Chris Mason
Political editor

The prime minister early on today sought comfortable and binding ground for the Labour Party – the NHS.

Starmer said this week would mark the 77th anniversary of the health service, and tomorrow the government will set out its 10-year plan for health.

As he spoke, the sullen faces of Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner and in particular Chancellor Rachel Reeves – either side of Starmer – stood out.

Reeves was seen to wipe away tears. We have asked her team why this is and are yet to hear back.

Kemi Badenoch had ample opportunity to give the PM a good bashing after the last 24 hours and relished the opportunity.

Image source, House of Commons

Leader of the Liberal Democrats, Ed Davey, says Labour asked MPs to vote for a law that meant people with illnesses like Parkinson's would qualify for Pip today, but someone diagnosed with the same condition in a few months would not.

He asks the PM if he's changed his mind.

Starmer says a government review by Disabilities Minister Stephen Timms will look into this issue.

He adds that the bill is trying to help people with severe disabilities by ending mandatory assessments. The PM accuses Davey of caring about that but still voting against it.

• For context: A review into the Pip assessment process in partnership with disability organisations led by Timms is due to be completed by autumn 2026

Badenoch says the government has no plan to get people back into work or cut the welfare budget, then talks of a series of "humiliating" U-turns, listing the grooming gangs inquiry and the winter fuel cuts as examples.

She then asks that with "left-wing Labour MPs now running the government, isn't it working people who will now pay the price?"

Starmer responds, saying Labour promised two million extra NHS appointments and delivered four million - labelling it "a promise made and a promise delivered".

And he says the government is putting extra money in the pockets of working people.

Labour is only getting started and the chancellor has led on all these issues, he says, adding that "we're grateful to her for it".

Joshua Nevett
Reporting from the House of Commons

Reeves waves away Badenoch as the Tory leader points out that the prime minister didn’t rule out that Reeves would not be the chancellor at the next general election.

The PM used his response to talk up Labour’s economic record.

There was no mention of the chancellor’s position in his comments.

Image source, House of Commons

Badenoch is up again and says the chancellor looks miserable, then asks Starmer if Rachel Reeves will be able to keep her job.

Starmer responds with a laugh, saying Badenoch won't still be in her role.

He then lists some of Labour's actions in government - including the UK's trade deals with India and the US, creating extra NHS appointments, as well as their recent commitment to building social housing.

“A promise made, and a promise delivered,” he keeps repeating.

• For context: At yesterday's debate, many MPs opposing the welfare bill suggested it was rushed to assist Reeves's budget

Badenoch says Starmer has "some brass neck" and asks the PM if he's read the papers this morning.

She continues to stress that "you can't tax your way to growth" and asks Starmer to reassure the "frightened" public by ruling out tax rises in the autumn Budget.

Starmer responds by saying that Badenoch knows that no PM or chancellor ever stands at the dispatch box and predicts a future Budget.

The prime minister then says Labour has boosted investment in the UK economy and that figures this week show the UK has the fastest growth in the G7 in the first quarter of the year.

Image source, House of Commons

Badenoch says the Conservatives delivered the "biggest reform of welfare", adding that they are "not scared" of doing the difficult thing.

Since Starmer became prime minister "an additional 1,000 people a day are signing on to incapacity benefits", she says, which she says is 50% more than under the Tories.

Badenoch says that sickness benefits are set to rise to £100bn after last night's vote, adding that after last night's "humiliating" U-turn Starmer can't control his MPs.

"Isn't the reality that he's too weak to get anything done," she asks.

Starmer responds by saying the Conservatives "broke the welfare system", which he says they are now trying to fix.

He adds that the Conservatives voted against fixing the system.

• For context: When the government first announced its welfare bill, the cost of sickness and disability benefits was forecast to increase to £100bn by 2029 from £65bn currently

Joshua Nevett
Reporting from the House of Commons

We’ve just noticed Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall is standing behind the Speaker’s chair during PMQs.

As a cabinet minister, she would usually be sitting on the front benches alongside Starmer’s top team.

Kendall had to walk back much of the government’s welfare changes yesterday after Starmer made major concessions to rebels.

Image source, House of Commons

Badenoch says Starmer must have missed what happened in the Commons yesterday, because the bill was actually gutted and doesn't save money.

She says Starmer is the first prime minister in history to propose a bill to save money that ends up costing money instead.

She then asks Starmer how many people the bill will get into work.

Starmer says Labour are already getting people back to work - and says what won't help is "voting to keep the broken system" that he accuses the Tories of breaking and supporting.

Image source, House of Commons

Starmer says the welfare bill ends mandatory reassessment for those with severe disabilities, calling it the "right thing to do".

He says it also rebalances universal credit, which he says is "long overdue" and sets out a pathway to reform Pip.

The prime minister adds that the bill is consistent with principles he has set out, that if you can work you should, and if you need help to get into work then the state should provide it. And if you can't work, you must be supported and protected, he says.

Starmer adds that it will be better for individuals, the taxpayer and the economy.

Here's a reminder of what's left in the bill after the changes and concessions.

Leila Nathoo
Political correspondent

Rachael Maskell, one of the leading Labour rebel MPs, is - unusually - sitting in the Commons balcony instead of downstairs in the chamber.

She’s with the Home Office minister, Diana Johnson, for a bird's-eye view of PMQs.

Image source, House of Commons

Badenoch kicks off today's PMQs by declaring that it's been a difficult week for the prime minister.

She then asks Starmer how much his welfare bill is going to save.

• For context: The original welfare bill was due to save £5bn a year by 2030, however last-minute concessions will have affected that figure

Chris Mason
Political editor

A hearty, perhaps more self conscious than usual cheer from the Labour benches as the prime minister arrived for PMQs.

Joshua Nevett
Reporting from the House of Commons

Tory leader Kemi Badenoch entered the Commons looking in high spirits.

She laughed as she spoke to one of her colleagues on her way to the despatch box in the chamber.

We can only speculate on why she appears so happy.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer is on his feet, which means it's the start of this week's PMQs.

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

And we'll have updates and analysis throughout right here.

Joshua Nevett
Reporting from the House of Commons

I’m reporting from the House of Commons, where the prime minister will soon be questioned by MPs, following the major climbdown over welfare changes last night.

Usually on such occasions, there’s much speculation over what political ammunition Conservative opposition leader Kemi Badenoch will choose to fire at the prime minister in her round of questions.

Not so today. It would be a big surprise if Badenoch didn’t bring up last night’s welfare vote and its consequences.

The prospect of tax rises to pay for lost welfare savings worth about £5bn could also feature.

PMQs can be awkward for prime ministers at the best of times. Today, following the biggest rebellion of Keir Starmer’s premiership, that awkwardness is all the more acute.

Just a few minutes ago, Prime Minister Keir Starmer was spotted leaving No 10 and making his way to Parliament for this week's Prime Minister's Questions.

The prime minister and his camp will undoubtedly face some tough questions today, following last night's welfare vote.

We'll bring you the latest lines and often-heated arguments on this page shortly - stick with us.

Leila Nathoo
Political correspondent

"Wild". "An utter [expletive] show".

These are just some of the verdicts from MPs in Parliament this morning on last night’s events.

Even some who are loyal to Keir Starmer recognise that things have gone badly wrong.

One MP tells me blame lies at all levels:

• With the Department for Work and Pensions for not leading the reforms and for not having put in work long ago to prepare
• With No 10 for "grabbing" the policy, which the MP said was the "root cause" of the failings, and failing to sniff out what was going on among MPs
• And with party whips for not properly managing dissent within the party

The MP said, gloomily, that the end result was a complete undermining of the narrative the government wanted to push - that it can take difficult decisions and be trusted on the economy.

A former director of policy for Labour says the government has "no mandate" to cut benefits for disabled people.

Andrew Fisher, who worked under Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour, tells BBC Radio 5 Live that "people don’t vote Labour to cut benefits, and people don’t vote Labour to balance the books on the backs of disabled people."

"The country is in a bad state. There is no doubt about that. That’s why people kicked out the Conservative party a year ago. But people don’t want a Labour party that’s going to do the same things that George Osborne and Iain Duncan Smith tried to do" before they were defeated in 2016, Fisher says, referring to their welfare cut policy.

We can bring you some more now from Angela Rayner's appearance on ITV programme Lorraine.

The deputy prime minister says the government has "a lot to reflect on" after its first year in power, but stresses that "there's a lot we've done and got right".

She cites the increase in the minimum wage, a commitment to deliver more social housing and an extra 4 million NHS appointments.

On the welfare U-turn, Rayner says "welfare reform is always difficult" and "one of the things we reflect on is making sure we get this right".

Asked about it being a challenge to the government's authority she says "the process can look aggy but that's the way you get to consensus".

Rayner says the challenges the country faces "take time, a lot of effort", adding that the government has to deliver the change people voted for.

"People are frustrated, they voted for change. They've had enough and then they've seen what's going on and they want to see that delivery."