any room for discretion within the court ruling for Great Ormond

:12:43. > :12:47.Street to allow Charlie to leave and to transfer his care to doctors at

:12:48. > :12:49.Columbia University and he is sufficiently stable to receive

:12:50. > :12:52.treatment, would the Prime Minister do all she can to bring the

:12:53. > :12:59.appropriate people together to try to make this happen? Can I first of

:13:00. > :13:03.all say to the honourable lady she is right to raise the concerns of

:13:04. > :13:08.her constituents in this matter and I'm sure the thoughts of all members

:13:09. > :13:13.of the House are with the familiar lane Charlie at this exceptionally

:13:14. > :13:18.difficult time. It's an unimaginable position for anybody to be in and I

:13:19. > :13:21.fully understand and appreciate that any parent in these circumstances

:13:22. > :13:25.would want to do everything possible and explore every option for their

:13:26. > :13:32.seriously illchild but I also know that no doctor ever wants to be

:13:33. > :13:35.placed in the terrible position where they have to make such

:13:36. > :13:38.heart-breaking decisions. The honourable lady referred to the fact

:13:39. > :13:41.that we have the court process here. I'm confident Great Ormond Street

:13:42. > :13:44.hospital have and always will consider any offers or new

:13:45. > :13:47.information that has come forward with the consideration of the

:13:48. > :13:51.well-being of a desperately ill child. Mr Speaker, when the Prime

:13:52. > :13:54.Minister and I left our comprehensive schools to go to

:13:55. > :13:57.university, we entered into a privileged elite. Can my right

:13:58. > :14:01.honourable friend confirm that as a result of a tuition fee, introduced

:14:02. > :14:09.by Labour, improved by the coalition, there are now more young

:14:10. > :14:13.people from working class and poor backgrounds staying at university

:14:14. > :14:21.than ever before, because come people say it is fewer. Are they

:14:22. > :14:28.right or are they wrong? I'm very happy to join my honourable friend

:14:29. > :14:30.in relation to this issue. Issue in recognising she and I went to

:14:31. > :14:33.comprehensive schools and universities at a time when the

:14:34. > :14:41.number of people going to university was significantly lower than it is

:14:42. > :14:46.today. And I'm also grateful to her for reminding the House that

:14:47. > :14:50.actually it was the Labour Party that says they would not introduce

:14:51. > :14:54.tuition fees and when they got into Government introduce tuition fees.

:14:55. > :15:00.But what we are seeing - what we are seeing under the current... What we

:15:01. > :15:05.are seeing under the current system is more young people than ever going

:15:06. > :15:08.to university, and crucially, to address the point she raised,

:15:09. > :15:14.disadvantaged 18-year-olds are 40% o % more line e likely to go to

:15:15. > :15:20.university now than they were in 2009.

:15:21. > :15:28.The Prime Minister herself commissioned ship Jones to the port

:15:29. > :15:32.on the Hillsborough families. Even -- given what is before us that the

:15:33. > :15:39.state still does not know how to deal with the victims of tragedy,

:15:40. > :15:43.will she give me the date on when this report will be published? I

:15:44. > :15:48.have not seen the report yet and I cannot give her a date, but she

:15:49. > :15:50.raises an important point. The reason why I asked Bishop James

:15:51. > :15:55.Chester undertake this work was because I was concerned about the

:15:56. > :15:58.ways the bereaved families at Hillsborough had been treated over

:15:59. > :16:05.far too many years and we have seen the result of the CPS decisions last

:16:06. > :16:08.week. This is why we have committed, in the Queen's speech, to

:16:09. > :16:12.introducing an independent and public advocate who will be able to

:16:13. > :16:15.act on the behalf of bereaved families in cases of public

:16:16. > :16:19.disaster, because I think it is important that they are able to have

:16:20. > :16:23.that support alongside them. Too many families just have too, as we

:16:24. > :16:27.have seen in Hillsborough, have two over many years fight to get justice

:16:28. > :16:34.will stop I want to ensure they have help and support in doing that.

:16:35. > :16:41.Given the government's record in freezing fuel duty, will she resist

:16:42. > :16:44.recent calls to raise the duty because it hurts the lowest paid the

:16:45. > :16:48.most? Will she do every thing possible to make sure that when the

:16:49. > :16:51.international oil price falls, this is reflected properly at the pumps

:16:52. > :16:57.so that we can have a Britain that works for every motorist? Can I

:16:58. > :17:00.first of all commend my honourable friend who has been championing this

:17:01. > :17:05.issue for all the years that he has been in the House. And the work that

:17:06. > :17:10.he has done as a great campaigner on this and other issues has been

:17:11. > :17:15.recognised in changes the government has made. I'm pleased that we have

:17:16. > :17:19.been able to do what we've done in relation to holding down the issue

:17:20. > :17:23.on fuel duty, he struggled to tempt me down a path which I will not go

:17:24. > :17:27.down because he knows decisions at these matters are time of fiscal

:17:28. > :17:38.events. It comes to an end after 47 minutes,

:17:39. > :17:44.last week was not an aberration, if you thought it was, you have been

:17:45. > :17:48.proved wrong. It looks like the speaker is planning to run the PMQs

:17:49. > :17:53.for 45 minutes. The exchanges between the front benches, it was

:17:54. > :17:56.like the campaign had not ended. Mr Corbyn making much of the themes he

:17:57. > :18:01.used in their campaign, public sector pay, the need to pay teachers

:18:02. > :18:06.and nurses more and so on. The Prime Minister fighting back saying she is

:18:07. > :18:12.followed three pay review bodies, she's for more to come in, we need

:18:13. > :18:17.to live within our means. It did not get so far but it was an echo of the

:18:18. > :18:23.campaign. One difference, Theresa May made quite a spirited defence of

:18:24. > :18:26.the government's economic record since 2010, which is something she

:18:27. > :18:31.didn't do during the election campaign. That was interesting. We

:18:32. > :18:35.will see where we are in a moment with our panel. But what did the

:18:36. > :18:44.viewers say? Still the same untruths from the Tories on pay in economy, a

:18:45. > :18:48.rise is needed now. But this one, Theresa May seemed to be on form

:18:49. > :18:54.today, her backbenchers hacking her all the way, Mr Corbyn cannot think

:18:55. > :19:02.on his feet and catch the Prime Minister on God. This one, Corbyn is

:19:03. > :19:07.back to his letter from able routine, it doesn't work, the brain

:19:08. > :19:13.is back and Theresa May is still shrill when rattled. And this tweet,

:19:14. > :19:21.has Theresa May ever defended the economic record of the Tories as

:19:22. > :19:28.vigorously as this? Might get her a positive editorial in the standard.

:19:29. > :19:36.To which George Osborne treated, a smiley face. Is that good? Does it

:19:37. > :19:45.apply Kim? I can't tell. -- does it look like him? And we had the first

:19:46. > :19:49.MP not wearing a tie and asking a question, a pink shirt and a nice

:19:50. > :19:55.fitted collar, that started a trend. I am not sure that this will buy to

:19:56. > :20:00.reset may credit with George Osborne's Usher could Theresa May's

:20:01. > :20:03.credit with George Osborne's standard, but she looked more

:20:04. > :20:11.relaxed and comfortable as she has been since her decline. The reasons

:20:12. > :20:15.are discoverable, maybe the pressure is off now that she has fallen as

:20:16. > :20:22.far as she has. It makes it easier to be yourself. In question Time, we

:20:23. > :20:26.saw her try her best to hold the line on public sector pay,

:20:27. > :20:29.reiterating the policy. In the course of doing that, she expressed

:20:30. > :20:33.that the public pay review bodies will be read carefully and their

:20:34. > :20:37.recommendations would be studied and acted upon, or not, as the case

:20:38. > :20:41.would be. The sponsoring ministers of the pay review bodies have given

:20:42. > :20:45.a green light to those bodies to go ahead and bust the 1% pay cut if

:20:46. > :20:49.they want to do it. It would be quite difficult not to do that now.

:20:50. > :20:53.We know that is their natural inclination because they have been

:20:54. > :21:02.building up to this for a couple of years. We're we are to begin with,

:21:03. > :21:04.in my view, a political impossibility of hanging onto a

:21:05. > :21:10.public sector pay cap when sponsoring ministers and others say,

:21:11. > :21:14.it is the time to breach the cat. When the government says they have

:21:15. > :21:18.listen to the electorate, how do you then say, we have decided to ignore

:21:19. > :21:21.that message that we said we were listening to carefully? And when

:21:22. > :21:26.you've got enough MPs and more on the Tory side to stage a big enough

:21:27. > :21:31.rebellion to bring it down, even the government would be minded to dig

:21:32. > :21:34.its heels in. The deficit was just under 50 billion in the last

:21:35. > :21:38.financial year, it's rising this year for some technical reasons, it

:21:39. > :21:43.will be over 50 billion. Does it no longer matter? The deficit does

:21:44. > :21:46.matter which is why all our policies in the general election campaign

:21:47. > :21:56.were accosted. You may disagree with them. No one agreed with them. No

:21:57. > :22:05.experts no expert body agreed with your tax revenue projections. We put

:22:06. > :22:10.forward I costed manifesto. You say that but by constituents didn't

:22:11. > :22:18.believe it. The key thing is it is up for ministers to set the rebid

:22:19. > :22:21.for these bodies for public pay, you say he's given them the green light,

:22:22. > :22:25.it is he in the instruction he's given them, actually going to say,

:22:26. > :22:30.do not impose a cap? That's the question that the government has not

:22:31. > :22:37.answered. How could he do that? He could not. He could say, take into

:22:38. > :22:43.account the new inflation levels. That's what's made the pay cut such

:22:44. > :22:47.an important issue. When the cap was introduced, inflation was close to

:22:48. > :22:51.zero. If you've only got 1%, not much but in real terms, you get a

:22:52. > :23:00.little rise. You would hardly notice it but you get a little rise. Now

:23:01. > :23:04.with a 1% pay cap, you get it cut in real terms. It's difficult to

:23:05. > :23:07.sustain the claim that the inflation target is symmetrical which is what

:23:08. > :23:12.the governor of the Bank of England was insisted on when inflation was

:23:13. > :23:15.near zero. The reality is that positive inflation creates these

:23:16. > :23:19.pressures. We need to keep inflation under control. We will see a one off

:23:20. > :23:24.through the referendum change in the currency level will wash through,

:23:25. > :23:29.and I think we will see inflation stabilise after that. A pay rise in

:23:30. > :23:35.the public sector of 2.5% wouldn't be inflationary, would it? 2% sounds

:23:36. > :23:41.like a small number but when you run to the figures, it would be very

:23:42. > :23:45.expensive. Why did the Prime Minister use grease as an example of

:23:46. > :23:52.a country who had not tackled its deficit? But Greece has been in

:23:53. > :23:56.notorious difficulties. What is its deficit, and why would she raise it

:23:57. > :24:01.if she used it as an example? We seen that in Greece, where taxes

:24:02. > :24:04.haven't been paid and where the government has lived beyond its

:24:05. > :24:08.means, the consequence of running up too much debt has been profound. She

:24:09. > :24:12.wasn't talking about debt, she was talking about the deficit, a

:24:13. > :24:18.different thing, Greece doesn't have address it, it ran a budget surplus

:24:19. > :24:27.last year. What are our deficit as a percentage of GDP? It is just 3%. It

:24:28. > :24:31.is just under, we are just under 3% and Greece is running a surplus, why

:24:32. > :24:37.would you raise that? Greece is an example of where excess in debt is

:24:38. > :24:40.leading to public service is being in trouble. That's not what the

:24:41. > :24:45.Prime Minister was talking about, she was saying it had not got on top

:24:46. > :24:48.of its deficit and that is not what the figures say. The political thing

:24:49. > :24:55.which was interesting is that the Prime Minister 's got a lot of

:24:56. > :24:58.support from the backbenches, and that is I suggest because they know

:24:59. > :25:02.she is living on borrowed time but she'll go at a time of their

:25:03. > :25:06.choosing. So for the moment, they're going to rally behind her until they

:25:07. > :25:11.choose that she doesn't stay there any more. I think that's precisely

:25:12. > :25:20.right. The Conservative backbench at question time now are like spear

:25:21. > :25:24.carriers in this experience drummer, they say nothing until the queue

:25:25. > :25:29.comes to cheer. -- in a Shakespearean drama. The job for now

:25:30. > :25:33.is to stay there and she will achieve that until the recess. We

:25:34. > :25:36.have to exit now. A Shakespearean exit from the stage.

:25:37. > :25:38.We've talked before about Corbynmania and the huge

:25:39. > :25:40.support for the Labour leader on social media.

:25:41. > :25:42.He's not the first politician to get an online following.

:25:43. > :25:45.You might remember the somewhat smaller Milifandom that

:25:46. > :25:48.sprang up around former Labour leader Ed Miliband.

:25:49. > :25:51.But this week it's been suggested that there's a new unlikely

:25:52. > :26:00.What greater pleasure can there be for a true born Englishman

:26:01. > :26:04.or true born Englishwoman, to listen to our own

:26:05. > :26:09.Mr Speaker, or my right honourable friend the member for Buckingham,

:26:10. > :26:12.as he now is, has a reputation for being a moderniser.

:26:13. > :26:20.This is the word I use with some caution.

:26:21. > :26:23.Can we indulge in the floxinoxinihilipilification

:26:24. > :26:27.There are times when a nation needs a hero.

:26:28. > :26:36.Now might not be one of those times, but there seems to be loads

:26:37. > :26:41.of people at the moment who just really love Jacob Rees-Mogg.

:26:42. > :26:44.Maybe it's because he himself posts to social media.

:26:45. > :26:49.Maybe because he's had such a strong and youthful

:26:50. > :26:56.And maybe it's because he seems to have cross-party support.

:26:57. > :27:00.Whatever it is, The Rees-Mogg has inspired a generation

:27:01. > :27:02.of Photoshoppers and meme creaters on the Internet.

:27:03. > :27:10.So much so that someone even interviewed him about what he thinks

:27:11. > :27:12.of these memes and that's been really popular.

:27:13. > :27:14.I always think it's important to sit comfortably in the chamber,

:27:15. > :27:17.particularly when you're in there for a long time.

:27:18. > :27:22.There's even a campaign to make him PM.

:27:23. > :27:25.What is it about Rees-Mogg that you love so much?

:27:26. > :27:29.I think it's because he's a little bit eccentric.

:27:30. > :27:31.He doesn't take themselves so seriously.

:27:32. > :27:34.So how many people have signed up for the campaign?

:27:35. > :27:37.So we have just over 12,000 signatures so far.

:27:38. > :27:46.Yeah, it is, I've got to say I'm actually surprised that we've got

:27:47. > :27:51.this big in such a short period of time.

:27:52. > :27:54.His support isn't just the grassroots of his power base

:27:55. > :28:08.But as his local paper once said, he's got Mogg-mentum.

:28:09. > :28:17.So, is their love for him in the studio? Absolutely massive love for

:28:18. > :28:26.Jake, we are all fans. As leader? Who knows what happens with due

:28:27. > :28:30.course. We need to guess the year, it is 1978. So, Minister, hit that

:28:31. > :28:42.red buzzer. Brexit negotiations are over! Here is the winner.

:28:43. > :28:46.Congratulations, it is 1978. One o'clock News is starting on BBC One,

:28:47. > :28:50.I will be back at the earlier time of 11am tomorrow because of

:28:51. > :28:52.Wimbledon, on BBC Two. Hope to see you then.