Sam Hancock
Live page editor

A fairly big moment for Angela Rayner, who took questions today in the prime minister's absence - something we've seen her do before.

For shadow Cabinet Office minister Alex Burghart, though, it marked the first time he had deputised for the recently-installed Tory leader Kemi Badenoch.

To mark the occasion, he accused the government of "stoking inflation" and forgetting about the country's farmers, following yesterday's protests over changes being made to inheritance tax rules.

In a loud session, MPs cheered and jeered as Rayner defended her party, saying more than once that they'd had to make hard decisions to clear up the previous government's mess.

You can catch up on all the key moments from the session by reading our earlier round-up post, or there's a standalone story from our politics team - if you'd like to get into the finer detail.

That's it from us, see you next week.

Image source, EPA

With PMQs over, let's look ahead to a key vote that's happening at Westminster next week.

MPs will be voting on the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, otherwise known as the assisted dying bill.

If passed, it would make it legal for over-18s who are terminally ill to be given assistance to end their own life.

It is, however, subject to requirements and there would be plenty more debates and votes ahead before it would become law.

MPs are being granted a free vote, which means their parties are not telling them how to vote – a rare occurrence.

Keir Starmer has previously said he was in favour of a change in the law and has now told reporters “I will be voting” a week on Friday.

• If you want to read more on this, our political editor Chris Mason has had a look at the stir the bill's caused in parliament

Now that things have calmed down and the House is back to regular scheduling, let's take a moment to recap how that session of (deputy) Prime Minister's Questions went down:

• There were two topics that very clearly dominated the session - inflation and changes to farming inheritance tax
• Labour's Angela Rayner was batting off questions from all parties - not least from Tory Alex Burghart - each with similar concerns around the impacts on the economy and the agricultural industry
• It was an awkward session for chancellor Rachel Reeves, who was sat next to Rayner throughout - elements of her Budget were in the firing line, as were her credentials, which were loyally defended by deputy PM
• The session was a particularly raucous one, with Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle having to interrupt on several occasions to dole out stern words to hecklers
• Prime Minister Keir Starmer is currently away, having attended the G20 summit in Brazil this week
• There have been major issues for the government in his absence, such as the protest by farmers outside Westminster yesterday, the emotion of which was clearly on display in the House today

Will couples be able to pass on £3m tax free?published at 13:05 Greenwich Mean Time 20 November

13:05 GMT 20 November

By Anthony Reuben

Defending the government’s changes to inheritance tax on farmland, Angela Rayner said “couples can pass on £3m tax free”.

From 2026 the first £1m of farmland inherited will be exempt from inheritance tax with 20% being charged on amounts over that.

There are other exemptions that could increase the tax-free amount, but they will not be available to all couples.

If a farm was owned by a couple who were married or in a civil partnership, they would get an allowance of £1m each for the agricultural land, making a total of £2m.

Then they would each have an allowance of £325,000 as their standard property allowance.

And there is a £175,000 tax-free allowance per person on a main residence but only if it’s passed to children or grandchildren.

That would raise the threshold to around £3m before inheritance tax on farmland would kick in.

You can read more about it here.

Chris Mason
Political editor

A couple of sharp questions today about the chancellor - and the ongoing row about her changing her CV on LinkedIn.

Both a Reform MP and Conservative MP asked about it.

Graham Stuart, of the Conservatives, said a Northampton Police chief constable had been sacked in June for "misrepresenting his CV" - and asked Rayner if she agreed whether that was right.

Rayner, who said she knew where Stuart "was trying to go with this", defended the chancellor - telling the house: "What I would say is our chancellor, in the last four months, has shown more competence than the last four chancellors that he had."

Despite loyal answers from the deputy prime minister, the questions are awkward for Rachel Reeves.

Image source, Reuters

Brian Wheeler
Political reporter

Oops!

Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle ends the session with an apology to Tory MP Danny Kruger, who he ticked off earlier for heckling.

When Kruger had protested his innocence, he asserted that it was James Wild, who he was sitting next to.

Sir Lindsay Hoyle responded that Wild must have skills of a ventriloquist.

It now becomes clear that it was in fact James Wild.

“I got it wrong. Mr Wild has now owned up to it," Hoyle tells MPs.

He jokes that Kruger should not sit next him in future, prompting laughter from across the House. With that, the session comes to a close with MPs, still chuckling, filing from the benches

Labour MP Lee Barron asks about Harshita Brella, whose body was found in a car boot after being murdered by her husband.

Barron says she was protected by a domestic violence order that lasted 28 days, but was not renewed.

He asks Rayner whether domestic abuse orders should last longer than 28 days, "when the victims are most vulnerable".

Rayner says her thoughts are with Harshita's family, and that the government is committed to halving violence against women and girls.

Burghart seemed to enjoy himselfpublished at 12:42 Greenwich Mean Time 20 November

12:42 GMT 20 November

Chris Mason
Political editor

So many politicians dream of standing at the dispatch box of the House of Commons – and to do so in the leadership of your party, however fleetingly – is quite a moment.

Alex Burghart seemed to be enjoying himself during his depping stint for Kemi Badenoch – taking in farmers, the winter fuel payment, private schools and inflation.

Burghart did do a lot of shouting – but never underestimate just how loud the chamber is when you’re actually in here, as opposed to watching or listening from afar.

The microphones amplify the voices of those speaking, but when you’re in here it can be genuinely hard to hear what is being said, and in response to that – and blasts of nervous energy no doubt for Burghart today – it can be tempting to shout.

Father of the House Sir Edward Leigh points out that today is Red Wednesday, a day to remember those who have faced religious persecution around the world.

He asks that the government reappoint the prime minister's special envoy for freedom of religion or belief, a post he says has remained vacant since Labour took office in July.

Rayner says the government is committed to championing human rights, including freedom of religion. She joins him in marking Red Wednesday and says buildings will be lit up in red to mark the occasion.

Answering his question, she says that envoy roles are under consideration and will be decided in due course, without specifying which.

Brian Wheeler
Political reporter

Veteran Labour MP Graham Stringer raises the case of Telegraph columnist Allison Pearson, who is embroiled in a row with Essex Police over a social media post.

Officers visited Pearson as part of an investigation into alleged incitement to racial hatred, following a complaint from a member of the public.

In an article, Pearson said she was told by the police who came to her home it was over a “non-crime hate incident”, but not told which post it was about.

Stringer asks if the deputy PM is concerned about the threat to free speech he said was posed by the “Stasi-like interview” Pearson faced from police.

Rayner says free speech is an important part of democracy, but she could not comment on a live police investigation.

Plaid Cymru's Liz Saville Roberts says the increase in National Insurance contributions for care providers poses a "threat worse than Covid", and asks whether Rayner will intervene to make them exempt.

The deputy PM does not directly answer the question, but says the government is putting "record" funding into the NHS.

Another question now on the row over the changes to inheritance tax announced in Labour's recent Budget.

Conservative MP Saqib Bhatti talks of constituents who are "deeply worried" by the changes.

He asks Rayner: "Why has this Labour government declared war on farmers?"

Rayner repeats that "the vast majority of farms will not pay any inheritance tax" and says the government has been "as generous as we can".

Next up is Reform UK's Lee Anderson, who recalls Labour's rural affairs minister weeks ago saying he'd been congratulated by a farmer on the government's inheritance tax changes.

He jokes that the farmer in question must have been a cannabis farmer in light of the protests yesterday.

He puts it to Rayner that the policy should be thrown in the bin alongside the chancellor's CV.

Rayner parries that, speaking of CVs, it's good to see Anderson doing well, having started his political career as a Labour councillor, then a Tory MP, now a Reform chief whip.

"Every time he switches party, he gets a promotion," she quips to laughter from Anderson.

She then insists that she has already set out why the government backs the plan, and that it will support farmers and invest in public services "to get Britain back on track".

As Burghart sits down on the Tory frontbench, the Lib Dem deputy leader, Daisy Cooper, springs to her feet to pose her questions.

She says that she warned the government that hiking up National Insurance for social care providers would worsen the sector.

She says this has now happened, with this decision alone withdrawing "£200m" from the sector.

Rayner says the government has acted to ensure social care was protected - highlighting a promise £600m of funding for the sector next year - as well as some other measures she says were introduced in the Budget.

Brian Wheeler
Political reporter

Well that got very shouty. Alex Burghart was going red in the face as he roared across the dispatch box at Angela Rayner “if you don’t vote Labour, they don’t care about you!”

The government always gets the last word in these exchanges and Rayner used it to deliver a lengthy diatribe on the “same old Tories".

The deputy PM appeared unruffled by her new adversary. But Burghart gave a good account of himself, speaking up for farmers - a subject close to Tory hearts.

Burghart says he understands why Rayner doesn't want to answer about the "terrible decisions" the government has made.

He says it's a "punishment" for those who didn't vote Labour.

"If you don't vote Labour, they don't care about you," he says, to huge cheers from the opposition benches.

Rayner says Burghart clearly didn't recognise the election result, and that Labour has been busy fixing the "mess" left by the Tory government.

Burghart says this is the latest part of the Budget to unravel and that farmers will have noted the deputy PM did not commit to no further increases in the tax.

He moves back to inflation, listing some of the figures set out by Reeves in her Budget, and asks about above inflation pay rises.

Rayner calls his comments a display of "audacity" and says it was Burghart's government that raised taxes to their highest level for a generation.

She is cut off before she can finish while Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle rebukes Tory MPs for jeering too loudly.

Upon resuming her questioning, Rayner says she will take no lessons from the Tories on the economy.

Brian Wheeler
Political reporter

Tory MP Danny Kruger gets a telling off from Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle.

Both the Tory and Labour benches are making a lot of noise.

Burghart quips that perhaps everyone came to London yesterday to thank the government.

He says the government has got the facts wrong and that farming economists predict that more farms - he says 75% - will be affected by the IHT changes.

If the government isn't going to reverse the policy, will it commit to no further increases to inheritance tax, Burghart asks.

Rayner says she stands by the government's position and the figures behind it, asserting that the vast majority of estate owners will "totally unaffected".

She adds that couples can pass on estates valued £3 million, tax free, which prompts cheers from the Labour benches.

Brian Wheeler
Political reporter

After a brief skirmish about inflation, we are on to farmers.

Burghart asks if the government will rule out further tax hikes.

Rayner repeats the government’s line that the “vast majority” of estates will not be affected.