:00:22. > :00:25.Hello and welcome to our look back at the UK's 56th Parliament.
:00:26. > :00:27.It was the shortest parliament for more than 40 years,
:00:28. > :00:33.But although it was short, the parliament witnessed
:00:34. > :00:34.extraordinary upheavals in British politics.
:00:35. > :00:38.Two years ago, we had different party leaders,
:00:39. > :00:41.the UK was a solid member of the European Union and the Brexit
:00:42. > :00:48.In the 24 months, there have been departures.
:00:49. > :00:55.As I once said, I was the future once.
:00:56. > :00:59.In accordance with the wishes of the British people,
:01:00. > :01:03.the United Kingdom is leaving the European Union.
:01:04. > :01:10.They hold our values in contempt, they hold our belief in tolerance
:01:11. > :01:15...a new approach to Prime Minister's Questions...
:01:16. > :01:18.Maureen wrote to me today and she writes with a heavy heart.
:01:19. > :01:24...and robust exchanges at Westminster's committees.
:01:25. > :01:28.You said you don't want to be here all day, true.
:01:29. > :01:42.Few could have predicted what events lay in store,
:01:43. > :01:44.as the ancient ceremony of the State Opening of Parliament
:01:45. > :01:48.went ahead on the 27th of May 2015, the 52nd time that Her Majesty
:01:49. > :01:52.Against most expectations and the predictions of the pollsters,
:01:53. > :01:54.David Cameron won an outright general election victory
:01:55. > :02:00.No coalition with the Liberal Democrats would be needed this time.
:02:01. > :02:03.Following Ed Miliband's resignation, Labour was led by its acting
:02:04. > :02:10.No words were exchanged between the party leaders as MPs
:02:11. > :02:12.filed through Parliament to hear the Queen's Speech and
:02:13. > :02:14.the legislative plans for a government expected
:02:15. > :02:21.My government will renegotiate the United Kingdom's relationship
:02:22. > :02:29.And pursue reform of the European Union for the benefit
:02:30. > :02:34.As she congratulated the Prime Minister, the acting
:02:35. > :02:42.Labour leader made a remark that would turn out to be
:02:43. > :02:47.Although he and I have many differences, people have pointed out
:02:48. > :02:53.One of the things that we have in common is that we are both by our
:02:54. > :02:58.So we will support the government's bill for a referendum
:02:59. > :03:05.We believe it will be better for Britain if we stay
:03:06. > :03:15.We have a strategy, a very clear strategy of negotiation,
:03:16. > :03:18.The bill in this Queen's Speech makes it clear that the referendum
:03:19. > :03:23.must take place at the latest by the end of 2017.
:03:24. > :03:26.The new third party with 56 MPs was the Scottish Nationalists.
:03:27. > :03:28.May I congratulate the Prime Minister for his election success.
:03:29. > :03:43.It is an honour to reply to the Queen's speech on behalf
:03:44. > :03:46.of the third party in the Houses of Commons, the Scottish
:03:47. > :03:50.Can I say at the start of the Parliament that the convention
:03:51. > :03:53.that we don't clap in this chamber is very, very, very long established
:03:54. > :03:57.and widely respected and it would be appreciated if members would show
:03:58. > :04:06.The Queen returned to politicians' minds in September 2015
:04:07. > :04:10.when she became the longest reigning monarch in the country's history,
:04:11. > :04:17.surpassing the record of Queen Victoria.
:04:18. > :04:20.Her Majesty had reigned for 63 years, seven months and two days.
:04:21. > :04:23.On the day she was opening a new train line to the Scottish borders.
:04:24. > :04:29.The Prime Minister talked about her many duties.
:04:30. > :04:31.Whether it is something we suspect she enjoys,
:04:32. > :04:34.like the Highland games, or something we suspect she might be
:04:35. > :04:36.slightly less keen on, such as spending New Year's Eve
:04:37. > :04:39.in the Millennium Dome, she never ever falters.
:04:40. > :04:48.We on these benches had hoped that she would now be on her 13th.
:04:49. > :04:50.She reigns over 140 million people, that is a huge number,
:04:51. > :04:53.nearly as many as the number of the Labour Party's
:04:54. > :05:06.That remark about the size of Labour's membership was a none
:05:07. > :05:08.too subtle reference to the long, drawn-out labour leadership election
:05:09. > :05:15.To enliven a potentially dull contest, Labour MPs had let
:05:16. > :05:18.into the race the backbencher Jeremy Corbyn, a veteran with a long
:05:19. > :05:24.And to the consternation and amazement of most Labour
:05:25. > :05:31.MPs, Mr Corbyn quickly became the favourite.
:05:32. > :05:34.He won by a landslide and soon he was doing his first
:05:35. > :05:42.I have taken part in many events around the country and had
:05:43. > :05:45.conversations with many people about what they thought about this
:05:46. > :05:46.place, our Parliament, our democracy and our conduct
:05:47. > :06:02.And many told me that they thought Prime Minister's Question Time
:06:03. > :06:05.was too theatrical, that Parliament was out of touch and too theatrical,
:06:06. > :06:07.and that they wanted things done differently.
:06:08. > :06:09.But above all, they wanted their voice heard in Parliament.
:06:10. > :06:12.If we are able to change Prime Minister's Questions to make
:06:13. > :06:14.it a more genuine exercise in asking questions and answering
:06:15. > :06:17.questions, no one would be more delighted than me.
:06:18. > :06:18.So a new approach to Prime Minister's Questions
:06:19. > :06:24.and a fresh look to the House of Commons generally.
:06:25. > :06:27.177 new MPs had been elected in May and they all had
:06:28. > :06:33.By convention, these are noncontroversial.
:06:34. > :06:38.But a new Conservative MP decided to dispense with that tradition.
:06:39. > :06:44.Heidi Allen use her maiden to launch a withering attack government smack
:06:45. > :06:48.announced cuts to tax credits for working families.
:06:49. > :06:50.The Prime Minister has asked us that everything we do must
:06:51. > :06:57.Cutting tax credits before wages rise does not achieve that.
:06:58. > :07:01.Showing children that their parents would be better off not working
:07:02. > :07:05.Sending a message to the poorest and most vulnerable in our society
:07:06. > :07:08.that we do not care does not achieve that either.
:07:09. > :07:16.In previous parliaments, Conservative governments assuming
:07:17. > :07:21.they could always count on the support of peers.
:07:22. > :07:24.Not these days, they are no longer at Tory majority in the Lords.
:07:25. > :07:33.The leader pleaded for compromise on the tax credits issue.
:07:34. > :07:36.I had been to see the Chancellor this morning at number
:07:37. > :07:40.11. And I can confirm that he would listen very carefully,
:07:41. > :07:48.were the House to express its concern in the way
:07:49. > :07:50.that it is precedented for us to do so.
:07:51. > :07:53.A Labour peer said that the Lords could support the government.
:07:54. > :07:56.Or we can be supportive instead of those 3 million families facing
:07:57. > :07:58.letters at Christmas telling them on average they will lose
:07:59. > :08:08.A letter which will take away 10% of their income.
:08:09. > :08:12.Peers voted down the tax credit changes.
:08:13. > :08:15.So what would the Chancellor do in the face of that Lords rejection?
:08:16. > :08:26.I've listened to the concerns, I hear and understand them and because
:08:27. > :08:30.I've been able to announce today an improvement in the public finances,
:08:31. > :08:35.the simplest thing to do is not to faze these changes in but to avoid
:08:36. > :08:41.them altogether. Tax credits are being phased out anyway as we
:08:42. > :08:43.introduce universal credit. That reversal was just the first in a
:08:44. > :08:58.series of U-turns at the Treasury. Four months later, another change
:08:59. > :09:01.of heart, this time over large cuts George Osborne had made
:09:02. > :09:03.to disability benefits. Iain Duncan Smith resigned
:09:04. > :09:06.from the Cabinet in protest. A few days later,
:09:07. > :09:08.the Chancellor dropped his While the reforms proposed
:09:09. > :09:11.to personal independence payments two weeks ago drew on the work
:09:12. > :09:13.of an independent review, We have listened and
:09:14. > :09:17.they will not go ahead. Even if they had, this government
:09:18. > :09:20.is spending more on disabled people than the last Labour
:09:21. > :09:21.government ever did. He has made a welcome
:09:22. > :09:23.U-turn but shouldn't he acknowledge that was a mistake
:09:24. > :09:28.and that he should say sorry for it? I have just said it,
:09:29. > :09:30.that's where we have made a mistake, where we have got things wrong,
:09:31. > :09:34.we listen and learn. But where is the apology
:09:35. > :09:38.from the Labour Party Earlier, George Osborne had shown
:09:39. > :09:55.some nifty common skills. When Labour's John McDonald read
:09:56. > :09:57.from Chairman Mao's little red book. So the Shadow Chancellor literally
:09:58. > :10:04.stood at the dispatch box and read out from chairman
:10:05. > :10:05.Mao's little red book. And look, it is
:10:06. > :10:12.personal signed copy. The problem is half
:10:13. > :10:14.the Shadow Cabinet have been sent This was the 56th Parliament
:10:15. > :10:22.of the United Kingdom but how The Scottish Nationalist group
:10:23. > :10:41.of MPs were now the third largest Naturally they campaigned for more
:10:42. > :10:44.powers for Scotland, but they also campaigned
:10:45. > :10:46.against something, namely changes the government wanted to make
:10:47. > :10:49.to the way that this place is run. Specifically, they were objecting
:10:50. > :10:52.to something that rather ominously became known as evil -
:10:53. > :10:54.English votes for English laws. For the first time, Scottish MPs
:10:55. > :10:57.could be excluded from voting It gave a new task to
:10:58. > :11:00.the Speaker and his deputies. There will now be a joint debate
:11:01. > :11:03.on the consent motion for England and Wales and the consent
:11:04. > :11:06.motion for England. I remind honourable members that
:11:07. > :11:10.although all members may speak in the debate,
:11:11. > :11:15.if there are divisions, only members representing
:11:16. > :11:18.constituencies in England and Wales may vote on the consent motion
:11:19. > :11:23.for England and Wales. And only members representing
:11:24. > :11:28.constituencies in England may vote For the first time in the history
:11:29. > :11:36.of this House, this Parliament, members of Parliament will be banned
:11:37. > :11:40.from participating in divisions of this House based
:11:41. > :11:43.on nationality and geographic One of the defeated Scottish
:11:44. > :11:51.politicians in the huge advance of the SNP at the 2015 election had
:11:52. > :11:54.been the former Liberal Democrat A short time into the Parliament,
:11:55. > :12:01.came the sad news that Mr Kennedy If I may, I'd like to direct
:12:02. > :12:12.these words at Donald. He led a party of the centre-left
:12:13. > :12:25.with dignity and compassion. And when you are older,
:12:26. > :12:28.you will know your mum and dad believed in a cause
:12:29. > :12:30.greater than themselves. The reality is that it is not
:12:31. > :12:35.what you have done, it is who you are and Charles Kennedy
:12:36. > :12:40.was a very, very special man. Donald, you should be really
:12:41. > :12:45.I love him to bits, I am proud to call him my friend,
:12:46. > :12:50.Away from these shores, the gruesome long, drawn-out
:12:51. > :12:56.The terror group Islamic State, also known as Isis or Isil had taken
:12:57. > :13:01.control of parts of neighbouring Iraq in 2014.
:13:02. > :13:06.The Commons at that time voted in favour of British air strikes
:13:07. > :13:10.on areas controlled by Isis in Iraq but not on territory
:13:11. > :13:16.So should British air strikes be extended to Syria.
:13:17. > :13:19.In autumn of 2015, ministers were advised strongly against.
:13:20. > :13:21.A night of terrorist carnage on the doorstep
:13:22. > :13:25.of Britain dramatically changed political opinion.
:13:26. > :13:27.Three teams of terrorists had carried out a planned
:13:28. > :13:30.and coordinated operation at the heart of Paris.
:13:31. > :13:41.The mood at Westminster was now different.
:13:42. > :13:45.A motion was put before MPs to extend British air strikes
:13:46. > :13:48.to cover Islamic State targets in Syria as well as.
:13:49. > :13:50.A marathon 10-hour debate in December 2015 turned
:13:51. > :13:55.into the ultimate decision for MPs, to MPs, to go to war or not.
:13:56. > :13:59.I hope that at the end of it all the House will come together
:14:00. > :14:11.in large numbers for Britain to play its part in defeating these
:14:12. > :14:13.evil extremists and taking the action that is needed now
:14:14. > :14:18.The issue now is whether extending British bombing from Iraq to Syria
:14:19. > :14:20.is likely to reduce or increase that threat to Britain.
:14:21. > :14:23.And whether it will counter or spread the terror campaign Isil
:14:24. > :14:33.The answers do not make the case for the government motion.
:14:34. > :14:35.On the contrary, they are a warning stepped back.
:14:36. > :14:37.A vote against yet another ill-fated twist in this
:14:38. > :14:44.I share the horror and revulsion of the recent atrocities in Paris,
:14:45. > :14:47.Beirut, Syria and elsewhere yet I have still to hear convincing
:14:48. > :14:50.evidence to suggest that the UK bombing Isis targets in Syria
:14:51. > :14:52.is likely to increase security here in Britain or help bring
:14:53. > :14:57.This is the toughest call I think I have ever had to make,
:14:58. > :15:00.maybe ever and certainly in this House.
:15:01. > :15:07.And what pushes me in the direction of voting for action is above all
:15:08. > :15:12.things of the United Nations resolution 249, which calls for us
:15:13. > :15:14.to eradicate the safe haven that Isis have,
:15:15. > :15:24.The closing words of liberated and Hilary Benn in favour of military
:15:25. > :15:30.action in open defiance of his party leader Jeremy Corbyn came to be seen
:15:31. > :15:32.as a vintage Commons performance. Revolves been defined by our
:15:33. > :15:51.internationalism. We are here faced by fascists. Not
:15:52. > :15:54.just their calculated brutality but their belief that they are superior
:15:55. > :15:59.to every single one of us in this chamber tonight and all of the
:16:00. > :16:06.people that we represent. They hold us in contempt. They hold our values
:16:07. > :16:09.in contempt, they hold our belief in tolerance and decency in contempt,
:16:10. > :16:15.they hold our democracy, the means by which we will make our decision
:16:16. > :16:22.tonight in content. But what we know about fascists is that they need to
:16:23. > :16:29.be defeated. It is now time for us to do our bit in Syria. And that is
:16:30. > :16:39.why I ask my colleagues to vote for this motion tonight. Afterwards, MPs
:16:40. > :16:44.voted by a clear majority military action. UK air strikes on biased
:16:45. > :16:51.targets in Syria started soon after that debate. 17 months on, the RAF
:16:52. > :16:54.has conducted more than 1200 air strikes across Iraq and Syria as
:16:55. > :16:59.part of a coalition of countries committed to defeating his neck.
:17:00. > :17:05.Their operations to remove items might have been more effective in
:17:06. > :17:09.Iraq and Syria, for the six-year long brutal civil war continues. A
:17:10. > :17:14.slice of regional history came to an end in 2016 with the financial
:17:15. > :17:19.collapse of British home stores. A familiar sight for eight decades in
:17:20. > :17:23.many a high street. A Parliamentary enquiry was soon underway into quiet
:17:24. > :17:27.BHS had collapsed with debts totalling ?1.3 billion. Its former
:17:28. > :17:33.owner, one of putting it in wealthiest businessmen, Sir Philip
:17:34. > :17:38.Green, was facing MPs. Nothing is more sad than how this has ended. We
:17:39. > :17:43.have a pretty good track record as a company, our existing business, the
:17:44. > :17:48.average day in our head office is 11 or 12 years. The mine not looking at
:17:49. > :17:52.me like that all the time, is truly disturbing. Why is that we did
:17:53. > :17:57.Saville itself BHS to a racing driver who had me they made bankrupt
:17:58. > :18:02.twice. Unfortunately, sadly, it was the wrong order. We can keep going
:18:03. > :18:05.over. You said you don't want you here all day, you'd be here for the
:18:06. > :18:10.rest of your life, would I do that you'll again, no. I'm sorry we did
:18:11. > :18:17.it. Three and half hours, you seem a very dominant personality. Ten of
:18:18. > :18:20.you and one of me. Believe me, you hold your own, but you seem
:18:21. > :18:26.extraordinarily thin-skinned to quite courteous questions in respect
:18:27. > :18:30.of the selling of BHS, did anybody, particularly nonexecutive directors
:18:31. > :18:33.say, I'm not certain this is correct, can we challenge on this.
:18:34. > :18:39.That doesn't seem to be the culture of the organisation. That's your
:18:40. > :18:43.opinion. The slow passage of the EU referendum bill in the final months
:18:44. > :18:48.of 2015 made certain the people of Britain would be taking part in a
:18:49. > :18:54.vote on putting it continued EU membership. But would it be 2016 or
:18:55. > :18:57.2017? With David Cameron go early goal late? And just who would be
:18:58. > :19:03.campaigning for Britain to stay in and who would be wanting get out? In
:19:04. > :19:07.the Commons, Labour was indulging in plenty of teasing of Cabinet
:19:08. > :19:18.ministers. He can't tell us in or out. Is an out, isn't it? Come out.
:19:19. > :19:22.The Labour Party has a leader who has changed his mind twice in the
:19:23. > :19:26.last few months. They claim to support reform European Union but
:19:27. > :19:30.won't say what they want to reform. Soon the pretence of unity was
:19:31. > :19:34.ended. Cabinet ministers were set free to campaign on both sides of
:19:35. > :19:38.the debate. And a clutch of high-profile levers were quickly in
:19:39. > :19:43.front of the cameras. Their campaign for a British exit from the EU was
:19:44. > :19:48.soon known as Brexit. The remain is never found a similar slogan. On the
:19:49. > :19:50.20th of February, Mr Cameron announced the date of the
:19:51. > :19:56.referendum, Thursday the 23rd of June. David Cameron had expected. On
:19:57. > :20:02.fourth cap might remain from his close friend of the Justice
:20:03. > :20:04.Secretary Michael Gove. Michael Gove had other ideas, announcing he'd be
:20:05. > :20:09.backing Leave, a beautiful friendship was never the same again.
:20:10. > :20:15.Even worse for David Cameron was the loss of support from the outgoing
:20:16. > :20:19.Mayor of London, Boris Johnson. And so the referendum arguments began.
:20:20. > :20:23.The claims and counterclaims were made. One pledge on the side of the
:20:24. > :20:27.league campaign bus stating how the weekly cost of Brit in's EU
:20:28. > :20:32.membership could be spent instead became especially well-known. The
:20:33. > :20:35.public crude suspicious of the forecasts. The committee sessions
:20:36. > :20:41.were looking at the issues both big and small. One of the rules that you
:20:42. > :20:47.say, one of the ludicrous rules and I quote, and EU rule that says you
:20:48. > :20:51.can't recycle a tea bag and children under eight can't blow up balloons.
:20:52. > :20:55.The European Commission in on websites as adult supervision is
:20:56. > :21:03.required in the case the use of an inflated balloons by children under
:21:04. > :21:09.eight. I have to say in my household, only children under eight
:21:10. > :21:13.blow up balloons. I do think that it is absolutely ludicrous to have this
:21:14. > :21:18.kind of prescription. At a European level. At a European level. Do you
:21:19. > :21:26.not see that leaving Europe puts at risk inward investment from
:21:27. > :21:30.companies? I've heard all the same stuff on the euro, I don't buy it.
:21:31. > :21:33.But one week until polling day, the increasingly bitter campaign came to
:21:34. > :21:41.a sudden shuddering halt. Report of a stabbing and shooting involving
:21:42. > :21:45.the MP Jo Cox. Various information at this stage. The country was
:21:46. > :21:49.horrified that an ordinary member of Parliament can be brutally killed
:21:50. > :21:54.while going about her normal work in her west Yorkshire constituency. A
:21:55. > :21:59.far right extremist, Thomas Maier was later jailed for life for the
:22:00. > :22:04.murder of Jo Cox. The public soon showed its huge respect for the MP.
:22:05. > :22:08.Parliament was recalled briefly from its short referendum break. On Jo
:22:09. > :22:15.Cox's empty seat on the Commons where two roses. Jo Cox believed in
:22:16. > :22:20.a better world and she fought for it every day of her life. With an
:22:21. > :22:26.energy and the zest for life that would exhaust most people. And she
:22:27. > :22:31.was brave. Her energy and effectiveness where Ana Inspiration.
:22:32. > :22:41.Last, let me say this, Batley will elect a new MP but now want... I
:22:42. > :22:45.can't ever recall seeing a sad, negative and without hope. She once
:22:46. > :22:49.told me on a one-to-one meeting at Oxfam as my manager, she didn't do
:22:50. > :22:56.touchy-feely and I was being too emotional, we needed to get on with
:22:57. > :23:01.it and we needed to sort out the campaign we were working on. The
:23:02. > :23:07.public wondered if the shock of the MP's murder might produce a quieter
:23:08. > :23:11.more considered form of politics as the referendum campaign entered its
:23:12. > :23:17.final few days. People flocked to London's Wembley Arena for a two our
:23:18. > :23:23.debate, leading figures in the leaves and Dodt Remain camp 's slug
:23:24. > :23:27.it out. The button I love works with its friends and neighbours, it
:23:28. > :23:32.doesn't walk away from them. And if we vote Leave and take back control,
:23:33. > :23:39.In both are to be on course to our country's Independence Day.
:23:40. > :23:45.In both are to be on course to victory. The polls closed at ten and
:23:46. > :23:49.counting started. First indications suggested that Leave had polled
:23:50. > :23:54.strongly. It became clear that the story was going only one way. In the
:23:55. > :24:02.small hours, Nigel Farage of Ukip, the man who had devoted years of his
:24:03. > :24:08.life to fighting the EU, was triumphant. As dawn broke, it was
:24:09. > :24:14.all over for rain. The British people have spoken and the answer is
:24:15. > :24:19.that we are out. For many, it was a bit amusing moment. Britain had
:24:20. > :24:23.But the sense of the world was only But the sense of the world was only
:24:24. > :24:29.added to shortly after 8:00am outside Downing Street. I will do a
:24:30. > :24:32.thing I can as Prime Minister to steady the ship over the coming
:24:33. > :24:37.weeks and months, but I do not think it would be right for me to try to
:24:38. > :24:42.be the captain that steers our country to its next destination. So
:24:43. > :24:45.now we have a Prime Minister heading for the exit. The politicians spent
:24:46. > :24:52.the weekend after the referendum recovering from a whirlwind of
:24:53. > :24:56.events. It was not the result I wanted nor the believe is best for
:24:57. > :25:00.the country I love but there can be no doubt about the result. It is
:25:01. > :25:05.quite shameful that politicians make claims that they knew to be false
:25:06. > :25:08.and promises that they knew could not be delivered. Leaving aside the
:25:09. > :25:11.constitutional turmoil, the damage to the economy and the uncertainty
:25:12. > :25:17.that hangs over Britain's place in the world, the leaders of the Brexit
:25:18. > :25:21.campaign have engendered an atmosphere where some people believe
:25:22. > :25:28.it is open season for racism and xenophobia. Does he agree with me
:25:29. > :25:33.that there should be an early general election? Can I ask to
:25:34. > :25:37.condemn clearly those people who are almost implying that decent people
:25:38. > :25:44.all over this country who voted to leave the European Union are somehow
:25:45. > :25:49.closet racists? At lunchtime, sterling fell to a 31 year low
:25:50. > :25:54.against the dollar. If you break it, you own it, so who owns this
:25:55. > :25:57.particular adjustment? Is a Prime Minister who called the referendum
:25:58. > :26:03.or the right honourable member for Oxbridge who exploited it? I met
:26:04. > :26:07.dilemma reference to Boris Johnson who people assumed was on course to
:26:08. > :26:12.fill the vacancy caused by Cameron's recognition. -- a reference to Boris
:26:13. > :26:17.Johnson. For many, the country looks to be in limbo. The Remain side
:26:18. > :26:21.looked for reasons for defeat. The Labour leader was accused of not
:26:22. > :26:25.doing enough campaigning. There was an orchestrated series of
:26:26. > :26:29.resignations from his Shadow Cabinet. Many Labour MPs urged him
:26:30. > :26:35.to resign. David Cameron joined in. I have to say to the honourable
:26:36. > :26:39.gentleman, he talks about job insecurity. It might be in my
:26:40. > :26:45.party's interests for him to sit there but it is not in the national
:26:46. > :26:49.interest. I would say, for her sake -- for heaven's sake, go. But Jeremy
:26:50. > :26:54.Corbyn stayed on. The Labour MPs eventually found one candidate, this
:26:55. > :26:57.man, Owen Smith, to fight Mr Corbyn in a second leadership battle. But
:26:58. > :27:02.the Conservatives could not afford to gloat too much. They had their
:27:03. > :27:10.own leadership turmoil. Would it be Boris Johnson in Number Ten who
:27:11. > :27:13.could stop him? I am Theresa May and I believe I am the best person to be
:27:14. > :27:18.the Prime Minister. Boris Johnson looked to be ahead of the field
:27:19. > :27:24.until the moment where Michael Gove withdrew his support for him,
:27:25. > :27:32.triggering a shock exit from the contest. What is your message for
:27:33. > :27:36.Michael Gove? Mr Gold came third in the vote, meaning that two
:27:37. > :27:39.contenders were left, Andrea Leadsom and Theresa May. Then an article in
:27:40. > :27:45.The Times forced Andrea Leadsom to quit. So after an extraordinary
:27:46. > :27:50.series of unplanned events, Britain finally had a new Prime Minister.
:27:51. > :27:55.Theresa May. Into 2007 Tony Blair left his job and Number Ten having
:27:56. > :28:00.enjoyed the sound of enthusiastic applause ringing out from all sides
:28:01. > :28:03.of the House of Commons, the end of a Prime Minister's Questions that
:28:04. > :28:08.was much more relaxed than normal. The idea appeals to David Cameron,
:28:09. > :28:14.as he considered how to bring to an end his six-year tenure at the top
:28:15. > :28:19.job. Questions to the Prime Minister. This morning I had
:28:20. > :28:23.meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. Other than one meeting
:28:24. > :28:31.this afternoon with Her Majesty the Queen, the diary for the rest of my
:28:32. > :28:34.day is remarkably light. 33 years in this House watching five prime
:28:35. > :28:39.ministers and several former prime ministers, I have seen him achieving
:28:40. > :28:43.mastery of that dispatch box unparalleled in my time. We thank
:28:44. > :28:50.the Prime Minister for his hard work and leadership. It is only right
:28:51. > :28:51.that after six years of Prime as Prime Minister -- as Prime Minister
:28:52. > :28:59.that we thank the honourable member that we thank the honourable member
:29:00. > :29:04.for his service. I remember in New York everyone knew Michael Bloomberg
:29:05. > :29:08.and no one had a clue who I was. Eventually someone said, Cameron,
:29:09. > :29:12.Prime Minister's Questions, we love your show! I would like to pass on
:29:13. > :29:19.my thanks to his mother for her advice about ties and suits and
:29:20. > :29:22.songs. She is extremely kind and I would be grateful if he would pass
:29:23. > :29:27.that on to her. And I am reflecting on the lesson that she offered. I
:29:28. > :29:30.will certainly send his good wishes back to my mother. He seems to have
:29:31. > :29:38.taken our advice and is looking spider today. -- looking splendid
:29:39. > :29:42.today. As now to my people know what breaded means at the moment, we need
:29:43. > :29:50.his advice and statesmanship as much as we ever had. -- knows what Brexit
:29:51. > :29:55.means. The Tory Party has never got as far as asking Ken clerk to use a
:29:56. > :29:58.mobile phone. He briefly had one body said the problem was people
:29:59. > :30:02.kept running on it. In opposition, we had to move our morning meeting
:30:03. > :30:10.to accommodate his o'clock cigar. But I will watch these exchange from
:30:11. > :30:14.the backbenches. -- his nine o'clock cigar. I will miss the roar of the
:30:15. > :30:17.crowd, I will miss the barbs from the opposition but I will be
:30:18. > :30:21.willingly one. And when I say willing anyone I do not simply mean
:30:22. > :30:27.willing on the Prime Minister at the dispatch box or the front bench
:30:28. > :30:31.defending the manifesto I put together, but willing you are one.
:30:32. > :30:36.People come here with great love and passion for the constituencies they
:30:37. > :30:40.represent. And I will be willing on this place because yes, we can be
:30:41. > :30:43.tough and testy and challenge our leaders, perhaps more than other
:30:44. > :30:47.countries, but that is something we should be proud of and we should
:30:48. > :30:51.keep at it. And I hope you will all keep at it and I will will you on as
:30:52. > :30:55.you do. The last thing I would say is that you can achieve a lot of
:30:56. > :30:58.things in politics, you can get a lot of things done and in the end,
:30:59. > :31:02.the public service, the national interest, that is what it is all
:31:03. > :31:07.about. Nothing is really impossible if you put your mind to it. After
:31:08. > :31:21.all, as I once said, I was the future once.
:31:22. > :31:27.And without ovation ringing in his ears, David Cameron returned for the
:31:28. > :31:34.final time to Downing Street, later posing with his wife and children
:31:35. > :31:37.for those final photographs before making a car journey to Buckingham
:31:38. > :31:42.Palace to tender his formal resignation to Her Majesty the
:31:43. > :31:46.Queen. Moments later, his successor, Theresa May, made her way to
:31:47. > :31:50.Buckingham Palace where she was invited to form an administration.
:31:51. > :31:53.The Queen appointed her Prime Minister. Returning from the palace,
:31:54. > :31:57.she spoke for the first time as Prime Minister. If you are just
:31:58. > :32:02.managing, I want to address you directly. I know you are working
:32:03. > :32:06.around the clock. I know you were doing your best and I know that
:32:07. > :32:12.sometimes life can be a struggle. The government I lead will be driven
:32:13. > :32:18.not by the interests of the privileged few but by yours. We will
:32:19. > :32:25.do everything that we can to give you more control over your lives. So
:32:26. > :32:29.one Prime Minister out and one Prime Minister in. As she took over the
:32:30. > :32:32.reins of power, Theresa May made a series of bold appointments.
:32:33. > :32:36.Establishing that she was a very different sort of Conservative to
:32:37. > :32:40.David Cameron. There was a new Chancellor, a new Home Secretary, a
:32:41. > :32:45.new Justice Secretary. And of course a new Foreign Secretary in the shape
:32:46. > :32:52.of Boris Johnson. And so to Theresa May's first PMQs as Prime Minister.
:32:53. > :32:54.Speech on the steps of Downing Street she undressed insecure
:32:55. > :33:00.workers, saying you have a job but you do not always have job security.
:33:01. > :33:05.Does that mean that she is proposing to scrap the employment tribunal
:33:06. > :33:09.fees, repeal the Trade Union Act, or ban the zero hours contracts as more
:33:10. > :33:14.than a dozen European nations have already done? Again I say to the
:33:15. > :33:17.right honourable gentleman, I did say that on the streets of Downing
:33:18. > :33:23.Street and I think it is important that here in this House we consider
:33:24. > :33:26.not only what I might call the more obvious injustices but also consider
:33:27. > :33:30.the life for those people for whom they are in work but struggling to
:33:31. > :33:34.make ends meet. I am interested that he refers to the situation of some
:33:35. > :33:40.workers who might have job insecurity. Potentially unscrupulous
:33:41. > :33:42.bosses. I suspect that many members on the opposition benches might be
:33:43. > :33:50.familiar with an unscrupulous box. A familiar with an unscrupulous box. A
:33:51. > :33:52.boss who does not listen to his workers, a boss who requires some of
:33:53. > :34:03.his workers to double their workload. Maybe even a boss who
:34:04. > :34:10.exploits the rules to further his own career. Remind him of anybody?
:34:11. > :34:15.When the Commons reassembled after the summer break in 2016, there was
:34:16. > :34:20.a bright new Minister for the a bright new Minister for the
:34:21. > :34:26.Speaker to call. The Secretary of State for Exiting the European
:34:27. > :34:29.Union. During the autumn months ministers were accused of secrecy
:34:30. > :34:35.over Brexit. Was anything happening at all, one the Labour leader. This
:34:36. > :34:41.government drew up no plans for Brexit, has no strategy for
:34:42. > :34:53.negotiating Brexit and offers no clarity.
:34:54. > :34:59.Thank you everyone and welcome to Harold this morning. It is a delight
:35:00. > :35:03.to be there along with our fantastic candidates from across London and
:35:04. > :35:06.the south-east. We have some excellent representation already in
:35:07. > :35:14.this area but we will be determined to build on that representation in
:35:15. > :35:20.just 31 days. Just pause on that front moment. 31 days until what is
:35:21. > :35:24.undoubtedly the most important general election that any of us have
:35:25. > :35:30.faced. At this election, our country's future will really be on
:35:31. > :35:39.the ballot paper. The next five years are going to be crucial for
:35:40. > :35:43.our country and our prosperity and our society, our children and our
:35:44. > :35:53.grandchildren. What is going to be so important over that period is
:35:54. > :35:57.leadership. Leadership is vitally important as we enter those Brexit
:35:58. > :36:03.negotiations. Will it be the leadership of Jeremy Corbyn and the
:36:04. > :36:08.coalition of chaos, propped up by the Liberal Democrats and the
:36:09. > :36:14.Scottish Nationalists, or will it be Theresa May, with her proven and
:36:15. > :36:27.stable leadership, fighting on for Britain?
:36:28. > :36:35.There is no doubt how crucial the selection is. So much depends on
:36:36. > :36:39.getting it right. And I know that in Theresa May Britain has a strong
:36:40. > :36:47.leader who we can trust to deliver. But we also need, and she also needs
:36:48. > :36:52.a strong team behind her to deliver the best deal for Britain and the
:36:53. > :36:57.United Kingdom. And we have the team to do their job. I'm not going to
:36:58. > :37:01.spend any time looking at the alternative teams, you see it all
:37:02. > :37:06.the -- every day. A vote for Theresa May and candidates here in London
:37:07. > :37:12.and the south-east and across the country, will undoubtedly strengthen
:37:13. > :37:19.her hand in the EU negotiations to come. Each and every one of us who
:37:20. > :37:22.are elected will get a stronger mandate for the Prime Minister when
:37:23. > :37:25.she is fighting for Britain and the United Kingdom. And each and every
:37:26. > :37:32.one of us will be helping the Prime Minister and her team build a better
:37:33. > :37:38.future for our country in the years ahead. That is what we are fighting
:37:39. > :37:42.for in this election, a team that will deliver for Britain. And it
:37:43. > :37:48.gives me great pleasure to ask the Prime Minister to address us this
:37:49. > :37:49.morning, and give her a very ball well -- a very warm welcome. I
:37:50. > :38:14.minister. -- Prime Minister. Is great to be with you today in
:38:15. > :38:20.Harrow and this morning. We move into the next phase of the general
:38:21. > :38:22.election campaign. The local election campaigns are behind us and
:38:23. > :38:30.we must now focus on the critical general election and we cannot take
:38:31. > :38:32.a single thing for granted. We certainly not taking anything for
:38:33. > :38:37.granted as regards our team because we got together a fantastic team of
:38:38. > :38:40.local candidates for London and the south-east and my message to people
:38:41. > :38:45.in London on the south-east is that I need this team behind me to be in
:38:46. > :38:51.a strong position to ensure we get the best deal for Britain from
:38:52. > :38:56.Europe. This is the team that will go out on the streets and taking out
:38:57. > :38:59.our positive message, which is a message of strong and stable
:39:00. > :39:03.leadership in the national interest, of strengthening the UK's hand in
:39:04. > :39:10.the Brexit negotiations. Of building a better future. Yesterday, a new
:39:11. > :39:14.French president was elected, he was elected with a strong mandate, which
:39:15. > :39:21.you can take into a strong position in the negotiations. The UK, we need
:39:22. > :39:22.to ensure we have got an equally strong mandate and an equally strong
:39:23. > :39:38.negotiating position. Every vote for me and my team will
:39:39. > :39:45.strengthen my hand in those Brexit negotiations. The alternative is to
:39:46. > :39:50.risk making Jeremy Corbyn Prime Minister and just imagine, try and
:39:51. > :39:53.picture him sitting at the negotiating table with the
:39:54. > :39:59.collective mind of the European Commission and 27 other European
:40:00. > :40:04.countries against him. We now that is Patrick said, other parties are
:40:05. > :40:07.lining up to prop him up in a coalition of chaos, the Liberal
:40:08. > :40:13.Democrats, the Scottish Nationalists and others. A vote for any other
:40:14. > :40:19.party is a vote to be a step closer to Jeremy Corbyn sitting at that
:40:20. > :40:29.Brexit negotiating table. We must not let that happen and we must not
:40:30. > :40:34.letting him do that we can win support in London on the south-east
:40:35. > :40:39.and we must also make sure that we point out the non-sensible policies
:40:40. > :40:44.that Jeremy Corbyn and the Labour Party are putting forward. They
:40:45. > :40:47.simply don't add up. They would wreck the economy and render all
:40:48. > :40:52.their promises totally undeliverable. By contrast, we are
:40:53. > :40:58.putting together credible undeliverable policies. Policies
:40:59. > :41:03.that are in the national interest, policies like protecting workers
:41:04. > :41:06.pensions against irresponsible bosses, capping energy prices to
:41:07. > :41:12.support working families of bringing in new mental health laws to end
:41:13. > :41:17.injustice. Those are the positive messages that you will be taken out
:41:18. > :41:21.on the streets over the next few weeks. When I see taking out on the
:41:22. > :41:29.streets, I mean taking them out on the streets. We must take absolutely
:41:30. > :41:35.nothing for granted. And it is only by working flat-out tween now and
:41:36. > :41:39.the 8th of June that we can gain the trust of the British people and gain
:41:40. > :41:46.the support of the British people. We must go out there, we must leave
:41:47. > :41:51.no stone unturned, no street not mocked down, no door not knocked on
:41:52. > :41:57.course every vote counts, every vote counts because every person counts
:41:58. > :42:01.and every community counts. I've been a member of Parliament for 20
:42:02. > :42:07.years, I had the privilege to be a member for 20 years, and I've
:42:08. > :42:10.learned how important it is to get out there, to speak directly to
:42:11. > :42:15.voters and to listen to their concerns. That's my instruction to
:42:16. > :42:20.candidates at this election. It's to go out there and to earn the support
:42:21. > :42:28.of the British people. I've also learned over the years that you
:42:29. > :42:32.can't predict election results. The polls got it wrong in 2015, they got
:42:33. > :42:38.it wrong in the EU referendum and Jeremy Corbyn was a 200-1 outside
:42:39. > :42:45.chance to win the Labour leadership. Take nothing for granted. As I say,
:42:46. > :42:48.go out there, take our positive message to people, earned the
:42:49. > :42:54.support of the British people, show that they can trust you, that they
:42:55. > :42:59.can trust me and my team in taking those Brexit negotiations forward
:43:00. > :43:03.and getting the best deal for them. That's the positive message that we
:43:04. > :43:08.must take out on the streets in the coming weeks. And if we do that, and
:43:09. > :43:13.if we win their support, if we show that every vote for me and my team
:43:14. > :43:19.is able strong and stable leadership in the national interest, that every
:43:20. > :43:20.vote for me and my team is a vote for strengthening our hand in those
:43:21. > :43:24.Brexit negotiations, for getting the Brexit negotiations, for getting the
:43:25. > :43:28.best possible deal for Britain from Europe, that every vote for me and
:43:29. > :43:31.my team is a vote to lock in economic security for a better
:43:32. > :43:36.future across the whole of the United Kingdom. If we do that and if
:43:37. > :43:41.we win the support of the British public, then together we can strive
:43:42. > :43:46.for Britain, together we can fight for Britain and together we will
:43:47. > :44:16.deliver for Britain. Thank you. APPLAUSE
:44:17. > :44:29.You've said the Tory party is working up credible policies but
:44:30. > :44:33.what is the point of sticking to an immigration target that many of your
:44:34. > :44:38.colleagues think is unworkable, some people think it's even pointless and
:44:39. > :44:43.when you were in charge as Home Secretary, it's a target that has
:44:44. > :44:46.been missed for six years. He might ask, would you commit an Billy King
:44:47. > :44:51.to ending freedom of movement as soon as we leave the European Union?
:44:52. > :44:53.First of all, what we've seen happening to the immigration figures
:44:54. > :44:57.over the last six years, we saw them coming down, we then saw them going
:44:58. > :45:01.back up and then recently some of those figures coming back down
:45:02. > :45:07.again. I think it's important you talk about the net migration target,
:45:08. > :45:11.let's look at why we have a net migration target, why we have said
:45:12. > :45:14.it's important to reduce immigration to bring control into the
:45:15. > :45:18.immigration figures that it's because of the impact that it has on
:45:19. > :45:22.people. The impact it has particularly on people at the lower
:45:23. > :45:25.end of the income scale and in terms of the pressure on public services.
:45:26. > :45:31.I think it is important that we continue and we will continue to say
:45:32. > :45:35.that we do want to bring down net migration to sustainable levels. We
:45:36. > :45:38.believe that is the tens of thousands and of course, once we
:45:39. > :45:43.leave the European Union we will have the opportunity to ensure that
:45:44. > :45:47.we have control of our borders here in the UK because we will be able to
:45:48. > :45:50.establish our rules for people coming from the European Union into
:45:51. > :45:53.the UK. That's a part of the picture we haven't been able to control
:45:54. > :45:58.before and we will be able to control it and leaving the EU means
:45:59. > :46:02.that we won't have free movement as it has been in the past and when it
:46:03. > :46:06.comes to voting on the 8th of June, people have a very clear choice, is
:46:07. > :46:10.between a Conservative Party, me and my team who are committed to
:46:11. > :46:13.ensuring we bring back control of our borders and Jeremy Corbyn who
:46:14. > :46:20.just wants to carry on with the movement as it always has been.
:46:21. > :46:27.Emily Morgan from ITV News. NHS service provider say that staff are
:46:28. > :46:32.leaving to go and stack shelves in supermarkets because of poor pay and
:46:33. > :46:38.that is leading to risks in safety. Will you commit to ending the 1% pay
:46:39. > :46:43.cap and if so when? It is right that the public sector as a whole has had
:46:44. > :46:46.to play its part in dealing overall with what we were left by the last
:46:47. > :46:53.Labour government which was the worst deficit position that we've
:46:54. > :46:56.seen in peacetime and we've had success in doing that in bringing
:46:57. > :47:02.the deficit down by two thirds but there is more to be done. In
:47:03. > :47:06.relation to NHS pay, actually if you look at not just the basic pay
:47:07. > :47:12.increase but progression pay, about half of NHS staff get an annual
:47:13. > :47:18.increase of de-4% in their pay. But of course, we want to see more stuff
:47:19. > :47:23.and good stuff in the NHS and that's the record we have as a Conservative
:47:24. > :47:26.government, more doctors, nurses, midwives because we put the extra
:47:27. > :47:29.funding into the NHS we've been able to do that for that you can put
:47:30. > :47:35.extra funding into the NHS if you have a strong economy. Jeremy Jeremy
:47:36. > :47:44.Corbyn would wreck the economy and that would be a worse position to be
:47:45. > :47:47.in. Lucy Fisher from the Times. Emmanuel Macron, the new France
:47:48. > :47:51.President-elect says he wants review the agreement between Britain and
:47:52. > :47:54.France throwing our border arrangements into doubt and says he
:47:55. > :47:58.wants to lure UK bankers and talented professionals to France.
:47:59. > :48:02.This election is bad news for Britain and Brexit, isn't it? He's
:48:03. > :48:05.been elected with a very strong mandate and we must make sure in the
:48:06. > :48:06.UK we also have a strong mandate to take a strong position into our
:48:07. > :48:20.negotiating table. As for the tuque agreement, it works
:48:21. > :48:25.to the benefit of both the UK and France -- two K. And the government
:48:26. > :48:31.elected after the 8th of June we will talk to Emmanuel Macron about
:48:32. > :48:33.how that system has worked to the benefit of France as well as to the
:48:34. > :48:56.benefit of the UK. Can take the Herald first. Could you
:48:57. > :49:01.explain to us why you think, and are heavily polarised Scotland, the
:49:02. > :49:06.Brexit process will strengthen the union and not strengthened the hand
:49:07. > :49:09.of Nicola Sturgeon in a drive towards a second Scottish
:49:10. > :49:13.independence referendum and what would you say to the First Minister,
:49:14. > :49:19.who asserts that from your words last week, when you set certain
:49:20. > :49:24.shady people in Brussels were intent on influencing the election, that
:49:25. > :49:29.you have poisoned the Brexit process? Possible, on the second
:49:30. > :49:35.point, I don't think I used that descriptor that you slipped in there
:49:36. > :49:39.in the question. Not sure if it was you or Nicola Sturgeon that slipped
:49:40. > :49:43.that end but I didn't use them. We have heard things being said in
:49:44. > :49:47.Brussels, what that has shown us that these negotiations are going to
:49:48. > :49:50.be tough, that means we need a strong negotiating position and the
:49:51. > :49:54.right leadership here in the UK to go into those negotiations and
:49:55. > :49:58.dastardly impact of the Brexit process on the whole question of the
:49:59. > :50:03.future of the union, now was the time that we should be working
:50:04. > :50:06.together across the United Kingdom for the best result for every part
:50:07. > :50:12.of the United Kingdom, including Scotland, not trying to pull apart
:50:13. > :50:16.and it's the tunnel vision of the Scottish Nationalists in focusing
:50:17. > :50:19.only on independence that actually means they're not focusing on the
:50:20. > :50:22.work we need to do to ensure we get the best deal for the people of
:50:23. > :50:31.Scotland and the people of the United Kingdom as a whole. Just one
:50:32. > :50:35.immigration from Sky News. Can we just be clear that you are going to
:50:36. > :50:38.stick with the target of tens of thousands in terms of use
:50:39. > :50:44.immigration target despite that being non-deliverable in the last
:50:45. > :50:47.Parliament? And if you do committed at because of Brexit and control of
:50:48. > :50:54.immigration, do you think you can hit that target by 2022? I'm tempted
:50:55. > :50:57.to say that I think if you listen to the answer I gave earlier and if you
:50:58. > :51:02.listen to things I've said previously in the campaign, it will
:51:03. > :51:04.be clear that we do believe that net migration should be unsustainable
:51:05. > :51:10.levels and sustainable levels does mean the tens of thousands. We have
:51:11. > :51:20.a local paper, the Harrow Times. The last question. I was going to ask,
:51:21. > :51:23.if you could say to you local voters why you wouldn't be taking part in
:51:24. > :51:26.televised debates, why would that be? Because I'm taking part in
:51:27. > :51:30.debates are found down the country taking questions from people are
:51:31. > :51:34.meeting people, getting and about and ensuring that I'm talking
:51:35. > :51:36.directly with photos and listening directly to voters. That's the sort
:51:37. > :51:50.of thing... APPLAUSE That's a thought of thing that Bob
:51:51. > :51:54.Blackman has done and has shown that he's done is a great member of
:51:55. > :52:01.Parliament and what Hannah David will do as a candidate. We'll take
:52:02. > :52:05.that message for the people of Harold that they have a clear
:52:06. > :52:08.choice, one of two people who can the Prime Minister on the 9th of
:52:09. > :52:12.June, me Jeremy Corbyn and the need to think he was going to ensure that
:52:13. > :52:15.we've got a strong and stable leadership, taking a strong position
:52:16. > :52:19.into the negotiations on Brexit to get the best possible deal for the
:52:20. > :52:20.people of Harrow, London, the Southeast and indeed the rest of
:52:21. > :53:17.United Kingdom. I would like to start the meeting.
:53:18. > :53:29.We are already late, so could we please stop the meeting.
:53:30. > :53:35.As thank you very much indeed. There we start our usual meeting dedicated
:53:36. > :53:42.to the discussion of the Brexit process and we today have to parts
:53:43. > :53:43.for this discussion. First of all we