Ben Hatton and Roseline Adusei
Reporting from Westminster

Image source, UK Parliament

With Starmer out of the country, it fell to Rayner to bat for the government at a moment when an impending rebellion on its planned welfare reforms is top of the agenda.

Shadow chancellor Mel Stride was keen to press the point - asking why 122 Labour MPs, many of whom were sitting behind Rayner, were wrong to oppose the changes.

The deputy prime minister held the party line - insisting the changes will bring needed reform, help people get into work and protect the most vulnerable. She also blamed the Tories for leaving a "failed system" behind.

And she gave no sign that the government is backing down - she said they will press ahead with reforms, and that there will be a vote on Tuesday as planned.

Stride offered his party's votes to make that happen, but on the condition that Labour make commitments - including reducing the overall cost of welfare.

He also pushed the government to reiterate its commitment not to raise taxes further - a point Rayner did not directly engage with, coming back instead with her own attack lines on the Tories' record. Stride warned: "Tax rises are coming."

With deputy PMQs done, Rayner and the government will need to continue the conversation - at least with their own MPs. The number of potential rebels is growing, and all eyes are now on whether they have the votes to get their plans through the Commons.

We're pausing our live coverage now. If you want to read more, our political editor Chris Mason has taken a closer look at the potential Labour rebellion here, and you can find our main news story on it here.

Did council tax increase 'every year' under the Conservatives?published at 13:21 British Summer Time 25 June

13:21 BST 25 June

By Tom Edgington

During PMQs, Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner claimed: "Council tax rose every year under the Tories”.

Whether she’s correct or not depends on whether she’s referring just to the Conservative government of the last Parliament (2019-24) or successive Conservatives governments since 2010.

Statistics produced by the Ministry of Housing list the average annual bill for a ‘Band D’ property, external in England going back to 1993.

They show that under former Conservative chancellor George Osborne council tax was actually frozen in 2011-12, remaining at £1,439. Council tax then rose in the following years (some years saw rises of less than 1%).

Over the course of the last Parliament (2019-24) council tax rose every year under the Conservatives. The lowest increase was in 2022-23, when bills increased by 3.5%.

Going forward, the Institute for Fiscal Studies says the Labour government’s spending plans assume councils will increase bills by the maximum allowed.

It says that council tax rises of 5% each year would take the average Band D bill “from £2,280 this yearto around £2,640 by 2028-29”., external

Image source, UK Parliament

For the second week in a row, deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner fielded questions from MPs while Prime Minister Keir Starmer attends the Nato summit in The Netherlands.

Let's have a look at the main points debated in today's deputy PMQs:

• Conservative Shadow Secretary Mel Stride pressed on the division within the Labour Party over the welfare reform, asking Rayner "why she thinks she is right and 122 of her colleagues are wrong" - a nod to a prospective rebellion against the government's welfare bill
• Rayner dismissed Stride's jab, saying the government is pressing ahead with the welfare reforms and the vote next week
• Still on the topic of welfare, Liberal Democrat deputy leader Daisy Cooper said her party is opposed to the welfare reforms as she, too, addressed the "growing rebellion on the government's own benches"

• Cooper also asked about whether the government could use President Donald Trumps upcoming state visit to the UK as "leverage" to secure "guarantees for Ukraine"
• Independent Jeremy Corbyn questioned why Britain still supplies parts for Israeli jets in light of the expanding conflict in Gaza, to which Rayner said that she strongly opposes Israel expanding military operations as well as Jewish settler violence in the West Bank

Image source, Parliament UK

All of a sudden, this is a grave crisis for Sir Keir Starmer, perhaps the gravest of his year in Downing Street so far.

Politically, it looks very hard for the government to proceed with its flagship welfare policies.

Economically, it is very hard to see how the government cannot proceed.

Labour whips, we are told, have been jumping up and down for weeks trying to warn their colleagues in 10 and 11 Downing Street that the rebellion over the welfare reforms (or, depending on which wing of the Labour Party you are speaking to, welfare cuts) was shaping up to be much bigger than anticipated.

Still, the numbers involved in the amendment published overnight - 123 and rising - are breathtaking.

The stakes are impossibly high. Pulling the bill would raise serious questions about the prime minister's authority. Pressing ahead and losing would raise even more.

The prime minister's credibility and authority are on the line like never before.

• You can read more of Henry Zeffman, Iain Watson and Chris Mason's analysis in their story

Rayner has just given her final answer, in response to a question about Gaza from independent MP Jeremy Corbyn, a former Labour MP and party leader.

After accusing the Israeli military of "genocide" in its war there, he asks her why Britain still supplies parts for Israeli fighter jets and how has the UK got on the wrong side of international law?

She says the UK strongly opposes Israel expanding military operations in Gaza, its blocking of humanitarian aid, as well as Jewish settler violence in the occupied West Bank.

Rayner adds the UK has suspended trade agreement talks with Israel and sanctioned individual settlers.

On whether Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians, she says, that is something for international courts to decide.

And with that we've come to the end of Prime Minister's Questions for another week.

Image source, UK Parliament

From the backbenches, there's a question on defence from Labour MP Bayo Alaba.

He asks how the government will rebuild Britain and secure the country's defence for the future.

Rayner agrees that the armed forces represent "the very best of Britain".

She then says that it's the government's responsibility to support them, adding that the strategic defence review sets out a vision for defence that will drive jobs and "secure Britain into the future".

Cooper is now asking Rayner about US President Donald Trump's scheduled state visit to the UK.

She asks if the government will "urgently convene talks with the White House" beforehand, in order to "leverage that state visit to secure US guarantees for Ukraine".

In particular, she asks about the use of frozen Russian state assets, and sending a joint UK-US message to Putin that the two countries "will not let Putin win his illegal war".

Rayner says the government is having constant communications with the White House, and is "really pleased" Trump is coming for a second state visit.

Image source, UK Parliament

Lib Dem deputy leader Daisy Cooper says her party is opposed to cuts to Pip and carers' allowance, and says with a "growing rebellion on the government's own benches", the government may have to rely on the Tories to get them passed.

Some will be affected by these changes are still waiting for justice after the "carers' allowance scandal" saw "thousands of innocent carers hounded for repayments", she says.

She asks for a guarantee that "at the very least" not a single person will lose a penny until a review of the "scandal" has been completed and recommendations implemented.

Rayner says the government has already taken steps on this issue and will continue to do so, and repeats that the welfare system is failing people.

The bill will deliver the largest permanent real-terms increase to basic out of work support since the 1980s, she says.

Rayner welfare reform assurance may kill growing U-turn speculationpublished at 12:21 British Summer Time 25 June

12:21 BST 25 June

Joe Pike
Political & Investigations Correspondent

The most notable line so far today is Angela Rayner's assurance that there will be no U-turn on Labour's controversial welfare policy and MPs will vote on the issue on Tuesday.

“We will go ahead on Tuesday”, the Deputy PM told MPs.

Such a clear position leaves the government with little wiggle room. If they change now, Rayner will be left looking a little silly.

But her punchy statement may help kill the growing speculation amongst Labour MPs that the welfare bill is to be pulled by No 10 later today.

Image source, UK Parliament

Stride is back on his feet for his final question.

Isn't the reality that the government has condemned the public to higher taxes, more debt, and fewer jobs, with borrowing and inflation up, he asks?

The shadow chancellor says the people behind Rayner aren't convinced by her argument that Labour's plans are working - and nor are the public.

He finishes by asking her if she is embarrassed to defend policies that she doesn't agree with.

Rayner hits back that she is embarrassed every week when Tories refuse to apologise for what they've done in the previous government.

She goes on to list some of Labour's policies, including expanding free school meals and an uplift in affordable housing.

Meanwhile, Rayner says the Conservatives choose unfunded tax cuts for the very wealthiest. "It's the same old Tories' failed approach," she says.

Stride says the whole Commons has heard that Rayner did not repeat the Chancellor's promise not to raise taxes.

He adds that increases in council tax are coming despite the government's assurances taxes won't for working people.

Rayner says Stride has an "absolute nerve" when council tax rose every single year under the Conservative government.

"We've kept it there, Mr Speaker," she says. "While they have austerity, put taxes up and ruin the British economy."

Image source, UK Parliament

Stride says there is no commitment from Rayner to cut the number of people on welfare.

Even if they manage to deliver these reforms, he says "almost every respected economist" now says tax rises are all but inevitable in the autumn.

He quotes the chancellor as saying she wouldn't come back for more taxes after the last budget, adding that people are desperate for certainty, challenging Rayner to repeat that commitment not to raise taxes.

Rayner says "this is a bit rich", and attacks the Conservative's own record, saying they introduced the "biggest tax rises".

She says the Tories can't make their minds up, accusing them of saying they are going too quickly, too slowly, being too tough and not tough enough.

Stride goes after a divided Labour leadershippublished at 12:13 British Summer Time 25 June

12:13 BST 25 June

Joe Pike
Political & Investigations Correspondent

Mel Stride’s strategy seems to be to highlight every supposed division in the Labour Party - between Angela Rayner and Rachel Reeves over tax policy, between Rayner and Starmer over the direction of the government, and between the PM and his 120 rebels on welfare policy.

The deputy PM returns again and again to the regular Labour refrain: blaming the last government.

Rayner speaks of the “failing system left behind by him and his colleagues” to cheers from the Labour backbenches.

Stride says that the Conservatives are clear that they will help Labour get through the welfare bill - but only if the government commits to getting people off benefits and into work.

He asks whether Rayner can commit to this right now, yes or no?

The deputy PM responds that Stride is demanding a programme to get people into work - which is exactly what this bill does.

She then suggests that the Conservatives failed to deliver on their own promises of cuts and improved welfare spending.

Stride is up at the dispatch box again, asking if Rayner can guarantee that a vote on welfare changes will go ahead on Tuesday.

Rayner stands up swiftly to answer.

"What I can tell him, and I don't need a script, we will go ahead on Tuesday," she says.

It's a lively atmosphere in the chamber today, with plenty of jeers and heckling from the benches.

Rayner says the government is pressing ahead with welfare forms to invest in employment support and ending reassessments for the most severely disabled.

"We won't walk away and stand by and abandon millions of people trapped in the failing system left behind by him and his colleagues," she says.

Image source, UK Parliament

Standing in for Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch, shadow chancellor Mel Stride has his first question for Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner.

He jokes that he has a "great deal in common" with Rayner - that both disagree with the Chancellor's tax policies.

Stride then makes reference to the 122 Labour MPs who oppose the upcoming welfare bill.

Why does Rayner think she is right and 122 of her colleagues are wrong, he asks?

Rayner is at the dispatch box and the chamber has filled with MPs.

Follow along for live updates or stream it by pressing Watch Live at the top of this page.

Rayner has difficult job as Labour welfare rebellion growspublished at 12:01 British Summer Time 25 June

12:01 BST 25 June

Joe Pike
Political & Investigations Correspondent

While Keir Starmer meets world leaders at the Nato summit, back at home the Labour rebellion over welfare reforms is growing.

Government ministers insist the policy isn’t changing, but some argue a position where you have 120 Labour rebels is not sustainable.

Angela Rayner has the difficult job of deputising for him at PMQs and fielding questions about proposed cuts to disability benefits.

Look out for the mood of the MPs sitting behind her - stony faces or loyal cheers?

Shadow chancellor Mel Stride is standing in for Kemi Badenoch. He would be mad to miss this opportunity to highlight and revel in Labour's problems.

Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner has just taken her seat in the chamber, so we're now just minutes away from the start of Prime Minister's Questions.

We'll bring you the key updates as they happen - as always, you can see all the action for yourself by clicking watch live at the top of this page.