22/07/2016 Westminster in Review

I will do everything I can as prime minister to steady the ship over the

coming weeks and months but I do not think it would be right for me to

try to be the captain who steers our country to its next destination.

24th of June 2016, the morning after the night before. A major upset for

the political establishment, the EU friend ended in victory for the

league campaign. It was a humiliation for David Cameron. It

was also not to be like this. 13 months before, David Cameron had

been triumphant, winning the general election outright against the odds.

And one month before, the Queen had come to Parliament in time honoured

fashion to set out the latest plans of the government, a Conservative

government barely into its stride, having completed just the first of

its five years in office. Legislation will be introduced to

prevent radicalisation. My government will continue work to

develop -- delivers NHS services to seven days of the week. Proposals

will be brought forward for a British bill of rights. In England,

further powers will be devolved to directly elected mayors. My

government will hold a referendum on the membership of the European

Union. The State Opening of Parliament on maybe 18. -- maybe 18.

Ack then, may the 18th, how do you think David Cameron saw the script

continuing at that point? There was a huge sense of expectation. The

referendum was about to happen, he was in a holding pattern. There

wasn't that much detail in the speech, one or two nods to his

legacy, issues of life chances and reforms at schools and prisons, the

kind of things that he thought in his head he would have a few years

to work on. He was in that sort of mode. People broadly thought the

referendum would be close but most thought that Remain would win at the

end. He had won referendums in the past, he could do it again, he was

famously known as the essay crisis Prime Minister who could always

pluck a victory from defeat at the last minute. That was the general

expectation. The European referendum campaign had been slowly climbing up

the nation's political agenda. The Prime Minister decided February that

the vote would be held in June. The campaign groups have been formed

further Leave Remain sides. Grexit was the new catchword for those who

wanted to leave the EU. The remains side never found anything to match

it. -- Brexit. Battle buses started to the country to put the arguments

to a sceptical public. One on the Leave campaign bus was certainly to

prove controversial. In Parliament, the former London Mayor Boris

Johnson was highlighting to a committee session his distaste for

what he saw as interfering roles from the European Union. One of the

rules you say is that an EU rule cannot recycle tea bags and children

cannot blow up balloons. An adult is advised to blow up a balloon with

children under eight. In my household, only children under eight

are allowed to blow up households. It is ludicrous to have this kind of

prescription. At a European level? I've got toy safety directive in

front of me. It says warning, children under eight and it is

asking that this warning be placed on the packaging, it is not

requiring or forbidding... It is requiring to it to be placed on the

package. It is requiring a warning to be placed on the packaging. You

are in restricting what I began the session with which is very partial

and busking, really, human risk approach to a very serious questions

of the UK. Chancellor George Osborne and his team made a series of claims

as part of the campaign to keep Britain in the EU, house values

would tumble, holidays would cost more and the average family would be

?4300 worse off. Businesses like this one, there would be hard hit.

Should the claims be taken seriously or are they exaggerated, as the

Treasury committee? Interest rates going up, house prices are going to

slump. I'm wondering whether you are really strengthening or weakening

your argument on its own terms by going in for all of this stuff? I

completely reject what you have said. The claims on the packed in

the economy has been supported by the Bank of England, the OECD, the

director of the IMF, and every major credible institution in the world.

Leave campaign is time the Whitehall machine was being used against them.

This one made it clear. I think you will find you cannot keep up that

website. We will look at our legal advice. It doesn't change, Prime

Minister. If we can raise the funds,... Moving on... Better get

back to the office fast. It seems to me, taking down a website is a bit

like saying, you have to remove publications that people might

already have. That is correct. We'll move on, Prime Minister. The levers

stepped up their campaign. This, the former special adviser. Will the

vote leave campaign been setting out their analysis of the economic

impact of leaving the economic -- European Union? We won't be

publishing the spurious numbers like this... I've heard what you were be

publishing but what will you be publishing? Also is of analysis, on

trade and how we think things will improve. Do you not see that leaving

Europe puts at risk inward investment from companies like

Hitachi. If Remainers were keeping the debate focused on economic

gloom, Leave campaign is work focusing on immigration and... The

arguments were surfacing at PMQs. Over 200,000 migrants came from the

economic union and yet the propaganda sheets claims we maintain

control of our borders. Have we withdrawn from the free movement of

people or is that she'd simply untrue? The truth is this, economic

migrants that come to the European Union do not have the right to come

to the UK. What my right honourable friend has put forward is classic of

the sort of scare story we get. Britain has borders, Britain will

keep its borders, we've got the best of both worlds. If the British

people vote to leave the EU, will the Prime Minister remain in office

to implement their decision? Yes. Not exactly borne out by events.

Eight days before the crucial vote, that comment is held its own final

EU debate. It is very simple, it is about who governs us, and if we get

this wrong, we will not be able to organise and to establish a

democracy in this country, which is what the people fought and died for,

not in just one world war but twice. I tell you what will happen, the

pound will plummet, inflation will go up, we will be caught in a

whirlwind of economic whirlwind which these people irresponsibly

want to inflict on millions of our citizens. It is a scandalous

position to take. There are no economic benefits to the EU

fishermen -- British fishermen. 99% of fishermen are calling for the UK

to leave. I say, let's throw them a lifeline and vote Leave. It is

difficult to see how even the most upbeat Brexiteer couldn't see we

face perhaps a decade of confidence sapping investment in eroding job

destroying uncertainty that will take this country back to the dark

days of 2008 and I for one never want to go there. Less than 24-hour

is after the debate, the whole referendum campaign came to a

shuddering halt. Reports alleged that thing and shipping -- a

stabbing and shooting involving the MP Jo Cox. 41-year-old Jo Cox was

the first member of Parliament to be murdered in the assassination of the

conservative Ian Gow at the hands of the ire of Ray in 1990. The public

were shocked that the brutal killing of an MP could happen in British

politics. A 52-year-old man, Thomas Mayor, was charged with her murder.

Campaigning stopped for three days and then Parliament returned for a

few hours from its referendum break. Some MPs were grief stricken. Jo

Cox's seat was empty, save for two roses, one white, one red. A minute

silence was held. Colleagues, we need today in heartbreaking sadness

but also in heartfelt solidarity. Any death in such awful

circumstances is an outrage and a tragedy. Her community and the whole

country has been united in grief. And united in rejecting the well of

hatred that killed her. We need, Mr Speaker, a kinder and gentler

politics. This is not a factional party. We all have a response will

it in this house and beyond not to whip up hatred or so division. I

first met Jo Cox in 2006. She was doing what she was so brilliant at,

bravely working in one of the most dangerous parts of the world,

fighting for the lives of refugees in Darfur. Not long after her son --

she had her son, she came to a briefing and I remember it because

she literally didn't stop kissing him all the way through the meeting.

We will elect a new MP but no one will replace her. I like to think it

was the deep strong roots in her community that allowed her to put

her arms around the world. I was in awe of her, a bit envious. She was

energetic, brave, dynamic, fit, beautiful, I can't ever remember

recall seeing her sad negative or without hope. She was told me as my

manager at Oxfam that she didn't do touchy-feely and I was being too

emotional and we need to get on with it and we needed to sort out the

campaign we were working on. The public wondered at the shock of her

murder might produce a quieter more considerate view of politics. There

was one big TV event to come. The public flocked to London's Wembley

Arena for a two-hour debate. Leading figures slugged it out in front of

jubilant supporters. In Britain that works with its

friends and neighbours, it doesn't walk away from them. If we vote will

even take back control, I believe that this first step can be our

country's Independence Day. Referendum day, the 23rd of June was

followed by flash flooding and torrential rain, a portent of the

drama to come. Polls closed at 10pm and accounting started. The BBC's

results programme got under way. Political editor Laura Kuenssberg

noted something about the voting trends after 90 minutes in

Sunderland. Two different sources suggest to me that Sunderland, but

we expect for a leaf, might be very pro-leave. The first indications

were confirmed, the story was going one way only. The total number of

votes cast in favour of leave was 80 2000. Newcastle and Sunderland,

David, don't anyone go to bed yet. They remaining counts are now

selling out of sterling as quickly as they can. So far at least we have

many more places where it leaves is doing better than expected and

remain is doing better than expected. Leave our winning in

places remained was expected to win. We have to face the possibility that

leave will win the referendum and Britain believes the European Union.

We have to face that large parts of the country are turning away from

both major parties. You can see South East, Northwest, West

Midlands, East Midlands and whales are all going Forli. In the small

hours, Nigel Farage, who has spent his life fighting the EU was

triumphant. This was the victory for real people. A victory for ordinary

people. As dawn broke the game is up for the Remain camp, victory for

leave. The British people have spoken and the answer is we are out.

It was a bit amusing moment for many. But the sense of the world and

was added to shortly after eight outside Downing Street. I was

cleared about my belief that Britain is stronger, safer and better off

inside the European Union but the British people have made a very

clear decision to take a different path. As such, I think the country

requires fresh leadership to take it in this direction. I will do

everything I can as prime minister to steady the ship over the coming

weeks and months but I do not think it would be right for me to try to

be the captain that steers our country to its next destination. So

David Cameron there without dramatic resignation announcement. James

Landale is with me again. How much of a thunderbolt was it, the EU

referendum result? It was a huge shock. There had always been doubts

and I spoke to someone who had walked with David Cameron before the

referendum and David Cameron said he did not know which way it was going

to go. There was a realisation it would be tight but they thought they

would always when so to lose and lose convincingly as the dead was a

huge shock to the government. It was not how the script was supposed to

call. The conventional wisdom of referendums is that governments only

call them when they will win them. The floating vote always swings in

behind the status quo in the end, and therefore vote remain. David

Cameron was forced to call this referendum sometime ago, well before

the last general election. He was forced to do so to say off set from

Ukip and maintain Conservative Party unity. If you had not promised the

referendum there was a strong chance that conservatives would have

divided and been less likely to the election. In terms of floating

voters and most people swinging to the status quo in referendums, that

is true of most referendums but not the European Union referendums. If

you look at than in other countries, towards the end there has always

been a swing to the Euro-sceptic callers and that is one of the

things which happened here. Do you think David Cameron had any option

not to go ahead and have the referendum? I think it would've been

very for him. The issue has been dividing British politics and voters

for many years. There was a sense it was coming to a head and at some

point the British people had to be given a chance to express that own

views in a fundamental way. This was just the moment it happened. It

would have been very difficult for David Cameron not to do it. Other

people say, have the referendum but he should have campaigned in a

different way. He looked quite sombre at that point, do you think

he was a sad man on the 24th of June? Regretful, I think. This is

not how he wanted to go and he was being forced out of Downing Street

without the decorum that he would have liked. On the other hand, many

people thought this is how British democracy war -- works. There has

been an extraordinary vote by the people and he took the view that he

did not have the confidence of the people and he had to go quicker than

expected. He told me he wanted to serve a full second term but it was

not to be. Thank you very much. We will talk again in a few moments.

Both sides spend the weekend after the referendum recovering from the

shock of the leaf victory. The Commons then regrouped on Monday

afternoon. The British people have voted to leave the European union.

It was not the result I wanted nor the outcome I think better the I

love. Although leaving the EU is not the path I recommended, I am the

first to praise the strengths of our incredible country. As we proceed

with carrying out the challenges this will result in, I want to hold

on to Britain which is respected abroad, engaged in the world and

engaged with our partners for generations to come. Jeremy Corbyn

criticise the way the referendum was fought. Half-truths were told. Many

key figures spent themselves distancing themselves from the

half-truths, not lose -- not least that the NHS would be handed ?350

million a week if we left. We voted to remain in Scotland because we are

European nation, it really matters to us that we live in an outward

looking country, not diminished little bit. In Scotland we are now

being told from Westminster that despite the majority against leave,

we are going to have to do as we are told, we are going to be taken out

of Europe against our wealth. The voters of the united kingdom have

demonstrated the value of that great principle, the principle of

democracy for which people fought and died. I can accept defeat but I

will not give up. I have not changed my beliefs. Leaving aside the

constitutional term I'll, the damage to the economy and the uncertainty

which hangs over Britain was my place in the world, the leaders of

the Brexit campaign had engendered an atmosphere were some people

believe it is open season for racism. Could I ask him also to say

today and condemn clearly those people who are almost implying that

decent people all over this country who voted to leave the European

Union are somehow closet racist. Well the premise in the with me that

when he says the country needs to come together, does he accept that

the first part of that is that everybody has to accept the result

of the referendum whether they like it or not? The mood in the halls was

far from celebratory. The campaign is over with now. It will be no bad

thing if the campaigning organisations on both sides and I

spoke as someone... Should shut up shop. As a Democrat, I respect the

outcome of the referendum but I also suspect as many members across the

House I am very saddened by the result and I have a deep anxiety

about what the future holds for our country. Whatever the result of this

referendum and the decision to leave the European Union, this country has

not given up on its values. We are still the United Kingdom and our

values remain exactly as they were. On Friday morning I woke not only

with the song in my heart but also with the words of the Magnificat in

my heart, that is he has put down the mighty from their seat and he

has exalted the humble and the week. A few days later came the verdict of

the Archbishop of Canterbury. The course of the campaign was both risk

-- robust as it should be but at times it appeared over the line on

both sides. It is not merely been robust but being unacceptable.

Through those comments were created cracks in the thin crust of the

politeness and tolerance of our society to which since the

referendum we have seen an out willing of poison and heated that I

cannot remember in this country for very many years. -- hatred. What

about this verdict from a former cabinet secretary? After 65 years of

service I do not remember such an unholy mess as we are now except

perhaps after Suez affair which is as existential as our political

crisis. David Cameron argued that badgers were known out of his hands

but remain campaigners in labour were getting agitated. We know that

many millions of people in this country felt they were deceived by

the exaggerations and lies in the campaigns of both parties and they

now feel themselves cheated by that result and millions of people are

protesting. Is it not right that we look again at the possibility of a

second referendum in this certainty that all second thoughts are

superior to first thoughts? It was not just the Commons which called

the second referendum, the Lords joined in as well. The British

people must begin in the chance to vote on the deal to leave the EU

once we finally know what that deal is and what it will cost. Do we

really want another one? I cannot believe people want another one.

After that it was confirmed a Parliamentary debate with be held on

a second EU Referendum in early is September. There was a curious

political symmetry in the weeks after the referendum, there was

serious leadership turmoil in both the Conservatives and the Labour

party. The apparent half-hearted support for the remain campaign by

the Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn led to the extraordinary spectacle of a

motion of no-confidence in his leadership being passed by his MPs

and then adamant that it series of resignations by the majority of

front bench team. It was all designed to force the Labour leader

out. But battered and embattled, Jeremy Corbyn wages doing resign and

was in defiant mood at Prime Minister Westerns. -- refused to

resign. Will the Prime Minister leave a one nation legacy and well

that one nation legacy be the scrapping of the veterans tax, the

banning of zero hours contracts and cancelling of the cuts to Universal

Credit? I have to say to the honourable gentleman, he talks about

job security and my two months to go, it might be in my party's

interest for him to sit there but it is not in the national interest and

I would say to him, but heavens sake, go. With Shadow Cabinet

members resigning, David Cameron stepped up the mockery. We welcome

the member -- new member for tooting to her place. I would advise to keep

her mobile phone on, she met be in the shadow cabinet by the end of the

day. The Conservatives could not afford to gloat too much, they had

their own leadership difficulties. Candidates came forward as potential

prime ministers. One declared herself like this... My future is

very simple, my name is to these me and I am the best person to be Prime

Minister. -- Teresa May. There were thoughts that Boris Johnson would

win the top job but in a political manoeuvre, he was knifed by this

man, Michael Gove. He did not have the capacity to build our team and

laid-back team that the country needs at this moment. This led to

the shock withdrawal of the contest to be wider of the party. I have

concluded that that person cannot be me. Boris supporters were despondent

when the majority of Conservative MPs turned against Michael Gove that

left just one campaigner in the leadership contest, Andrea Leadsom

and everyone expected and nine week battle between her and Teresa May.

Then came her interview in the Times newspaper and one more twist in the

tale. I am therefore withdrawing from the leadership election. Which

left Teresa May to have what's known in Westminster language as a

coronation. She became Britain's's 54th prime minister a contest.

A huge amount of fallout from the EU referendum result. James Landau is

with me. It is furious that wasn't any celebration for Leave. In fact,

some of the key figures, Michael Gove, Nigel Farage, they left, they

didn't see the initiative. There is an old saying that revolutions tend

to eat their own children. That is what happened to the Leave campaign.

Some members of that campaign did not think they would win. Some

thought they might be establishing positions for themselves, showing

they had a good fight, a good campaign, so they could present

themselves another leadership ways. And why it happened, it was, we have

to deal with this now. One of the great criticisms of the Leave

campaign was that they have never been clear about what actually

happens next, what is the elation ship that the British Godman should

forge with the European Union and countries outside the European

Union. There was a sense of hiatus, rather than celebration and victory.

There was a celebration that they had won the campaign but instantly,

it turned into, certainly with the Conservative Party, a battle about

who is now going to lead this party. Everyone knew David Cameron was

going so the leadership campaign got under way and that took any

president over what does this mean for Britain. Extraordinary that

there should be two parallel outbursts of leadership turmoil. Has

that ever happened before? It is pretty rare but both were forced by

the result. David Cameron announced his resignation because of his

defeat and also Jeremy Corbyn 's perceived lack of enthusiasm for the

Remain campaign was one of the triggers that convinced his

opponents in the Labour Party that they had to get rid of him. Here was

a moment where they had pretext, a reason to say, look, to the Labour

Party, we were all in favour of remaining in the EU, Jeremy Corbyn

was lacklustre, in their view, in the way he campaigned, this is why

we cannot carry on with him as a leader because he is one of the

factors that many Labour voters didn't come out to support the

Remain campaign, they were attracted to a more Ukip style message so that

triggered the Labour leadership contest as much as it did on the

conservative side. Nine years ago, Tony Blair left the job of Prime

Minister in a grand style with applause ringing out at the end of

the PMQs that was more relaxed than normal. The idea appealed to David

Cameron as he worked out how to bring to a close his tenure as the

top job. The 13th of July saw his 182nd and final PMQs. This morning,

I had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. Other than

one meeting with the Queen, the director of the rest of the day is

remarkably light. Within 30 years of this house, watching five Prime

ministers and several extra ministers, I have seen him achieve

mastery of that dispatch box and paralleled in my time. This session

does have admirers around the world. When I met me Bloomberg in New York,

everyone knew him and came up to him and said, you are doing a great job,

no one knew who I was until someone said, hey, Cameron, Prime Minister's

Questions, we love your show! It is only right that after six years of

Prime Minister, we thank you for your service. I have often disagreed

with him. Isn't she writes that too many people into many places in

Britain feel their economy has been destroyed in towns they are in

because the industries have gone? There are levels of higher

deployment or under employment and a deep sense of malaise. To be accused

of sloth in delivery, let's take the last week we have both been having

these leadership elections, we got on with it, we have had resignation,

Coronation, and a new start. They have even decided but the rules are

yet. If they ever got into power, it would take about a year to work out

who would sit where. Democracy is an exciting and splendid thing and I am

enjoying every moment of it. The Home Secretary, Mr Speaker, was

talking of the economy, again, she said many people find themselves

exploited by unscrupulous bosses, I can't imagine who she is referring

to. But let me say something to him about the democratic process of

leadership elections because I did say to him a couple of weeks ago,

I'm beginning to admire his tenacity. He is reminding me of the

Black night in Monty Python's holy Grail. He has been kicked so many

times but he says keep going, it's only a flesh wound. I admire that.

Mr Kenneth Clarke. He will have some plans for a slightly more enjoyable

and relaxed Wednesday morning at lunchtime and nevertheless, he will

still be an active participant in this house. As he faces a large

number of problems over the next few years. Note to people know what

Brexit means at the moment and we need his advice and statesmanship as

much as we have had. I will watch these exchanges from the

backbenches, I will miss the roar of the crowd, I will miss the barbs

from the opposition, but I will be willing you on, and when I say

winning yuan, and I'd don't just mean the new Prime Minister or

willing on the front bench, defending the manifesto that I

helped put together but I mean willing all of you on because people

come here with huge passion for the issues they care about, they come

here with great love for the constituents they represent, and

also willing on this place because we can be pretty tough and challenge

our leaders are perhaps more than other countries, but that is

something we should be proud of and keep at it and I hope you will all

keep at it and I will will you on as you do. The last thing I will say is

that you can achieve a lot of things in politics, you can get a lot of

things done. And that in the end, the national interest, that is what

it is all about. Nothing is really impossible if you put your mind to

it. After all, as I once said, I was the future once.

And with that ovation ringing in his ears, David Cameron returned for the

final time to Downing Street, re-emerging a few hours later with

family to say a few words to the waiting media, posing with wife

Samantha and children on the Downing Street steps for those final, final

photographs, before making a car journey to Buckingham Palace to

tender his formal resignation to Her Majesty The Queen. He had been Prime

Minister the six years and two months, moments later, his successor

to reason me made her way to Buckingham Palace where she was

invited to formalin in a stretch in. The Queen appointed her Prime

Minister and first Lord of the Treasury. Returning from the palace,

she spoke the first time as PM. Her Majesty The Queen has asked me to

form a new government and I accepted. We are living through an

important moment in our country's history. Following the referendum,

we face a time of great national change. So, to reason me replacing

David Cameron as Britain's Prime Minister. James Lando Hill again.

How will history record the record of four Minister David Cameron? One

word. Brexit. However much you would like it to be something else, that

will be the word that hangs around him for ever. He will be the Prime

Minister who called the referendum and lost it and as a result, the

United Kingdom left the European Union. However it pans out in the

future and whatever may happen, we don't know. That is something that

happened on his watch. Yes, the second paragraph will say he was a

man that made the conservator party electable again, who brought the

Conservative Party together, he partially won one election and

against all the odds, won outright second general election and won it

clear mandate from the British people, who was there be good at

being Prime Minister. Even his opponents would that, that he was

good at doing the Prime Minister real thing, whether it was giving

statements on grave matters such as the seven enquiry and bloody Sunday

in Northern Ireland but also negotiating... He looked the part of

the world stage. And she did introduce some reforms. People will

look at some of the education reforms that he has brought in, the

academies, the development of the whole agenda. There will be those

bits of camera and things that will linger within the body politic but

once they have said he won a referendum to keep the United

Kingdom together, they will come back to this is a man who on his

watch saw the United Kingdom believe the European Union. 13 years have

passed since this happened. The invasion of Iraq by US and UK forces

to destroy the regime of Saddam Hussein. The arguments have raged

ever since, the rights and wrongs of the war in Iraq and the subsequent

events. The report into the enquiry by Sir John Chilcot had been

anticipated. It was 12 volumes and some 12 and a half million words.

Although its findings were strong, it didn't have a huge impact

originally envisaged. Chilcot concluded there had been a rush to

war without a peaceful options look at and there had been too little

planning for the postinvasion period. MPs responded to the

enquiries report. The decision to invade Iraq in 2003 on the bases for

the Chilcot enquiry calls flawed intelligence about the weapons of

mass instruction stroke mass destruction has had a far reaching

impact. It has led to a breakdown in trust in politics and a now wasted

douches of government. The tragedy is that while the governing class

got it so horrifically wrong, many of our people got it white. The lack

of planning has also been evident since in oration to Afghanistan, to

Libya, to Syria, and most recently with absolutely no plan whatsoever

in regard to Brexit. The then Prime Minister must take full

responsibility for encouraging this house to take the decision that it

did with disastrous consequences into stabilising the world. The

horrors of Saddam Hussein, what he did to his own people, they were

fully documented, and I think we were right to take that into

account. Parts of the Ministry of Defence were not delivering the

advice the government needed an element of the Foreign Office had

succumbed to a form of groupthink that leaves me deep to concerned as

to the structure and advice Gomez can get. Whatever we think about the

judgment that was made, we should acknowledge that the bond of trust

between the government, this house on the public has been damaged by

the decision that was taken in 2003. And we here in this place today now

have an absolute need to put that right for the future. And in the

Lords, opinions differed about Tony Blair. I have never believed that he

lied to the British people. And I accept that he was sincere in

believing that military action to remove Saddam Hussein was necessary

as a last resort. To coin his own phrase, it is right that Tony Blair

should feel the hand of history on his soldier -- shoulder. If I was

back in the same place, he said, with the same information, I would

take the same decision. If that is left to stand unchallenged, Chilcot

will have failed. Let's be quite clear about that. That statement is

accessed double. Those of us who had top-secret intelligence files put in

front of us, it is the menaces adaptive, you want to believe it,

you think you are extremely privileged to have access to this

information, and you need some wise old heads around who can say, there

may be a few other considerations that one needs to take into account.

When Theresa May selected her line-up of ministers, the changes

were expensive and bold and brutal. With 24-hour was of comings and

goings in Downing Street, virtually every job in the cabin lay in new

hands. The appointment of Boris Johnson as new Foreign Secretary

caused a mild sensation. There was a new Chancellor, new Home Secretary,

Nu Justice Secretary, in fact there was newness everywhere. But some of

the issues in the new Prime minister's in tray were

long-standing one. Like the big decision on whether to go ahead with

a ?31 billion programme to replace the fleet of Trident nuclear

submarines. Theresa May came to the Commons.

I call the Prime Minister. There is no greater responsibility as prime

minister than ensuring the safety and security of our people which is

why I have made it my first duty to move the motion so weak and get on

with the job of renewing an essential part of our national

security for generations to come. Keeping and renewing our nuclear

weapons is so vital to our security so therefore every other country

should seek to require nuclear weapons and does she really think

the world would be a safer place if the dead? We are driving nuclear

weapons not the opposite? I do not accept that at all. I have to say to

the honourable lady that she and some members of the Labour party

seem to be the first to defend our country's enemies... Is she

personally prepared to authorise a nuclear strike that could kill

100,000 innocent women and children? Yes. And I have to say, the whole

point of a deterrent is that our enemies need to know that we would

be prepared to use it. Unlike some suggestions that we did have a

nuclear deterrent but not actually willing to use it which came from

the Labour party front bench. Jeremy Corbyn welcomed the new prime

minister. I wish her well and I am glad her election was quick and

short. On these benches, despite our differences, we have always argued

for the aim of a nuclear free world. We met different about how it will

be achieved but we are united in our commitment to that end. Last year

the party conference voted in favour of a nuclear deterrent so why are we

hearing a defence of the government measure from the detached or --

dispatch box now? Party policy is also to review our policies which is

why we have reviews. The priority of this government and sadly too many

people on the Labour benches at a time of Tory uncertainty and

economic uncertainty is to spend billions of pounds on outdated

nuclear weapons which we do not want, do not need and could never

use. In the end the Commons back the renewal of the Trident nuclear

weapons system by a massive majority of 355 votes. 60% of Labour MPs

supported renewal, therefore going against the views of their leader --

their leader and underlying the split in the Labour ranks. A strong

start for Teresa May and she was in place for her first PMQs a couple of

days later. Order, questions to the Prime Minister. Mr Speaker, I am

sure that the whole House will wish to join me in welcoming today's

employment figures which show employment at another record high.

Howard government is already missing its targets on debt, deficit and

productivity. Six years of government austerity has failed. The

long-term economic plan is clearly dead, is there a new one? It is the

long-term economic plan which has delivered the record level of

employment. He talks about austerity, I call it living within

our means. He talks about austerity but actually it is about not

saddling our children and grandchildren with significant

debts. In her speech on the steps of Downing Street, she also addressed

insecure workers saying you have a job but you don't always have job

security. Does that mean she is proposing to scrap the employment

tribunal fees, ban zero hours contracts as more than one dozen

European nations have already done? That would help to give greater job

security to many very worried people in this country. I have insisted he

refers to the situation of some workers who might have job

insecurity and potentially unscrupulous bosses. I suspect that

our many members on the opposition benches who might be familiar with

an unscrupulous boss. Our boys who does not listen to his workers. --

our boss. Our boss who require some of his workers to double their

workloads? And maybe even a boss who exploits the rules to further his

own career? Reminds him of anybody? Teresa May doing her first Prime

Minister's Questions. James Landale is with me again. A remarkable

cleared out of ministers and officials by Teresa May, stamping

her own authority and making it clear she is not going to be just

Cameron 2.0. Definitely. She has made a clear statement that the

Cameron reign is over. Most people think that was a sensible decision.

Yes, it is difficult because you store up a lot of unhappiness on the

backbenches. All the backbenchers will be watching everything she does

and they will hold her to her words which she uttered in Downing Street,

one nation of conservatism, helping the poor, Oliver is moderate,

centrist, some might say positioning herself to take things of the Labour

party. The Cameron team will hold her to that. If she does not

deliver, they will pick her up on it. That is the risk she was always

going to take but she made it a clear strategic decision, you cannot

just lose the Cameron and keep George Osborne. Keep them perhaps as

Foreign Secretary, a bit of continuity, that was the argument

but she took the view that the team Cameron had to call and she was

quite ruthless at the top and the bottom taking out the Cameron

supporters and saying this is my team now. What will it be like for

British ministers when they negotiate their British withdrawal

from European union? It will be very hard indeed. We are not used to this

whole process. Nobody knows how this will operate. It is down to

nitty-gritty like if we for example leave a European union, what are the

regulations which will have to apply to our farmers over the way they

milk cows? Over the way they spray their crops with various chemicals?

What protections that are currently European to rebid UK Government

reinstates? What about subsidies to farmers? Do we repeat the same

amount? That is just one small thing. Think about all the

regulations for businesses. These are hugely technical. Thousands and

thousands of EU regulations will have to be looked at and thought

about. The British Government and Civil Service will have to decide if

we keep this, and end it or ditch it. It is a process which will take

years. Thank you very much for joining us. Once again Parliament's

committees have had a lively term, probing issues and shining lights in

dark places but the witnesses have not always been rushing to face the

MPs. Mike Ashley is the man at the top of sports direct, a firm which

forced many of its place to except low rates of pay and work in a harsh

regime. Mr Ashworth initially refused to come to Westminster to

answer MP questions but when he finally came, he argued that sports

direct had become too big to manage. I did not build sports direct, it

built me. It is like going out one day and you have a tiny inflatable

and you are in control and the next, you wake up and you are an oil

tanker. You cannot be all over that oil tanker. If there is a problem on

that oil tanker, you are still responsible as I am ultimately

responsible for sports direct. Lots of organisations have grown and

given employees permanent contracts, why is it so difficult for you? I

have given a lot of people permanent contracts. You're not being fair,

you're trying to twist what I say. That is why I fear coming to things

like this because you try to put words in my mouth and twist what I

am saying. I'm telling you it was physically impossible over the last

ten years as to do what we had to do with that amount of people unless we

went to external agencies who are professionals. You have to accept

the internet growth was a phenomenon that none of us could have allowed

for. You have to accept, I have to accept that sports direct made some

mistakes. We have to look to the future. I have offered you guys to

come any time you want to know. I have even offered to come back in a

year if you want me to. I will not have everything right, it will be

impossible that I could get everything right, I am one human

being. He was then asked about British home stores, the store

collapsed in April with debts in excess of one and a quarter billion

pounds. Did you want to buy VHS? -- British home stores? I think it is

unfair and it is a no comment. Mr Ashley, thank you for your time. I

cannot resist, I wanted to buy British home stores. Oh my God. Why

was that stopped? Please, that is why I am not city trained, that is

why they say they cannot House trained me. You ask me something, I

blurt out the answers. Eight days after that performance by Mike

Ashley, a retailer with an even bigger reputation is in the hot

seat. Like Mr Ashley, Sir Philip Green, the former owner of British

home stores also reluctant to go through a Westminster interrogation.

Why had he sold the company to the racing driver Dominic Chappell, and

I'm in recent years declared bankrupt at least twice. Whether we

got misled or jute, unfortunately there seems to be a lot of people

who accepted the sky at face value. Lawyers, accountants, all sorts of

other people. -- accepted this guy. Banks who were prepared to write

letters comedies where the facts. Unfortunately, it was the wrong

person. -- these are the facts. Would I do that deal again? I would

not. And on to the idea of selling BHS to sports direct. You did

nothing to ensure that sports direct could begin in wartime to consider

this? Which deal? The deal to buy BHS. We have spent five hours, on

what possible bases would I want to stop somebody buying it if they

would rescue it? Come on, that is an insult. That is really rude. I find

that really rude. I do apologise because I do not mean to be rude.

You couldn't make in excess of that and you did not want another retail

billionaire to do it. I think that is disgusting and it is a sad way to

end it. We have not finished yet. I think that is out of order and I

think you should apologise. Here's a business where if there is are

reliable buyer, I have offered to add to his purchase price for free.

To put X million pounds and in top of what he wanted to pay and I have

tried to block it, it is laughable. You should all me an apology for

that. I have sat you for six hours and I have not been rude to. You It

is nothing to do with any eagle. Sir Philip Green. Politics is not what

it used to be, the country has a women prime minister for the second

time. Women are in key positions in the legislature. Three of the

political parties in Scotland are led by women. The DUP in Northern

Ireland is led by women. Plaid Cymru is led by a woman. Neil election

victories are not newsworthy events. The winner of the Speaker election

was a man. Norman Fowler. I would like to have -- thank the House

sincerely for the exceptional support they have given me and say

that I will do the art was to live up to this trust. This is the first

time a man has been elected to the role of Lord Speaker. Ladysmith

reflecting on an unlikely glass ceiling being smashed. -- Lady

Smith. Parliament is now in recess. MPs are scheduled to return on

Monday, September one. Parliament will be kept busy in the autumn

debating the issues resulting from Brexit. Interesting times lie ahead.

But from me, Keith McDougall,