As it happened: Johnson defends inquiry at PMQs
Follow us on Twitter @BBCPolitics | Cameron and Greensill: What's it all about? | Labour's long-term plan to attack cronyism | No 10 rejects calls for parliamentary inquiry
Follow us on Twitter @BBCPolitics | Cameron and Greensill: What's it all about? | Labour's long-term plan to attack cronyism | No 10 rejects calls for parliamentary inquiry
Live Reporting
Richard Morris, Kate Whannel and Jennifer Scott
All times stated are UK
Government returning to 'Tory sleaze', says Labour leader
In his last question, Sir Keir Starmer says the "Greensill scandal is just the tip of the iceberg", and accuses the government of hailing the return of "Tory sleaze".
He says the prime minister will not act against sleaze, and he urges MPs to vote for the Labour motion this afternoon to call for an independent inquiry into lobbying.
Boris Johnson says this is why there is an "independent review" into lobbying. He says the Labour party are voting against tougher sentences for serious crimes by voting against the Policing Bill.
He adds: "We're getting on with the job of running this country."
He gets cut off by the Speaker early during his answer, who says it is not relevant to the question that was asked.
Labour plan means politician's 'marking own homework' - PM
Sir Keir Starmer says the person appointed to run the inquiry "worked for a law firm that lobbied to loosen lobbying laws".
He adds: "You couldn't make it up."
Sir Keir says we need to "overhaul the whole system" and urges the PM to vote for "a full transparent inquiry".
Boris Johnson replies that Labour "would have been better off" supporting the Lobbying Act.
He says Labour's proposal would mean politicians "marking their own homework".
PM 'using shoplifting defence', says Starmer
Sir Keir Starmer says he hasn't "heard a defence that weak since my last days in the Crown Court".
He says the PM's defence is simply "everybody else is nicking stuff, so why can't I?", and calls it the "shoplifters' defence".
The Labour leader says a former civil servant has said "hundreds of millions of pounds are at stake" in this lobbying scandal.
And he asks how Greensill managed to secure these loans.
Boris Johnson says while Sir Keir was in Crown Courts, he was cutting crime in London as the Mayor of London.
He says "he doesn't have far to look" and accuses the shadow defence secretary of also lobbying on behalf of Greensill.
PM: Labour's Lord Mandelson should reveal his clients
Sir Keir says the Conservatives voted for the Lobbying Act, while Labour argued it was not tough enough.
He says the legislation "led to David Cameron camping in the Saudi desert with Lex Greensill having a cup of tea".
"I rest my case in regards to that legislation," he adds.
Sir Keir asks the PM if he knows of any other government official who has commercial links with Greensill or any other lobbying role while still working in government.
Boris Johnson says the Labour leader should let the review know if he has any relevant information.
He also notes that the Labour leader is being advised by Lord Mandelson - and says the Labour peer should reveal his other clients.
Starmer: 'Sleaze at the heart of this Tory government'
The Labour leader says he knows Boris Johnson is launching an inquiry, but he says he's not sure it will look "at very much at all".
He says every day there is evidence of "sleaze at the heart of this Tory government".
Sir Keir says David Cameron took money from Greensill to push for contracts with senior officials, and these meetings between the company and the government were "regular".
He asks if there is an "open door between his Conservative government and paid lobbyists".
Mr Johnson says his government has been "consistently tough on lobbying" and there is a register for lobbyists.
He says there is one party which wanted to repeal the 2014 Lobbying Act, which was featured in the 2019 Labour manifesto.
Starmer: Are lobbying rules fit for purpose?
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer uses his first question to ask the PM if he believes the current lobbying rules are fit for purpose.
Boris Johnson replies that he "thinks it is a good idea in principle that top civil servants should be able to engage with business and have experience of the private sector".
The prime minister adds that it is "not clear the boundaries have been properly understood".
And he says he has asked for "a proper independent review".
Tributes paid to Gillan and Williams
Boris Johnson kicks off PMQs by paying tribute to Conservative Dame Cheryl Gillan, who died last Monday after a long illness.
He also pays tribute to Baroness Shirley Williams, who died yesterday.
Conservative Gagan Mohindra says Dame Cheryl Gillan is "already sorely missed in this place".
PMQs kicks off
Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle announces the beginning of Prime Minister's Questions.
Stick with us for updates as Boris Johnson takes questions from MPs.
Tributes to Prince Philip
MPs are also taking part in PMQs for the first time since the Duke of Edinburgh died on Friday.
At the time of Prince Philip's passing, MPs were on Easter recess, but they were recalled back to the Commons on Monday to pay tribute.
The Lords also returned on Monday, along with parliaments across the UK.
You can read more on the memories politicians shared here.
Johnson heads to Parliament for PMQs
What else might come up in PMQs?
While we expect Sir Keir Starmer to lead the attack from the Labour benches on lobbying, there are plenty of other topics that could come up at PMQs.
This week saw lockdown measures eased a touch further in England, with gyms, hairdressers and pub gardens re-opening.
MPs may have questions about the vaccine programme, which is now open to over 45-year-olds to book jabs.
They could also ask about the government's LGBT panel which has been disbanded.
And it is the first PMQs since a fresh wave of violent protests hit towns and cities in Northern Ireland - so there may be questions on that as well.
Labour's long-term plan to attack cronyism
Laura Kuenssberg
Political editor
What former politicians, officials and advisers do with their lives after high office can be troublesome enough.
David Cameron's entanglement with the now failed bank, Greensill Capital, is a particularly acute example of a problem governments have grappled with for years - swearing all the while that they want to crack down on appalling behaviour, but never quite creating sets of rules or structures that would stamp it out.
The revelations about the former prime minister have pushed Boris Johnson to order a review of what happened even if, as we discussed on Monday night, it is likely to have been set up in part to spare the blushes of his current colleagues too.
What emerged on Tuesday, however, seems more curious still.
A very senior civil servant, (now departed) Bill Crothers, who had been in charge of huge amounts of Whitehall business, had actually gone to work for Greensill while he was still on the government payroll.
Politically, this story does not start and end with Greensill or David Cameron. Labour is trying to build a broad attack on the Tories for indulging in cronyism, whether it is the former PM's lobbying, or pandemic PPE contracts, or however the prime minister's expensive wallpaper was actually paid for.
Its push for a vote on an inquiry into Greensill today is part of a long-term game.
You can read more from Laura here.
Now there is a row about the inquiry...
Since all these lobbying stories came to light, Labour have called for an inquiry into the row.
No 10 announced on Monday it would be holding a review, led by lawyer Nigel Boardman.
But the opposition wants more - demanding a full parliamentary inquiry into lobbying and the contacts between government and Greensill Capital.
They are bringing the proposal to the Commons later, saying the investigation should be led by a cross-party panel of MPs, rather than letting the government "mark their own homework".
But Downing Street has already rejected the plan, ordering Tory MPs to vote against it.
You can read about the latest twists and turns here.
Cameron and Greensill: What's it all about?
As we mentioned, lobbying has been the hot topic in SW1 since it emerged former Prime Minister David Cameron had been contacting ministers as part of his role at collapsed finance firm Greensill Capital.
The Financial Times and Sunday Times newspapers revealed Mr Cameron had been texting Chancellor Rishi Sunak to get access to government-backed loans for the company during the pandemic.
It then came to light that a civil servant was employed by Greensill - run by one of Mr Cameron's former advisers at No 10 - while still working in Whitehall.
Confused yet? Don't worry, we have written a handy explainer of the whole row, which you can read here.
Welcome to the BBC Politics live page
Good morning and thanks for joining us for the first Prime Minister's Questions since MPs returned from their Easter break.
It is also the first time Boris Johnson will be facing Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer and other MPs since the row over lobbying erupted in Westminster.
There are likely to be some feisty exchanges, so stay with us for all the updates.