PMQs - as it happened: Emily Thornberry labels Tory Government 'coalition of cavemen' over voting age stance
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Your support makes all the difference.Cabinet minister David Lidington said young people lack "sufficient maturity" to vote at 16, as he stood in for Theresa May during Prime Minister's Questions.
Labour's Emily Thornberry branded the Government and its DUP allies as a "coalition of cavemen", when she asked why 16-year-olds were denied the right to vote when they are able to get married, leave school and join the armed forces.
It comes as Downing Street reprimanded a Justice minister who questioned whether Brexit should go ahead if damaging assessments of Britain’s economic prospects are accurate.
In an unusual and hugely significant intervention, Dr Philip Lee asked whether Theresa May could “legitimately lead a country along a path that the evidence and rational consideration indicate would be damaging” after leaked papers laid bare the potential economic damage of withdrawal.
After Prime Minister’s Questions, Labour’s opposition day motion – calling on the Government to release the papers – also passed after the Government ordered its MPs to abstain on the motion.
The documents will now be released to the Exiting the European Union committee “in confidence” and in a “hard copy” format for MPs to study.
This is from the Press Association
Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson insisted she is not the next leader of the Tory party as she took part in a photoshoot for Vogue.
Ms Davidson was pictured for the fashion magazine walking her dog and in an accompanying interview said she had “a job to do in Scotland”.
“I am not going to be replacing Theresa May,” the MSP said.
“I’ve got a job to do in Scotland. I wouldn’t leave it to go and do another job.
“That’s not the way this is going to work. I am not the next leader of the Tory party.”
This is from my colleague Lizzy Buchan who has been watching the Northern Ireland committee this morning.
Government minister says they will abstain on today's Labour motion which seeks to make public the Brexit impact assessments, leaked to Buzzfeed news earlier this week.
Prime Minister's Questions will be starting shortly. As Theresa May is in China, today David Lidington, the Cabinet Office minister, will step in for the Prime Minister.
And replacing Jeremy Corbyn will be the Shadow Foreign Secretary, Emily Thornberry.
Over in the Lords, where peers are debating, for a second day, the EU (Withdrawal) Bill:
Senior Tory Lord Cormack said he feared an "implosion" within the Conservative party and urged the Government to indicate their preferred outcome in the Brexit negotiations.
"We are at a crossroads without a compass and with squabbling backseat drivers," he said.
The Bill needed very significant amendment, he said, but must pass and become an "assertion of parliamentary democracy, not an abdication of parliamentary democracy".
PMQs has now started. David Lidington is stepping for the PM, who he reminds MPs is in China.
He says we face a growing threat of cyber threat in this country.
Emily Thornberry is now up. She says the last time he stood up in December 2016, when the Conservatives were 16 points ahead. "Well what a difference a year makes!" she says.
She adds next Tuesday will be the centenary of women getting the vote - she says she is the only Emily elected since 1918 and there have been over 100 Davids.
She asks how he will increase female representation in the House of Commons.
He says his previous remarks obviously struck a chord - and is surprising to see her still in her place when no fewer than 96 members of the shadow front bench have resigned or have been sacked. Ouch.
He says the point on representation is a serious one and is pleased his party has made considerable progress
"Why has she had to run away from China to get away from them," Thornberry asks in relation to the PM.
How many more years do we have to wait until the vote is extended to 16, Thornberry asks.
David Lidington says there's only a handful of countries that allow the vote to below 18s. One of them is Scotland and Wales will soon follow.
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