Cameron 'PMQs winner'published at 15:25 Greenwich Mean Time 4 February 2015
The New Statesman
David Cameron's "exuberant confidence" helps him to victory at PMQs, according to the New Statesman, external.
Summary
David Cameron and Ed Miliband clash over their tax and business policies at Prime Minister's Questions
Sir John Chilcot hopes will not set date for his report of his inquiry into the Iraq War
Control of Rotherham council to be handed over to commissioners after child abuse scandal; New Zealand judge to head historical abuse inquiry
Rolling coverage from the BBC's political team - from Today and Breakfast through to Newsnight and Today in Parliament
Cameron 'PMQs winner'published at 15:25 Greenwich Mean Time 4 February 2015
Don't Stop Me Nowpublished at 15:02 Greenwich Mean Time 4 February 2015
Image source, PAQueen guitarist Brian May might stand for Parliament at this year's general election, according to his spokesman. He said May was considering standing over "frustration at a system that he sees as failing the electorate". The musician, who could run under his Common Decency project, has been a prominent campaigner against the government's badger culls.
'Shouting in my ear'published at 14:36 Greenwich Mean Time 4 February 2015
House of Commons
ParliamentFollowing Mr Pickles' response, Mark Reckless complains that he was unable to hear it due to Labour MP's "shouting in [his] ear".
The secretary of state gets up to respond to Mr Reckless for a second time.
'Held to account'published at 14:35 Greenwich Mean Time 4 February 2015
House of Commons
Parliament
UKIP MP Mark Reckless says single-party Labour control of Rotherham Council "allowed" abuse to take place, though it did not "cause it".
He asks if the planned 2015 council elections will go ahead, to allow "Labour councillors to be held to account at the ballot box".
May 2015 elections will take place, Communities and Local Government Secretary Eric Pickles confirms.
But he warns that if this scandal is turned into a "political football... we will be as bad as the failing councillors of Rotherham".
Taxi regulations callpublished at 14:32 Greenwich Mean Time 4 February 2015
House of Commons
ParliamentConservative MP Julian Smith asks Eric Pickles to look at taxi regulations across the north of England in wake of the scandal.
The Jay Report, external into child sexual exploitation in Rotherham said taxi drivers played a "prominent role" in the abuse of more than 1,400 children.
Mr Pickles says he is "particularly irked" about they way taxis were used and he will ensure that "lessons are learned very quickly".
PMQs reactionpublished at 14:30 Greenwich Mean Time 4 February 2015
"Cameron rides roughshod over Miliband again", writes George Eaton in his review of Prime Minister's Questions for the New Statesman, external. He says the Conservatives are "purring with confidence" at the moment and can sense victory at the general election. The Labour benches, by contrast, were "deathly silent", he observes.
He also notes the "respectful silence" with which Labour MP Dan Jarvis was heard, saying this shows why "many" tip him to potentially be a future Labour leader.
Not a political issuepublished at 14:29 Greenwich Mean Time 4 February 2015
House of Commons
ParliamentEric Pickles makes a point of saying that he does not regard this as a political issue.
He tells MPs he could point to lots of Conservative councils where this would never happen, but he could also point to many Labour councils where this would never happen as well.
Funds neededpublished at 14:24 Greenwich Mean Time 4 February 2015
House of Commons
ParliamentThe Rotherham MP, Labour's Sarah Champion says, despite the report, Rotherham has still not got the funds it needs to put "resources in place so that help young victims get on with their lives".
Ms Champion says she has campaigned for five months for the funds.
The report only came about because of "the tenacity of the survivors", she says. "They are champions because they have caused the changes the town so desperately needed."
PMQs catch uppublished at 14:21 Greenwich Mean Time 4 February 2015
If you missed Prime Minister's Questions earlier today (or are desperate wait to watch it back...) you can catch up with some of the highlights of the half-hour session in the Key Video tab at the top of this page. The whole session in full will be available a little later.
How was the report carried out?published at 14:08 Greenwich Mean Time 4 February 2015
The inquiry led by Louise Casey into what was happening in Rotherham saw inspectors review approximately 7,000 documents, look in detail at all case files and speak to more than 200 people, including current and former staff, council members, partners, victims and parents.
Labour supportpublished at 14:01 Greenwich Mean Time 4 February 2015
House of Commons
Parliament
Shadow communities and local government secretary Hilary Benn is now responding to the statement.
He says he welcomes the announcement that Rotherham Council's cabinet has resigned. He says the Casey report is "damning".
Labour supports Mr Pickles' intervention as the circumstances in Rotherham "warrant" it, he said.
A return to 'good governance'published at 13:59 Greenwich Mean Time 4 February 2015
House of Commons
ParliamentEric Pickles says there will be five commissioners who will all report to him.
He says he hopes his actions will "restore good local governance."
Eric Pickles at the despatch boxpublished at 13:58 Greenwich Mean Time 4 February 2015
Image caption, Eric Pickles says it is with "a heavy heart" that he is having to resort "to such central intervention"
Commissioners announcedpublished at 13:55 Greenwich Mean Time 4 February 2015
House of Commons
ParliamentEric Pickles announces he will send in commissioners to take over the executive functions of Rotherham Council's cabinet in children and young persons services and taxi licensing functions.
The commissioners will also take over in services where Rotherham Council have lost the public's confidence, he said.
'Intervention package'published at 13:52 Greenwich Mean Time 4 February 2015
House of Commons
ParliamentFollowing the report Eric Pickles says he is satisfied it shows that the council is "failing" in its duties.
As such he announces he will be making an "intervention package" to fix the problems, highlighted in the report, in the political leadership of the town.
Breaking Newspublished at 13:50 Greenwich Mean Time 4 February 2015
House of Commons
ParliamentEric Pickles says he will move an order under the Local Government Act to force Rotherham Council into holding a full election in 2016, following Louise Casey's reports into its failings to deal with child sexual exploitation in the town.
Rotherham statementpublished at 13:47 Greenwich Mean Time 4 February 2015
House of Commons
ParliamentCommunities and Local Government Secretary Eric Pickles is now making a statement on Rotehrham Council, after a report found it "not fit for purpose".
Louise Casey's report, external found a culture of bullying, sexism, suppression and misplaced "political correctness". It also has a "deep-rooted" culture of cover-ups and silencing whistleblowers, she added.
PMQs reactionpublished at 13:46 Greenwich Mean Time 4 February 2015
BBC Radio 4The World at One provides us with some more analysis of Prime Minister's Questions, during which Labour leader Ed Miliband called for an end to the system where hedge funds do not need to pay stamp duty on share transactions.
Conservative Treasury minister Andrea Leadsom tells the programme that the government has cracked down on tax avoidance, and adds that it is part of the government's overall tax avoidance measures. However, shadow work and pensions secretary Rachel Reeves contends that tax avoidance is getting worse under the coalition government.
SNP deputy leader Stewart Hosie expresses his surprise that the subject formed the basis of PMQs - a point echoed by DUP Westminster leader Nigel Dodds who says that while it may go down well in certain parts of some constituencies, it was a "narrow" issue for the country as a whole.
Guilty by associationpublished at 13:45 Greenwich Mean Time 4 February 2015
House of Commons
ParliamentConservative MP Matthew Offord asks how those who are called as witnesses to the historical child abuse inquiry will be protected from being attacked for their association with child abuse.
Mr Offord tells peers one of his constituents had their life "personally and financially ruined" based on unfounded accusation of child abuse.
Theresa May says great care will be taken to clearly indicate when individuals are found not guilty after being investigated.
Breaking Newspublished at 13:41 Greenwich Mean Time 4 February 2015
Rotherham Council's cabinet is to resign en-masse in the wake of Louise Casey's damning report "as soon as transitional arrangements can be put in place".