Angela Rayner branded Rishi Sunak a “pint-sized loser” during a fiery session of Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday.
Labour’s deputy leader used the session to tackle the government on its housing record, accusing ministers of delaying justice on no-fault evictions in the rented sector.
She also accused Oliver Dowden, the deputy prime minister, of having “stabbed” the Tories’ “biggest election winner” Boris Johnson in the back in order to get his “mate into No 10”.
“Has he finally realised that when he stabbed Boris Johnson in the back to get his mate into No 10 he was ditching their biggest election winner for a pint-sized loser?” she told MPs in the Commons, following reports that Mr Dowden was among senior Tories call for a summer election.
Elsewhere, the prime minister is on a visit to Germany. He held a joint press conference with chancellor Olfa Scholz, where he praised Germany for increasing defence spending.
Retain old military equipment and create ‘war reserve’, Shapps urged
The defence secretary has faced calls to retain older military equipment and create a “war reserve” in a bid to deter Britain’s adversaries.
Grant Shapps described the idea to hold in reserve Typhoons, warships and armoured vehicles as “interesting”, but told MPs he is “much more minded” to send older equipment to Ukraine as it fights Russia’s renewed invasion.
Making a statement to the Commons, Mr Shapps said: “The best way of keeping our country safe and to protect our way of life is deterrence, being prepared, being clear-eyed about the threat we face, being clear about our capabilities, backing UK defence science, technology, and innovation.
“Carrying not just a big stick but the most advanced and capable stick we can possibly develop. And yes, using our military muscle alongside our allies.”
For Labour, shadow defence secretary John Healey accused the government of producing a “fake figure” of £75 billion.
He said: “They’ve tried this trick before. In the 2015 defence review, ministers pledged to cut 30 per cent of the MoD (Ministry of Defence) civil servants to make their defence spending plans add up.
“Civil servant numbers didn’t go down, they went up. Not down to 41,000, but up to 63,000.”
Government should go further than 2.5% on defence spending – Heappey
The government should go “further” by spending more than 2.5 per cent of GDP on defence spending, a former Conservative minister has said.
James Heappey, the recently departed armed forces minister, spoke to Sky News last night after Rishi Sunak announced defence spending would hit 2.5 per cent by 2030.
“We should go further and I think over the next decade or so there is a conversation about that,” he said.
Bill amounts to indefinite delay to ban on no fault evictions – Caroline Lucas
The Renters (Reform) Bill “amounts to an indefinite delay to ban no fault evictions”, Green Party MP Caroline Lucas (Brighton, Pavilion) has said.
In his opening remarks, housing minister Jacob Young told the Commons: “The bill will abolish Section 21 and bring in new decency standards, giving England’s eleven million tenants more certainty of secure and healthy homes.”
He added: “Alongside abolishing Section 21, we’re also strengthening and expanding landlord possession grounds including stronger protections against antisocial behaviour.”
Intervening, Ms Lucas said: “The secretary of state (Michael Gove) this morning had the brass neck to suggest that keeping his promise to outlaw no fault evictions before the next election is now apparently down to the House of Lords to get on with it.
“Can the minister tell us which is most disingenuous? Is it the five years we’ve been waiting for this government to keep their promise, or is it the blatant concessions to the significant numbers of Conservative MPs sitting behind him who are landlords, who’ve been gifted what amounts to an indefinite delay to ban no fault evictions?”
Mr Young replied: “We’re bringing forward this bill today to abolish section 21. She talks about members on my side, I can tell her and she won’t read this in the newspapers, I’ve been lobbied not just by members on my side, but by members from all sides of this house on making sure that these reforms work effectively.”
We’re committed to supporting renter, Downing Street insists
Downing Street has insisted the government is committed to renters rights after campaigners accused the government of failing to protect tenants from no-fault evictions.
A No 10 spokeswoman said: “We remain committed to striking the right balance between supporting renters and landlords.
“And we remain committed to the abolition of Section 21 and the legislation being debated in the house today will deliver that.
“It is, however, right that when we’re making fundamental reforms to the system, we ensure that the courts are prepared and have processes in place to hear cases fairly and swiftly.
“And that work is under way as a priority with the MoJ (Ministry of Justice) and courts.
So that’s what we’ve set out today in terms of updates to our plans. But we intend to get the legislation passed this Parliament and to undertake this work as swiftly as possible.”
Read more on the Renters Reform Bill here:
Barbados halts £3m plan to purchase Tory MP’s former slavery plantation amid backlash
Richard Drax, the MP for South Dorset, owns a 617-acre land in Barbados that was once operated as a sugar plantation by his ancestors in the 17th century, where thousands of enslaved African people were forced to work.
Full report:
Defence secretary Grant Shapps aims barb at US after historic Ukraine aide package approved
Full report:
Watch: Penny Mordaunt appears expressionless as Oliver Dowden leads PMQs
Outrage as Reform UK deputy leader says Britain should ‘absolutely’ let migrants drown in the Channel
Full report:
We won’t tolerate foreign spying attempts – Sunak
Both Germany and the UK will not tolerate foreign spying attempts, Rishi Sunak and Olaf Scholz said.
The prime minister said there was “very little I can say”, after two men were charged with spying for China following an investigation by counter-terrorism police.
He added: “What I can say more generally and more broadly is defending our democracy, our democratic processes, and institutions is an absolute priority and we won’t tolerate any activity that undermines that.”
Through a translator, German chancellor Olaf Scholz said: “It is very important that we good intelligence services, good public prosecutors, good police work and that every body works closely together, also beyond borders. We cannot tolerate espionage carried out against our country, regardless from where it comes.”
Three people were arrested this week in Germany, suspected of spying for China and facilitating the transfer of information on technology with potential military uses.
Sunak: ‘Entirely reasonable’ for US to ask European countries to increase defence spending
Rishi Sunak said it was “not new” for US presidents to call for more European defence spending, which he said was “entirely reasonable”.
Asked if he was convinced of Donald Trump’s commitment to Nato, Mr Sunak said: “We cannot expect Americans to pay any price, to take any burden if we in Europe are not ourselves prepared to make those sacrifices and make those investments.”
The prime minister said it was important for Europe to demonstrate commitment to in turn keep the US committed to Nato and cited the UK and Germany’s track record of meeting their funding commitments.
