House of Commons
Parliament

House of Commons
Parliament

House of Commons
Parliament

The Labour leader moves on to Surrey County Council's decision to call off a referendum on plans to hike council tax by 15% to pay for social care, asking if the government had given the council a special deal.

The PM says the issue is a matter for the council and goes on to say that £900m in extra social care funding is being made available to councils - adding that local authorities are spreading best practice.

House of Commons
Parliament

Image source, HoC

The PM says there is a difference between soundbites and running the NHS. But the Labour leader responds, saying it is one thing praising A&E staff, it is another paying them properly.

Mr Corbyn cites a hospital in Blackburn where some patients are having to wait 13 hours 52 minutes to be seen and says this is the tip of the iceberg.

The PM says there are many more nurses and doctors in Blackburn. She acknowledges there are pressures on the NHS and waiting times are a problem - but says that waiting times are much longer in Wales where the Labour Party is in government. 

House of Commons
Parliament

Jeremy Corbyn is on his feet. He asks about overcrowding in the NHS and the closure of A&E wards. The PM pays tribute to the staff working in the health service and says the government is spending £1.3bn more than Labour pledged at the general election. 

House of Commons
Parliament

Tory Johnny Mercer asks about historical allegations against British soldiers following the disbarment of solicitor Phil Shiner. Theresa May says troops deserve the support of the government when they come home and they all get legal aid when allegations are made against them.

As for Mr Shiner, the PM says it is terrible "when someone tries to make a business out of chasing after our troops". 

House of Commons
Parliament

Image source, HoC

Theresa May is on her feet. The first question from Labour's Toby Perkins is about school funding, saying schools in his Derbyshire constituency are losing out and teachers are having to raise money by running charity races. 

Mrs May responds by saying the government is reviewing its funding formula and will study the results. She also quotes stats on the higher numbers of children in Mr Perkins' constituency who are now getting a good or outstanding education. 

We are set to get under way with PMQs. 

Laura Kuenssberg tells Daily Politics that it is pretty clear that Clive Lewis will have to leave the shadow cabinet if he votes against the formal Labour line on the EU later.

In contrast, the BBC's political editor says Diane Abbott is thought to be "solid" in her support for her leader Jeremy Corbyn's stance. 

Mariam Issimdar
BBC News

Labour's shadow business secretary and Norwich South MP Clive Lewis has indicated he could resign from the shadow cabinet today, over Brexit. 

He obeyed the three-line whip last week to back the government's plans for leaving the European Union, but this could change at today's third-reading vote. 

"It's my intention to do what's right by my constituents and by my conscience," Mr Lewis said. "It's a really tough call."

At a meeting in Norwich, which voted to remain in the EU, on Friday he told his constituents: "I voted for the second reading because, against my better judgement, I think we have to listen to the outcome of the referendum.

"I am not a delegate. I am a representative. You elected me as a Labour MP but also as Clive Lewis. They come as a package. You get my values, my judgement, and the Labour brand. 

"If, by the end of the process, the bill before us is still an overwhelmingly hard Tory cliff-edge, I am prepared to break the whip and vote against it."

Miriam Gonzalez Durantez, whose husband is former Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, has complained after being invited to an International Women's Day event in her married name.

Posting a picture of a letter addressed to "Mrs Clegg" on Instagram, she noted the "irony" of the situation.

The event, on 8 March, is designed to "celebrate women's success", she added.

Ms Gonzalez Durantez is a lawyer specialising in international and EU trade law. Read more

Jo Coburn
Daily Politics presenter

Who will be taking centre stage at Prime Minister's questions? Well, of course, Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn.

As usual, the SNP's Westminster leader Angus Robertson will also have two questions.

According to the order paper, Labour's Toby Perkins will be first up and other backbenchers due to put questions include former Tory cabinet minister Theresa Villiers and Graham Brady, chair of the influential 1922 committee. 

Select Committee
Parliament

The DUP's Sammy Wilson, who backs leaving the EU, calls Scottish minister Michael Russell's earlier comments about Brexit costs and "dislocation" into question.

"How would this massive dislocation and this massive cost occur?" Mr Wilson asks.

Mr Russell claims that business has been voicing such concerns - and proceeds to question Leave campaigners' assertions that the UK will be better off outside the EU.

"If there is this pot of gold that is going to be so wonderful for us... then please, let us know about it," he says.

The testy exchange brings the committee session to an end, as MPs head to the Commons chamber for PMQs.

House of Commons
Parliament

Impersonation is not the biggest challenge to our democratic system, argues the SNP's Tommy Sheppard.

He says it would be better if money was spent on projects to increase participation and urges the government to introduce online voting and automatic registration.

Chris Skidmore replies that there is "a record" 46.5m people on the electoral register.

He adds that the government will be publishing a democratic engagement strategy in the spring. 

Select Committee
Parliament

Plaid Cymru MP Jonathan Edwards asks what "mitigating" powers the Scottish government would seek if the UK goes for a "hard Brexit" and leaves the single market.

Michael Russell says that such powers would include "those things we believe are at risk from leaving the EU - citizens' rights, workers' rights - we believe that those things should be devolved".

House of Commons
Parliament

Conservative Neil Parish begins questions by asking if the government would be prepared to introduce photo ID in polling stations.

Minister Chris Skidmore tells MPs that the government intends to run pilot such schemes in local government elections in 2018. 

Labour's Nick Smith accuses the government of using voter fraud as "a smokescreen for voter suppression" and asks how many people have been convicted of voter fraud in the past year.

Mr Skidmore replies that it was a Labour government that introduced photo ID at polling stations in Northern Ireland.

Lawyer whose husband is ex-deputy PM notes the "irony" of women's day invite in her married name.

Select Committee
Parliament

Michael Russell says the "kindest thing" he can say about the EU referendum Leave and Remain campaigns is that "not everything in a political campaign turns out to be true".

However, he accuses the Leave campaign of saying things that were "not only untrue, [they are] going to cost us an enormous amount of money".