David Cameron and Jeremy Corbyn trade blows over each other’s mothers at PMQs

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Andrew Feinberg

White House Correspondent

David Cameron and Jeremy Corbyn have traded blows over each other’s mothers at Prime Minister’s Questions.

Mr Corbyn make a joke referencing the fact Mr Cameron’s mother had signed a petition against cuts in her local area – despite the fact her son was implementing them.

The Prime Minister however hit back – claiming that his mother would tell the Labour leader to put on “a proper suit”, to do up his tie, and to “sing the national anthem”.

The put-down was a reference to an episode earlier in Mr Corbyn’s leadership in which he appeared not to sing the national anthem at a remembrance service.

Conservative MPs were particularly tickled by the joke, whooping and jeering at Mr Corbyn across the chamber.

Mr Corbyn had a response of his own, however – telling Mr Cameron that his own mother would urge him to fight for the NHS, and that she had dedicated her life to the health service.

During other exchanges at PMQs Mr Corbyn raised the issue of the junior doctors’ strike, accusing the Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt of basing his arguments on incorrect figures.

A BBC investigation had found that the author of a study cited by Mr Hunt had accused the Health Secretary of using the figures in an “inaccurate” manner before they had been verified.

The Prime Minister defended his health secretary, who could be seen shaking his head from the sidelines. Mr Cameron claimed that new statistics showed that Mr Corbyn’s accusations were wrong.

The Prime Minister’s claim was contradicted by a warning in the study making it clear that there was no evidence the figures regarding excess deaths at weekends had any connection to staffing levels, as Mr Hunt had claimed, however.