Lindsay Hoyle forced to intervene at PMQs as Starmer left furious by Sunak's trans comments
WATCH: Lindsay Hoyle forced to intervene at PMQs
Commons Speaker Lindsay Hoyle was forced to intervene at Prime Minister's Questions after Sir Keir Starmer was left furious over Rishi Sunak's remarks about trans people.
Sunak criticised Sir Keir Starmer for U-turning on "defining a woman", joking: "Although in fairness, that was only 99 per cent of a U-turn".
A furious Starmer responded: "Of all the weeks to say that, when Brianna [Ghey]'s mother is in this chamber. Shame. Parading as a man of integrity, when he's got absolutely no responsibility."
After MPs on the Labour benches shouted "shameful", Hoyle was forced to intervene, saying: "Either side. I think the member's getting carried away. Can I just say that our constituents want to hear the questions and they certainly want to hear the answers. They don't want to hear organised barracking. So please, I want no more."
Commons Speaker Lindsay Hoyle was forced to intervene at Prime Minister's Questions after Sir Keir Starmer was left furious over Rishi Sunak's remarks about trans people
PA
Brianna Ghey's mother Esther attended PMQs today, a year on from the murder of her daughter.
Following Hoyle's interjection, I think the role of the PM is to ensure that every single citizen of this country feels safe and respected. It's a shame that the Prime Minister doesn't share that."
The back and forth came after the Labour leader said: “He says he stands by his commitments. He once insisted if he missed his promises, these are the words he used, ‘I am the Prime Minister,’ and then he said ‘it is on me personally’.
“Today we learn from his own officials that he is the blocker to any deal to end the doctors’ strikes and every time he is asked he blames everyone else. So, what exactly did he mean when he said it is on him personally if he doesn’t meet his promise?”
The Prime Minister replied: “We are bringing the waiting lists down for the longest waiters and making progress, but it is a bit rich to hear about promises from someone who has broken every single promise he was elected on.
“I think I have counted almost 30 in the last year. Pensions, planning, peerages, public sector pay, tuition fees, childcare, second referendums, defining a woman, although in fairness that was only 99% of a u-turn.
Sunak criticised Sir Keir Starmer for U-turning on "defining a woman"
PARLIAMENT TV
“The list goes on but the theme is the same, it is empty words, broken promises and absolutely no plan.”
The same PMQs saw Starmer brand the dentistry recovery plan “a desperate attempt to try to recover back to square one”.
Speaking in the Commons, the Labour leader said: “I welcome he’s finally acknowledged the crisis in NHS dentistry, he’s calling it a recovery plan. After 14 years of Tory Government, what exactly does he think NHS dentistry is recovering from?”
Sunak responded: “He conveniently forgets the impact of a pandemic on NHS dentistry.”
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
The Labour leader accused the Prime Minister of "parading as a man of integrity"
PA
Starmer then hit back: “There are some areas of the country where you literally can’t have an NHS dentist, and he says that’s down to Covid. People are literally pulling out their own teeth.”
He added: “The truth is after 14 years of neglect, this recovery plan is just a desperate attempt to try to recover back to square one. If he wanted to move forward he should follow Labour.”
To this, the PM replied: “Let’s look at that record in the NHS, record funding, record doctors and nurses, record number of appointments, higher cancer survival rates. But what’s happening under Labour’s watch in Wales? A fifth of people in Wales are currently on a waiting list.”