Jeremy Corbyn scored a huge victory this morning when Work and Pensions Secretary David Gauke caved under pressure to scrap the Tories 55p a minute helpline for Universal Credit claimants.
The Tory minister announced he would make the phone line free - which Corbyn pushed the Prime Minister to do at last week's Prime Minister's Questions.
And it comes as Theresa May faces a backbench rebellion over the bungled shake-up, with up to 25 Tory MPs understood to be ready to vote with the opposition in a bid to force the government to halt the rollout.
We'll have all the latest from PMQs as it happens. Stay with us
Our snap verdict: Corbyn wins hands down as he leaves May squirming on Universal Credit. May was on the back foot even though she was boosted by some good unemployment figures.
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/who-won-pmqs-jeremy-corbyn-11361858
Tories came across as really heartless when Labour MP Ruth George talked about her constituent:
Labour’s Ruth George told the story of her constituent, Fred, who was sent letters demanding he repay hundreds of pounds to the Department for Work and Pensions two years after coming off Universal Credit. In the video you can hear jeering from the Tories. Watch here.
The Universal Credit hotline charge was the big issue at last week’s PMQ’s and just a week later the government has already backtracked. Here’s our story on the DWP’s humiliating u-turn on the issue. http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/tories-make-humiliating-climbdown-55p-11361386
PMQs, which is meant to take half an hour, finishes 50 minutes after it began only getting to backbenchers 22 minutes in.
Last but never least Labour’s Dennis Skinner asks about fracking company INEOS - says their work has contaminated water. May says their work is important that’s why fracking is ongoing.
Labour’s David Causby asks about the Northern Powerhouse referencing the problems with Vauxhall in Ellesmere Port - has the battery in the powerhouse gone flat?
Theresa May says you don’t take the stance of Labour and SNP - rejecting no deal option because it threatens the negotiations.
Lucy Frazer talks about the MI5 boss who said there should be better online regulation to catch terrorists online. May says tech companies have a ‘moral responsibility to do something about it’
Enfield MP Joan Ryan asks about the lack of security in private rented sector. Asks May what hope can she give to her constituents who are in work and relying on the private rented sector? May says her government are building houses - but what is the Labour London mayor doing she asks?
Julie Cooper MP asks about schools funding - will cuts hit standards? May says the government is putting record funding into schools. More children are in good or outstanding schools, she says.
Tory MP Robert Courts raises mental health and asks PM to support charity helping the armed forces. She agrees.
Lilian Greenwood raises the issue of safety in tower blocks and the value of sprinklers. In wake of Grenfell she asks Mrs May “How safe would the honourable lady feel living on 20th floor?”
May says sprinklers are not the only option.
Victoria Prentis says it’s good to see Theresa May back in “full voice” making reference to her difficulties during Tory Party conference. Ms Prentis who can certainly project her own voice raises the serious issue of the situation in Syria and champions the work of Singing for Syrians which encourages choirs and singing groups to raise money.
Laura Pidcock also asks about Universal Credit. The outspoken MP asks if the rollout “is a matter of gross incompetence or calculated cruelty”.
Theresa May says the purpose for UC is a more straightforward, simpler system. Pidcock shakes her head.
Ruth George MP raises the problems faced by her constituent Fred who was charged £300 while on Universal Credit and got into debt because money he didn’t have was taken out of his bank account and he faced charges. Theresa May says the cost of the helpline has been scrapped and reiterates support for Universal Credit.
Margaret Greenwood MP raises issues around Vauxhall EllesmerePort who face losing their jobs in the run up to Christmas. Says that there are problems because of Brexit. British carmakers are nervous about the prospect of tariffs or other trade barriers on British cars exported to the EU.
The PM says: “we never want to see people in a position of losing their jobs” says we are in the process of a negotiation on Brexit, we will leave the EU in March 2019.
Now questions from backbenchers. Rachel Reeves MP asks about the energy cap promise and whether this winter customers have to worry about being able to pay their bills. May says she hopes that energy companies will make changes before a law is needed.
SNP Westminster Leader Ian Blackford is asking a very long question but seems to be raising the potential problems of a so-called hard Brexit on Scotland. He also asks about a no-deal scenario.
May replies by ignoring the question and talks instead about more people being in work in Scotland.
SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford is no Angus Robertson #PMQs
— Kevin Maguire (@Kevin_Maguire) October 18, 2017
Corbyn quotes former chancellor George Osborne (that’s the one who said he would chop Theresa May up and put her in his freezer- allegedly). Osborne admitted Labour didn’t cause the global crash - finally but that Gordon Brown did what any sensible leader would have done in the circumstances. He spent years lambasting Labour for ruining the economy. May insists the economy is strong and lashes back at Labour for pledging £500bn of public spending.
Corbyn says it’s “interesting the Home Secretary is necessary” to keep Philip Hammond and Boris apart
No money? Corbyn says she found cash for her DUP deal. That is the comeback to argument of no money for public sector.
Corbyn going on public sector pay - workers haven’t had a pay rise in seven years. There was a protest in parliament square yesterday and unions have threatened coordinated strike action. Theresa May taunts Corbyn saying he hasn’t ever realised that government has no money of its own and takes it from people and businesses.
“It collects money in taxes from businesses and people to pay, to spend on the NHS and on the services people need. If businesses aren’t being set up, if businesses aren’t growing people aren’t in work, government doesn’t have the money to spend on NHS pay, schools and hospitals. The only way you ensure businesses are growing, that people are in jobs...is with a Conservative government.”
Theresa May admits she has climbed down over the Universal Credit helpline - what a difference a week makes! But she rules out pausing the rollout of the scheme despite some claimants having to wait a shocking 10 weeks to receive any money.
Thousands left waiting more than TEN WEEKS for benefits in bungled Universal Credit rollout http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/thousands-left-waiting-more-ten-11362098 …
Universal Credit - Corbyn celebrates the fact that May listened to his calls last week to scrap the charge for the helpline. But says there are still problems with the benefit calling for it to be paused. May erms and ahs for a very awkward minute.
Theresa May says she recognises problems of Christine and others but says government is taking steps. Frozen fuel duty, taking lowest paid out of income tax, energy cap... Lots of jeers at this in the chamber as it was originally a Labour policy. May says you can only do these things with a strong economy and only get that with a Conservative government.
Corbyn asks May to ‘do a first’ and asks her to reply about falling wages. Reads out a message from Christine who works in a village shop who cannot afford to keep her car which she needs to get around. Corbyn says when millions of workers are relying on benefits system to make ends meet - isn’t that a sign of a weak economy?
Theresa May says Jeremy Corbyn has ‘done a first’ by welcoming a fall in unemployment. . Says it is good news that more people are in work, and unemployment is at its lowest level for four years.
Jeremy Corbyn on his feet. Echoes Theresa May who noted that it is ‘anti-slavery day’. He also draws attention to atrocities in Mogadishu, Somalia. Corbyn gets a lively response to saying he welcomes the fall in unemployment figures but says the problems with productivity and low wages are a sign the economy is weak.
Esther McVey now MP for Tatton (George Osborne’s old seat) is asking the PM to ‘reassert her commitment to the Northern Powerhouse’. Interrupted by shouts from MPs. Speaker says ‘the honourable lady has never been silenced’ and McVey replies ‘the voice of the North will be heard’. Makes a joke about Jeremy Corbyn and North Korea.
In Commons chamber for PMQs. Six female MPs have plonked themselves firmly in Iain Duncan Smith’s old spot at the Bar, a regular thing now.
Among the power posse of female MPs is Tory Kelly Tolhurst, a parliamentary aide to Business Secretary Greg Clark.
Jeremy Corbyn and Theresa May have just arrived. He is flanked by Dawn Butler and Tom Watson. She sits next to her right hand man Philip Hammond and international development minister Alistair Burt, who’s holding a question and answer question that not many MPs are listening to.
Chief whip Gavin Williamson arrives one minute before kick-off - turfing Andrea Leadsom out of his seat.
He traditionally sits at the very end of the front bench. She springs up to let him in before returning and sitting down next to him.