Leila Nathoo
Political correspondent

Image source, UK Parliament

Commotion in the House as Nigel Farage, Reform leader, tries to ask a question. He’s being repeatedly jeered from all sides.

The Speaker intervenes to say he wants to get the question over with. Farage mutters that "there appears to be some panic on that side of the house, that’s no surprise".

He eventually is able to ask about the Chagos Islands. Keir Starmer replies generally - and manages to get in a point about Farage’s views on the NHS, something Labour is keen to highlight to stave off the threat from Reform.

Brian Wheeler
Reporting from the House of Commons

Farage gets a question. But he is struggling to be heard. He has a very sore throat. He starts by hitting back at Labour MP John Slinger’s claim Reform want the NHS to charge patients. He says he is committed to treatment free at the point of delivery. His question on the Chagos deal and winter fuel gets a bit lost.

Starmer repeats the attack on Reform’s health policies. Expect a lot more of this from Labour as they seek to fight off Reform’s advance in Labour areas.

To Reform UK now as Nigel Farage declares the party wants to provide free healthcare "at the point of delivery" over the clamour of shouts and jeers - rebutting Labour MP John Slinger’s earlier claim Reform want the NHS to charge patients.

Farage asks Starmer what he should say to his constituents in Clacton regarding the winter fuel allowance cut.

Davey then asks Starmer whether he recognises how dangerous Trump's statement on the forced removal of Gazans is to the tentative ceasefire in place, and asks the UK to reiterate to the White House that the country is committed to two state solution.

Starmer says Gazans must be allowed to go home and rebuild on the way to a two-state solution.

Brian Wheeler
Reporting from the House of Commons

Image source, UK Parliament

Absolute silence now as Ed Davey asks if the PM will raise concerns about the “dangerous” Gaza plan proposed by US President Donald Trump.

Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey now asks the prime minister about one of his constituents, a full-time carer who is caught up in the scandal regarding carers' allowance.

He raises that she has been summoned to the tribunal despite the PM setting up an independent review into the issue - he asks the PM whether he cancel all reviews into benefits for carers until the review into the system is concluded.

Starmer says he will ask for details and says he will look into the case.

For context: The government launched an independent review of Carer's Allowance overpayments last October, after some carers were forced to pay back thousands of pounds leaving many in financial hardship.

Image source, UK Parliament

Badenoch questions Starmer on the economy, saying he promised to bring costs down but is instead creating decline.

She says the prime minister has the power to grant licences and to open oil and gas fields, save jobs, and bring down bills.

"Why does he find it so hard to do the right thing," she asks.

Starmer responds by saying Badenoch needs to look into how licences are granted. He says she has no briefing on relevant issues.

He then goes on to say the previous government presided over the biggest drop in living standards on record, and that £35bn was lost on benefit fraud and error.

Badenoch says it is hard to believe anything "clueless" Starmer says and describes the £8bn borrowed for GB Energy as a "vanity project".

She says the project's chairman said it would take 20 years to create 1,000 jobs, while other jobs are being lost.

Again Starmer says she hasn't been briefed and adds thst GB energy is a public project focused on renewable energy sources to provide security and keep "Putin's foot off our throat" in a reference to the sanctions on fuel.

Leila Nathoo
Political correspondent

Image source, UK Parliament

Kemi Badenoch’s decision to pivot away from the Chagos deal has allowed Keir Starmer to go on the attack - claiming she hasn’t asked for a briefing on the issue, even though he offered one.

Starmer says he struck the deal due to national security concerns relating to the legal certainty of the Diego Garcia base - he says either she should know what he’s talking an about or she’s not interested.

Badenoch repeats what seems to be a mantra through this week's questioning, saying "when Labour negotiates our country loses".

She then claims business is abandoning the North Sea because of the government's decisions.

Starmer responds by saying the UK has the highest investment for 19 years, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has upgraded growth, wages are up, inflation is down, and claims the Tories oppose the Labour measures that are increasing growth.

Badenoch now says the PM is giving a weak answer because he doesn’t know what's going on.

She says last week she talked about the employment and the education bills, and that he didn't know what was going on there either.

The opposition leader then cites loss figures from oil companies over delays to oil fields and asks whether the PM "has the guts" to take on Labour donors and his energy secretary to deliver on investment into oil and approve licences when resubmitted.

Starmer says she clearly "doesn’t even want to know what's going on", that she is aware of the court case that has meant the licence had to be reviewed.

She understands that, he says, yet she proves once again she can only do "student politics" and play party politics.

For context: Last week, a court ruled that consent for two new Scottish oil and gas fields was granted unlawfully and their owners must seek fresh approval from the UK government before production can begin.

Brian Wheeler
Reporting from the House of Commons

This is all getting a bit panto. Starmer is trying to accuse Badenoch of not being serious about the issues. She is attacking him for being backed by “eco-nutters”. Both sides seem to be enjoying themselves tremendously.

The government front bench is studiously ignoring the Tory leader’s jibes about the PM’s voice coach. Starmer is suddenly very interested in his notes.

A very detailed reply from Starmer on the Chagos Islands. It went down well with Labour MPs. Badenoch dismisses it as “weak and waffly”.

Image source, UK Parliament

Badenoch says Starmer's answer is weak and waffly. She asks how anyone can believe Starmer is defending the country's interest when he "bends the knee" to anyone who asks him.

"No wonder he needs a voice coach," she says, in a reference to the claim that the prime minister broke lockdown rules when he met a voice coach during the winter of 2020 - an allegation Starmer denies.

She then says he didn't address her previous question and asks if the energy secretary refused to defend UK interest because he's funded by billionaire "eco-zealots".

Starmer says she didn't answer the question about whether or not she was briefed on the issue of the Chagos Islands.

Leila Nathoo
Political correspondent

Kemi Badenoch could have focused on the PM’s Chagos deal in her first question - something Keir Starmer is under pressure to justify.

Instead she makes a point about it but then switches and goes on to ask about the energy secretary’s links to green activists.

Starmer first addresses the importance of the Chagos base. He says the military base is "vital" to security and adds the former Conservative government were right to start negotiations with Mauritius.

"Without legal certainty, the base cannot operate as it should - that's bad for our security and a gift to our adversaries."

He says the Tories conducted 11 out of 13 of the negotiations and his government has completed them, details of which he will publish when finalised.

In a swipe at Badenoch, he suggests she has not been "properly briefed on security" and if that's the case, "she's not doing her job, she's not concerned about national security and she's not fit to be prime minister".

Badenoch begins by speaking about the future of the Chagos Islands.

She says "when Labour negotiates our country loses" and that yesterday we heard the government offered £18bn for Mauritius "to take our territory in the Chagos Islands".

This is "an immoral surrender so north London lawyers can boast at their dinner parties", she says.

She then says the government withdrew lawyers from defending the case against the "eco-nutters who want to obstruct Rosebank's oil and gas fields" and asks why.

For context: Yesterday, the Mauritius PM said new conditions over the UK's lease of an airbase in the Chagos Islands had been negotiated, but the UK Foreign Office says the figures being quoted - up to £18bn, according to The Times - were "inaccurate and misleading".

Brian Wheeler
Reporting from the House of Commons

Kemi Badenoch entered to roars of approval from her own side and a solitary boo from the government benches. She was followed into the chamber a few moments by the PM.

Brian Wheeler
Reporting from the House of Commons

The chamber has filled up nicely as Jess Phillips finishes up taking women and equality questions.

Reform UK’s Lee Anderson and Richard Tice are in their place - Tice is on the order paper to ask a question.

Nigel Farage has been granted an urgent question on the Chagos islands, which will follow PMQs.

Keir Starmer is standing at the dispatch box, readying himself for another round of PMQs.

Stay tuned as we bring you live updates, as well as political analysis from our colleagues at Westminster.

You can along by pressing Watch live at the top of this page.

Image source, PA Media

We heard this week that around 2.5 million people in England are facing council tax rises above the normal limit after the government allowed six areas to bypass the usual 5% cap.

Bradford Council will be allowed an increase of 10%, while Newham and Windsor and Maidenhead will both be allowed a 9% rise.

And Birmingham, Somerset and Trafford will be allowed to increase their bills by 7.5%.

A local referendum is normally required for such an increase, but the government says it has to balance the interests of taxpayers with the aim of helping councils falling further into financial distress.

Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner says the above councils were selected as they had "amongst the lowest levels of council tax" - even with the sharp increases.

But the government also blocked requests by other councils to raise above 5%, including Hampshire, which had asked to be allowed to raise by 15%.

MPs will have a chance to challenge Rayner on the increases when she makes a statement in the Commons after PMQs this afternoon.