Summary

  • MPs question Boris Johnson as he faces the Commons in the weekly PMQs

  • He is currently isolating at Chequers, after coming into contact with the health secretary, who has Covid

  • Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer asks about his decision to isolate after initially saying he was taking part in a testing scheme instead

  • The PM says people must isolate if contacted, and says the government is concentrating on rolling out the vaccine programme

  • He is also asked about Dominic Cummings' assertion that he resisted lockdown last autumn as the people dying from it were "essentially all over 80"

  • The PM says he has done whatever he could to save lives - and followed scientific advice at every turn

  • It's the 60th anniversary of PMQs - the inaugural session was 18 July 1961 - and the last before Parliament goes into recess

  • Industry is warning over rising Covid cases and requests for people to isolate

  • Later today, ministers will unveil how they want to overhaul trading arrangements between Britain and Northern Ireland that came into effect after Brexit

  1. Summer recess beckons for MPspublished at 13:20 British Summer Time 21 July 2021

    That's where we leave our coverage of PMQs for today - it was the final session before MPs head on their summer recess.

    Thanks for joining us and we'll see you again after the break, when MPs return.

    Bye for now.

  2. PMQs: What was discussed over self-isolation?published at 13:18 British Summer Time 21 July 2021

    During Prime Minister's Questions, Boris Johnson came under fire from MPs for the continuing rules on self-isolation.

    Downing Street says that self-isolating is "crucial" if you are told to do so by the NHS Covid-19 app.

    The remarks were made after Business Minister Paul Scully previously said he would "encourage" people to self-isolate but the app was there to let people make an "informed decision".

    Keir Starmer accused the PM of being a "super spreader" of confusion over Covid rules.

    Meanwhile, Richard Burgon, a Labour MP, asked if statutory sick pay of £96 a week was enough to help people self-isolate.

  3. Watch: Why can young people go to nightclubs unvaccinated now, but not in September?published at 13:17 British Summer Time 21 July 2021

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  4. Labour: Government causing confusion rather than keeping life movingpublished at 13:15 British Summer Time 21 July 2021

    Labour's Thangam Debbonaire is also on BBC Two's Politics Live.

    She says rather than the slogan "keep life moving", the government's strategy is causing confusion and causing "meltdown" in certain businesses due to the numbers being pinged.

    She says it will "ring really hollow" for families who have lost loved ones "that we have not got the public inquiry we need" and that people over the age of 80 "seem to have been treated with such disparagement by this prime minister".

  5. Does the UK have the 'highest death toll in Europe'?published at 13:13 British Summer Time 21 July 2021

    Reality Check

    At Prime Minister’s Questions today, Keir Starmer said that the UK has “the highest death toll in Europe".

    As we have reported before, that is correct: the UK has reported the largest number of deaths of any country in Europe.

    But it does not take into account population size. Some smaller countries have reported higher rates of deaths per 100,000 people.

    The UK did have the worst figures across most measures in the first wave of coronavirus, but has since been overtaken by countries that had worse winters.

  6. Public know lockdown decisions difficult - Conservative Chairpublished at 13:07 British Summer Time 21 July 2021

    Chair of the Conservative Party, Amanda Milling, is on BBC Two's Politics Live.

    She is asked about Dominic Cummings' comments about the PM's allegedly resisting lockdown as he said only 'over 80s' were dying.

    Keir Starmer and Ian Blackford raised it at PMQs - and she's whether she will apologise on the PM's behalf.

    She says lockdowns are not just about health but about the impact on business and people's mental health and as a result are really difficult decisions.

    She says the public recognise how hard these decisions were and her "heart goes out to those who have lost loved ones".

  7. Watch: Technical troubles wreak havoc at PMQspublished at 13:05 British Summer Time 21 July 2021

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  8. Watch: Will PM apologise for alleged remarks made on over 80s?published at 13:00 British Summer Time 21 July 2021

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  9. PM has 'every confidence' schools will return in Septemberpublished at 12:59 British Summer Time 21 July 2021

    Sarah Olney

    Lib Dem Sarah Olney says her daughter was among the one million children out of school last week due to the need to self-isolate when there was a positive case in their bubble.

    She asks if the PM can confirm that his approach to managing the virus will guarantee that all children will have an uninterrupted return to their learning after the summer break.

    Boris Johnson says the needs of children in this pandemic are the focus and it is of "paramount importance" to keep them in school.

    He says ministers will do everything they can to get schools back in September and he has every confidence they will be, but everyone offered a jab must get vaccinated.

  10. Is £96 a week enough to self-isolate?published at 12:57 British Summer Time 21 July 2021

    Richard Burgon - a Labour MP - says the PM is "having to self isolate just as hundreds of thousands of people across the country are having to do thanks to his mismanagement of the pandemic".

    He says not everyone has access to a country estate with a heated swimming pool (a dig at Johnson, who is self-isolating at Chequers).

    He asks if the PM could survive on £96 sick pay per week.

    Boris Johnson says everyone who is self-isolating has access to the equivalent of the living wage, which is sick pay.

    He says some people can get additional £500 payments to help them with staying at home.

  11. Protect locals from second home owners - Conservative MPpublished at 12:50 British Summer Time 21 July 2021

    Conservative Selaine Saxby says people want to come to her north Devon constituency but what assurances can the PM give to residents that planning reforms will protect them against second home buyers?

    She says unless protections are in place, "vibrant coastal communities" will become "winter ghost towns".

    The PM says the government has brought in a series of measures such as higher rates of stamp duty on the buying of additional properties.

    And he says his strategy is to make sure people growing up around the country have the chance of home ownership in the place where they live.

  12. Labour MP raises benefit claimants deathspublished at 12:48 British Summer Time 21 July 2021

    Debbie Abrahams

    Labour MP Debbie Abrahams says the Department for Work and Pensions is currently carrying out "124 process reviews following the deaths of 97 claimants".

    She says there were 27 from serious harm, which represents a three fold increase since 2012. She says the government can't keep marking its own homework on claimant deaths. She asks him to meet her and those bereaved by the tragedies.

    She warns that some are of the belief that the 97 deaths could be "the tip of the iceberg".

    Boris Johnson says he will make sure she receives a full account of what the government is doing to "put this right".

  13. Parliament to be told of UK's plan to change NI Protocolpublished at 12:36 British Summer Time 21 July 2021

    Lord FrostImage source, Reuters

    Later today, Lord Frost, the former chief Brexit negotiator for the UK, will outline to the Lords how the government wants to overhaul theNorthern Ireland Protocol.

    Since its introduction, it has caused supply issues in Northern Ireland, leading to some areas experiencing food shortages.

    The Protocol helps prevent the need for checks on the land border between Ireland and Northern Ireland.

    Lord Frost says the deal is unfair and unsustainable.

    The Protocol was negotiated by Lord Frost, but it’s expected he will say the terms need to be radically changed.

  14. Timms: Don't cut the £20 a week Universal Credit top uppublished at 12:36 British Summer Time 21 July 2021

    Labour's Stephen Timms raises the issue of Universal Credit and says plans to end the £20 a week top in the autumn up should not go ahead.

    Will the PM follow his own talk about "levelling up" and keep the increase? he asks.

    Boris Johnson says he wants to "level up" across the whole of the UK and get people off benefits and in to work.

    He says he wants to see higher wages.

  15. Is the NI Protocol undermining the United Kingdom?published at 12:33 British Summer Time 21 July 2021

    DUP MP Sir Jeffrey Donaldson says in light of the judicial ruling in the High Court, that the Northern Ireland Protocol breaks the union, he asks what the government will do to "fully remove the Irish Sea Border".

    Boris Johnson congratulates Sir Jeffrey on becoming leader of the DUP.

    He says the government will be "setting out today" the steps that it will take to change the Northern Ireland Protocol.

    Nothing in the Protocol threatens the "territorial integrity of the United Kingdom", he states.

  16. Blackford: Covid inquiry should happen immediatelypublished at 12:32 British Summer Time 21 July 2021

    Ian Blackford

    SNP Westminster leader, Ian Blackford, raises the interview Dominic Cummings gave to the BBC and says it is clear the PM was pushing to "allow the virus to run rampant".

    How can anyone have faith in the PM, he asks?

    Mr Johnson says the substance of what he is alleged to have said is "grossly mischaracterised" and everyone in the country understands how difficult the decisions were that ministers had to take.

    There were "no good ways through", he says and there will be a full public inquiry to come.

    Blackford says the over 80s were expendable to the PM and his "glib attitude" to human life is not acceptable.

    He says ministers should be "made to answer under oath" and the inquiry should begin immediately before any general election is called.

    The PM says it is not right to ask people to devote time to an inquiry before the spring while they are still dealing with the pandemic.

  17. PM praises vaccine rollout, saying 'get a jab'published at 12:24 British Summer Time 21 July 2021

    Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer says the prime minister's answers have "no resemblence to the questions I'm actually asking him".

    He says all the PM needs to do "is say sorry".

    He says the PM has broken promises and has still has not unveiled a plan for social care, he's now raising working-age taxes while cutting the army and overseas aid.

    The PM has let the UK have one of the worst death rates and has a damaged economy, he states.

    He says there's a new three word slogan from the government this morning which is "keep life moving" - but says the slogan the government should be using is "get a grip".

    Boris Johnson says that thanks to the vaccine rollout nine million people have now come off furlough and unemployment is two million lower than predicted.

    And the PM says his three word slogan is "get a jab" while the government is turning "jabs jabs jabs" into "jobs jobs jobs".

  18. Cummings' shadow still looms large over Westminsterpublished at 12:22 British Summer Time 21 July 2021

    Dominic Cummings

    It’s been an explosive set of revelations over the past 48 hours.

    On Monday morning, the BBC revealed it had secured an interview with the former Downing Street aide, Dominic Cummings. The interview was an hour long and was broadcast last night on BBC Two at 7pm.

    Cummings claimed in the interview, among other things:

  19. Did the PM say Covid was only killing over 80s? Starmer askspublished at 12:21 British Summer Time 21 July 2021

    Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer says on 26 May, he asked the prime minister if he had ever used words to the effect that "Covid was only killing over 80 year olds".

    He says that on that day, the PM never outright denied using the words.

    He says with the revelation from former aide Dominic Cummings, citing messages between him and the PM, we can now see that the PM did say that.

    He asks if the prime minister will apologise for using those words.

    Boris Johnson says nothing he can say or do "can make up for the loss and the suffering that people have endured during this pandemic".

    He says when decisions were being made "in those incredibly tough and dark times" that the government had to try and balance the damage done by lockdown versus letting the virus spread.