PMQs – live: Starmer accuses Tories of going from ‘clapping nurses to sacking them’
Two party leaders face off against backdrop of industrial action by public sector workers
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Your support makes all the difference.Keir Starmer has said the government has gone from “clapping nurses to sacking them” in the first session of PMQs this year as health worker strikes dominate the opening exchanges between him and Rishi Sunak.
The prime minister and Labour leader go head-to-head as some 20,000 ambulance staff strike for the second time in a row over pay and conditions.
On Tuesday the government introduced a bill to parliament that aims to enforce “minimum services levels” in future industrial action.
Grant Shapps, the business secretary who brought the bill to the Commons, was accused of an “outrageous slur” after suggesting striking ambulance workers were “putting lives at risk”.
Elsewhere, Mr Sunak was scheduled to meet with his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida on Wednesday to sign a defence pact between the two countries aimed at countering the threat of China in the Asia-Pacific region.
“In this increasingly competitive world, it is more important than ever that democratic societies continue to stand shoulder to shoulder as we navigate the unprecedented global challenges of our time,” Mr Sunak said in a statement ahead of the meeting.
We’re wrapping up our live politics coverage for today.
Thanks for reading and join us again soon for all the latest updates from Westminster and beyond.
Have a good rest of afternoon.
Hello and welcome to The Independent’s live politics coverage.
We’ll be bringing you all the latest updates from Westminster and PMQs from 12.
Stay tuned.
Thousands of ambulance workers go on strike in dispute over pay
Some 20,000 ambulance workers across England and Wales are striking today in a dispute with the government over pay.
Paramedics, call handlers, drivers and technicians from the Unison and GMB unions are taking part in staggered strikes across a 24-hour period.
Jane Kirby has the story:
Thousands of ambulance workers go on strike in dispute over pay
NHS England has told patients to continue to call 999 for life-threatening emergencies but to use 111, GPs and pharmacies for non-urgent needs.
Steve Barclay tells public to behave with ‘common sense’ during NHS ambulance strike
Health secretary Steve Barclay said people should use their “common sense” when it comes to what activities they do on Wednesday during NHS ambulance strikes in England and Wales today.
Speaking to broadcasters earlier Mr Barclay also defended the government’s controversial anti-strike legislation, saying he hopes it will be passed within six months.
Our politics correspondent Adam Forrest has all the details:
Behave with ‘common sense’ during ambulance strike, says Steve Barclay
Health secretary says people can still call 999 – as unions refuse to engage with pay review until dispute resolved
Boris Johnson joked No 10 party was ‘most unsocially distanced in UK’
Boris Johnson may be out office in No 10 but he is certainly not out of the headlines.
And once again it is all for the wrong reasons: he reportedly joked that a lockdown party in No 10 was the “most unsocially distanced” in the UK.
More details here:
Boris Johnson joked No 10 party was ‘most unsocially distanced in UK’
Shredded documents and couples ‘getting it on’ at party before Philip’s funeral among new claims
In other Boris news, the former PM attended a function at the exclusive Carlton Club in London last night to unveil a portrait of himself.
“I was framed,” he quipped to broadcasters covering the do.
Labour to demand Commons vote on ending private school tax breaks
Labour will try to force a binding vote in the Commons on ending private school tax breaks and using the cash to recruit thousands of extra teachers.
Sir Keir Starmer’s party plans to use an opposition day motion on Wednesday to attempt to establish a new committee from government to investigate reforming the tax benefits enjoyed by private schools.
Our politics correspondent Adam Forrest reports:
Labour to demand Commons vote on ending school tax breaks
Keir Starmer’s party wants government to investigate reform of tax benefits
14 Health unions to boycott pay review until strikes dispute resolved
Health unions announced that they will refuse to submit evidence to the NHS pay review body for the next wage round while the current pay dispute remains unresolved.
The 14 unions – representing more than one million ambulance staff, nurses and other NHS workers in England – have called of Rishi Sunak’s government to engage directly in pay talks.
Alan Jones and Adam Forrest report:
Health unions to boycott NHS pay review until strikes dispute resolved
Unions demand direct pay talks with Rishi Sunak’s ministers
Andrew Bridgen stripped of Tory Party whip over Covid comments
Andrew Bridgen has had the Conservative Party whip removed after having “crossed a line” in his criticism of the Covid-19 vaccine.
The North West Leicestershire MP has been increasingly vocal in remarks questioning the coronavirus vaccine.
On Wednesday he tweeted an article on vaccines, adding: “As one consultant cardiologist said to me, this is the biggest crime against humanity since the Holocaust.”
Chief whip Simon Hart said: “Andrew Bridgen has crossed a line, causing great offence in the process.
“As a nation, we should be very proud of what has been achieved through the vaccine programme. The vaccine is the best defence against Covid that we have.
“Misinformation about the vaccine causes harm and costs lives. I am therefore removing the whip from Andrew Bridgen with immediate effect, pending a formal investigation.”
PMQs to kick off shortly
MPs are filtering into the Commons chamber to see Sunak take questions from Starmer and other MPs at today’s PMQs.
The session will get underway in a few minutes. We’ll bring you all the action as it happens.
Stay tuned for updates.
You can also watch all the action live on our YouTube channel here:
Live: Rishi Sunak faces Keir Starmer in first PMQs of the year amid NHS crisis and strikes
Watch live as prime minister Rishi Sunak faces Labour leader Keir Starmer in the first PMQs of the year, amid an NHS crisis and widespread strikes. Watch mor...
Session kicks off on strikes
Starmer uses his first question to ask Sunak about strikes.
He said there were no walk outs in the NHS during 13 years of the previous Labour government.
He says strikes wouldn’t have happened if PM negotiated with unions.
Starmer asks Sunak why he is “choosing to prolong” the strikes.
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