Boris Johnson and Keir Starmer have clashed on accusations of government "cronyism"
Boris Johnson said he made "absolutely no apology at all" exchanging text message with a businessman
The BBC has seen text exchanges between the prime minister and Sir James Dyson where the PM said he would "fix" a tax issue for the businessman
Mr Johnson assured the Sir James his employees would not have to pay extra tax if they came to the UK to make ventilators during the pandemic
Sir Keir Starmer said exchanges showed the extend of "sleaze and cronyism" in government
SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford accused the PM of fixing government contracts for a "cosy club of friends"
Labour is calling on the government to step in to save Liberty Steel before it collapses to save thousands of supply chain jobs and millions of pounds
Boris Johnson said he was concerned for families of steel workers and that the business secretary has met unions and management of Liberty Steel
Downing Street has scrapped plans to launch new White House-style press conferences after spending £2.6m on a new venue for them.
BBC Politics
Image source, HoCWe are bringing the live page to a close for today.
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With you today were Justin Parkinson, Kate Whannel and Paul Seddon.
Thanks for joining us - hope to see you next week.
Starmer: NHS staff didn't get a text from the PM
In a heated exchange with the prime minister, Sir Keir Starmer said nurses can't text the prime minister, and have had a "kick in the teeth".
He said "every day there are new allegations" of "sleaze, sleaze, sleaze" against the government.
Boris Johnson said the government was getting on with "taking the tough decisions to protect the people of this country".
Iain Watson
Political correspondent
At this week's PMQs Sir Keir Starmer was attempting to generalise from the specific.
While the PM’s texts are now under scrutiny, Labour want to create the impression that cronyism is endemic, citing the wider issue of the awarding of government contracts during the pandemic.
But his other aim was to address and enhance a feeling the party is picking up amongst ‘red wall’ voters.
And that is, that they are not getting a fair crack of the whip.
So that’s why so much of PMQs was devoted to drawing comparisons between the treatment of nurses, steel workers, the self-employed and wealthy business people.
The SNP’s Ian Blackford went on a similar tack.
Boris Johnson is hoping that voters will understand that sometimes people in leadership roles may have to act unconventionally in a crisis.
And he cited the former Labour leader Tony Blair – who expressed understanding of the PM’s position – to attack the current Labour leader.
This was presumably anticipated by Sir Keir, as he played the former leader trump card, reminding MPs that the activities of David Cameron had begun the focus on the contacts between business and government.
Image source, ReutersToday's exchanges at PMQs were dominated again by questions about the contacts between business and government.
Lobbying is when individuals, businesses, trade unions, groups or charities try to get a government to change its policies. "Political persuasion" might be a better term.
But what are the rules, and how does it work?
Reality Check
During Prime Minister's Questions, Boris Johnson said that "It was under the last Labour government that jobs in steel fell by more than 50% and output fell by more than 50%”.
If you look at 1997 to 2010, then figures from the International Steel Statistics Bureau (ISSB) show that steel jobs in the UK almost halved over this period.
According to the ISSB, steel employed 35,000 in 1997 and just 19,000 in 2010. That's a reduction of 46%.
By 2014, four years after the Conservatives took power in coalition with the Lib Dems, this had fallen further - to 18,000.
Meanwhile, steel production in the UK fell from 18.3 million tonnes in 1997 to 9.7 million tonnes in 2010, a 47% drop.
These declines happened as production and exports originating from China increased. The sharpest drop in production occurred after the banking crisis of 2008, which led to collapse in global demand.
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Reality Check
At PMQs earlier, Boris Johnson said that Keir Starmer “called the ventilator challenge an outstanding success and he was completely right”.
The ventilator challenge was the government’s way of encouraging manufacturers to develop and build mechanical ventilators in the early days of the pandemic, when it was thought that many of them would be needed.
The Labour leader was indeed enthusiastic about it, tweeting, external that it was: “an example of how UK manufacturers, a world class workforce and Unite the Union have come together to provide our NHS with the vital equipment it urgently needs. Well done to everyone involved.”
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Reality Check
Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Labour leader Keir Starmer clashed over the “ventilator challenge” and billionaire businessman James Dyson’s role in it (including his texts to the PM).
The ventilator challenge was set up in March 2020 when the NHS was worried it would need far more mechanical ventilators (machines to help patients breathe) than were available.
In response, the government decided to buy as many as possible and also encourage manufacturers to develop new ones (the ventilator challenge).
The National Audit Office (NAO) says there were more than 5,000 “initial responses” to this.
These were “sifted” and the handful that ended up being chosen were - according to the NAO, external - picked on the basis of whether they met regulatory standards and could be built at scale and quickly.
Dyson’s CoVent model was not one of these and support for it was ended on 8 May – although it was considered clinically usable.
Ultimately, the expected demand for ventilators did not materialise.
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Image source, PA MediaAs an MP, John McFall was chair of the influential Commons Treasury committee
As PMQs ends, Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle tells MPs that Lord John McFall of Alcluith has been elected Lords Speaker in the House of Lords.
Sir Lindsay says "you couldn't find a nicer, kinder more welcoming politician."
He adds that Lord McFall has "demonstrated a zeal for impartiality and fair-mindedness" as a senior Deputy Lords Speaker.
He will be "exceptionally well-qualified" to take on his new role, Sir Lindsay says.
The election for Lords Speaker was triggered by the resignation of Lord Fowler who said he was standing down to "speak his mind" on issues he cares about like Aids.
Image source, HoCOn the videolink, Conservative Saqib Bhatti says he is pleased English clubs have withdrawn from the European Super League and asks if the PM agrees that football clubs must put fans "at the heart of their decision making".
Boris Johnson agrees and says "the most worrying feature of the European Super League proposals is that they would have taken clubs that take their names from great English towns and cities and turned them into global brands with no relation to the fans, to the communities that gave them life."
Image source, HoCSNP MP Philippa Whitford asks for a reassurance the UK is set to give £400m towards international efforts to eradicate polio, after a commitment given in 2019.
In reply, Boris Johnson says the UK has given £1.37bn towards the Polio Eradication Initiative since 1995, meaning that the disease "has almost been eliminated".
Image source, HoCConservative Andrew Rosindell raises concern that the statue of former President Ronald Regan has been removed.
He says the president was a "true friend" of the UK who ended the Cold War.
He asks for the statue to be moved to a more prominent location on Parliament Square.
Boris Johnson agrees but says that is a decision for the current Mayor of London.
Labour's Kim Johnson raises the cases of "hundreds" of gas fitters who were sacked for refusing to continue on "fire-and-rehire" contracts. The practice is "spreading like a virus", she adds, accusing the government of not taking action.
The PM asks her to send him "particular" details, saying he will "take it up".
Image source, HoCDUP Westminster leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson says the protection from "vexatious" prosecutions promised for ex-forces personnel should also apply to those who served in Northern Ireland.
Veterans minister Johnny Mercer resigned over the issue on Tuesday and Boris Johnson thanked him for his work. He also promised to address the issue "in due course".
Image source, HoCSNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford echoes the comments from Sir Keir and the PM about George Floyd and the Queen's birthday.
He says the Conservative government is involved in "texts for contracts" when it comes to Covid, and asks the PM to publish details of cases where he "personally fixed" arrangements.
In response, the prime minister says he shared all details with officials "immediately" and has "absolutely nothing to hide".
Mr Blackford then goes on to accuse Mr Johnson of leaving the self-employed "on their own" when it comes to Covid support.
Mr Johnson rejects this, and said the government "had to act very fast" to support firms.
Image source, HoCNHS workers are "insulted" by this year's pay offer, Sir Keir continues, arguing there is a "pattern" in government, with ministers helping the wealthy but not others.
The lobbying scandal is now "firmly centred" on the prime minister, he adds.
But Boris Johnson repeats that the government is taking "tough decisions". He calls Sir Keir "Captain Hindsight" and accuses him of sniping "from the sidelines".
Image source, HoC
Image source, HoCKeir Starmer says the affair shows ""the extent of sleaze and cronyism at the heart of his Conservative government".
"If an NHS nurse had the prime minster's phone number would they get the pay rise they so obviously deserve," he asks.
Boris Johnson replies he is proud of what the government has done to support the NHS.
He says his ministers have put money into bursaries, training and child care support as well as increasing NHS recruitment.
Image source, HoCSir Keir says steelworkers need more help but the government is more interested in doing "favours" for "priviliged mates".
He asks if people who have not had help during the pandemic can text the PM.
Boris Johnson says the government is continuing to do "everything it takes" to deal with the effects of Covid on the economy and life in general.
He adds that ministers are willing and able to take the "tough decisions" necessary.