MPs laugh at Theresa May's claim that 'austerity is ending' during PMQs clash with Corbyn
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Your support makes all the difference.Theresa May's claim that "austerity is ending" was met with laughter by MPs as the prime minister clashed with Jeremy Corbyn at Prime Ministers Questions.
Condemning what he called a "broken promise Budget", the Labour leader demanded to know why the government had not pledged to end the benefit freeze.
That prompted confusion over Labour's own policy on the issue after a spokesman for Mr Corbyn said the party would not necessarily raise benefits in line with inflation, despite John McDonnell, the shadow chancellor, having said it would.
The Tories were later engulfed by confusion of their own after Downing Street refused to endorse Brexit secretary Dominic Raab's suggestion that an agreement with the EU was likely to be in place by 21 November.
As Britain prepares to leave the EU, Jeremy Hunt, the foreign secretary, announced plans to recruit 1,000 more diplomatic staff.
His predecessor, Boris Johnson, was also in the news after it emerged that he had accepted an all-expenses-paid trip to Saudi Arabia just two weeks before the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
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Jeremy Corbyn's has condemned the government for refusing to back US calls for a ceasefire in Yemen. His spokesman said:
"It's quite clear that the prime minister is not supporting the call for an urgent ceasefire by the US administration, which has called for a ceasefire within 30 days."
"It highlights the role the British government has played in supporting the Saudi-led coalition's bombing of Yemen and the advice given to the Saudi military by British forces"
FULL STORY: Theresa May refuses to back US calls for Saudi Arabia to stop bombing Yemen
Greg Clark, the business secretary, has told the Commons that a Jeremy Corbyn-led government would be a "nightmare" on Downing Street.
Speaking during the debate on the Budget, he said:
"Just at a time when we need a national determination to invest in future business success through a long-term approach, we have an opposition whose would-be chancellor describes business as the real enemy.
"You will be trapped in a nightmare economy where the state, at a stroke, goes one-third of a trillion pounds into debt and in which the would-be government fully expects a run on the pound and capital flight.
"Whatever the uncertainties of Brexit, time and again businesses tell me that their biggest nightmare would be the leader of the opposition and the shadow chancellor in Downing Street."
Jeremy Corbyn is facing a rebellion over votes on the Budget, as backbench MPs voice concern over the party's policy on tax reform.
Labour has said it will abstain in votes on the government's tax changes.
John McDonnell, the shadow chancellor, said Labour supports income tax changes that will see the personal allowance raised one year earlier than planned, but some of the party's MPs are angry because they say the move disproportionately benefits higher earners.
MPs including Lisa Nandy, not normally one to rebel, have said they will vote against the changes even if Mr Corbyn orders them to abstain.
Jeremy Hunt has appeared to go further than Theresa May in welcoming US calls for a ceasefire in Yemen.
While the prime minister would only back "de-escalation" and pointedly did not say she supported the idea of a ceasefire, Mr Hunt said the UK was working towards a "cessation of hostilities".
He told the BBC:
"This is an extremely welcome announcement because we have been working towards a cessation of hostilities in Yemen for a long time.
"Obviously the United States has considerably more leverage with Saudi than we have. But what we have been doing is trying to bring together the Saudi coalition on the one hand, the Houthis on the other, backing the plans by the United Nations envoy Martin Griffiths who I met last night.
"If we can land this - we strongly support all efforts to do so - we could create a humanitarian corridor and head off this terrible situation in Yemen where nearly half the population are now dependent on humanitarian food aid. That is incredibly worrying situation."
Breaking: Dominic Raab has said he believes a Brexit deal will be agreed within the next three weeks. In a letter to Hilary Benn, chair of the Commons Brexit committee, the Brexit secretary said he was happy to give evidence to the committee "when a deal is finalised, and currently expect 21 November to be suitable".
Full story: Dominic Raab has claimed a Brexit deal is likely to be agreed within the next three weeks
NEW: Boris Johnson accepted an all-expenses-paid trip to Saudi Arabia last month, just two weeks before the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, it has emerged.
Mr Johnson said he was there "to promote education of women and girls" but he is likely to face criticism over the trip.
No 10 has refused to endorse Dominic Raab's suggestion that a Brexit deal is likely to be agreed by 21 November.
Theresa May's spokesman repeatedly refused to confirm the date, saying only that the government was working to complete a deal "as soon as possible".
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