Image source, UK Parliament

MPs are continuing to pay to tribute to Labour MP for Birmingham Erdington Jack Dromey, who died suddenly last month aged 73.

Tory MP Guy Opperman recalled working with Dromey on pensions policy, calling or texting each other over 110 times. It was "the best example" of cross-party working, he told MPs

And Labour's John Cryer recalls working with Dromey on one campaign to save jobs when Kraft took over Cadbury's.

He and Dromey went to see the then business secretary, armed with a cardboard box "roughly the size of Westminster Abbey" containing the secretary's favourite chocolate - fruit and nut.

"I wonder why [the meeting] was so constructive and successful," he says, to much laughter in the chamber.

Labour looking to local electionspublished at 13:20 Greenwich Mean Time 2 February 2022

13:20 GMT 2 February 2022

Iain Watson
Political correspondent

Apart from a brace of jibes about police questioning, Keir Starmer steered clear of so-called 'partygate' during PMQs - leaving it largely to his own backbenchers (and the SNP) to highlight the findings of the Sue Gray inquiry.

The Labour leadership want to inoculate themselves from the charge that they are more focused on parties than the people's priorities.

But they also believe that by going hard on the cost of living, they can attack not just the PM but also the chancellor - a possible successor at No 10.

And they hope this focus will also pay off at the May local elections - after people face higher national insurance and energy bills.

The government know they need to mitigate this. And that will be their more immediate challenge.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer describes Dromey as "larger than life, bursting with enthusiasm and ideas, and tireless in the pursuit of justice and fairness".

The loss felt on these benches is great, he says, "but the greatest loss is felt by another of our own" - referring to Dromey's wife, fellow Labour MP Harriet Harman.

He says the AGM of the Fulham Legal Advice centre may not sound like the place to find romance - but that's where the pair met.

As Harman became the first female MP in 18 years to answer questions in PMQs, it was Jack who beamed down on her from the visitors' gallery with their children, Starmer continues.

"I'm so glad to see Jack's family here beaming down with the same love, affection and pride."

Johnson says that although Dromey may have come from "different political traditions", he knew him as a man of great warmth, energy and compassion.

He tells an anecdote to illustrate the late MP's character: On one very hot day, Dromey was driving in Greece and saw a bedraggled set of sunburned British tourists, with children on the verge of mutiny against their father.

He stopped the car and invited them all in - even though there was barely any room, the PM continues.

"And I will always be grateful for that kindness, because that father was me," he says.

And that wraps up Prime Minister' s Questions for another week.

MPs are now moving on to pay tribute to the Labour MP Jack Dromey, who died unexpectedly earlier this month.

His wife, fellow Labour MP Harriet Harman, is sitting on the benches to listen.

Image source, Getty Images

Labour's Dame Angela Eagle says if the PM needs the police to tell him if he attended a party in his own flat, "why should we believe he is a fit and and proper person to have his hand on the button of our independent nuclear deterrent?"

Boris Johnson takes issue with that, saying she had campaigned to install a prime minister who wanted to get rid of the nuclear deterrent altogether - Jeremy Corbyn.

Image source, PA Media

Labour's Gareth Thomas says the PM's warnings to President Putin would have "carried more bite" if he had done more to "stop the flow of dirty money from Russia".

Johnson replies that the government has "come down very hard on dirty money" from Russia and other countries, "contrary to some of the myths that are peddled".

He says this includes unexplained wealth orders, and sanctions on those involved in poisoning Alexei Navalny.

A little earlier, the SNP's Westminster leader Ian Blackford asked what the public may think of the defence select committee chair Tobias Ellwood saying he's lost confidence in the PM just after he returned from Ukraine.

Blackford goes on to say the PM is now a "dangerous distraction at home and a running joke on the international stage".

In response, the PM says it's more vital than ever to "get on with the job" and deliver the government's Covid recovery plan.

Image source, PA Media

Tory MP Sir Desmond Swayne gave the PM a chance to talk about something else by asking him for a briefing on his visit to Ukraine.

Boris Johnson says the the mission was "to stand shoulder to shoulder" with the country as it faces thousands of troops on its borders and increasing tensions with Russia.

He says he hopes the package of economic sanctions being planned by allies will put President Putin off from an invasion - something he believes would be a "disastrous miscalculation".

The PM adds: "The situation remains risky and it is vital that diplomacy finds a way forward."

Labour's Alex Sobel asks the PM about the cost of living, accusing ministers of not having a plan for helping people on low incomes.

He says there have been failures to insulate new homes, and criticises the government for not following his party's call to cut rates of VAT on energy bills.

In reply, Boris Johnson says the "most important thing" for boosting incomes is a "jobs-led economy recovery".

He also says cutting VAT is only possible now the UK is outside the EU.

A direct question over the parties from Labour's Abena Oppong-Asare...

She asks: "If the prime minister receives a fixed penalty notice [for breaking Covid rules] will he inform the House and will he resign?"

Johnson replies: "Of course, I will comply with the law, but I have got to wait for the process to be concluded."

We aren't sure that was the answer she was looking for...

Reality Check

A little earlier, Johnson claimed that “we have now got the fastest growth in the G7”.

The Group of Seven, or G7, is a group of advanced economies made up of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK and the USA.

The UK economy is estimated to have grown by 6.8% last year, more than any other G7 country.

However, with the exception of Japan, the UK economy also shrunk the furthest of the seven over the course of pandemic, between late 2019 and late 2021.

In the third quarter of 2021, which is the last batch of data for every G7 country, the British economy grew by 1.1%, slower than France, Italy, Germany and Canada.

Leaders show their age with cultural referencespublished at 12:35 Greenwich Mean Time 2 February 2022

12:35 GMT 2 February 2022

Iain Watson
Political correspondent

Keir Starmer and Boris Johnson have shown their age - both in their fifties - in their popular culture references.

The Labour leader says the chancellor and PM are driving the economy off a cliff like Thelma And Louise (spoiler alert if you haven't seen it).

While Johnson goes further back, likening his opposite number to Dastardly and Mutley. Younger readers should know they always lost "wacky races", despite being ahead.

To join in, the situation in the Conservative Party feels a lot like Reservoir Dogs with some of Johnson's internal critics unsure of when to pull the trigger - and wary of the damage it could cause...

The leader of the SDLP in Northern Ireland is up next and has some harsh words for the PM.

Colum Eastwood says while Johnson has been "partying", working families in his area have lost £1,000 from their Universal Credit payments, seen National Insurance put up and had their energy bills "going through the roof".

He adds: "The prime minister is fond of telling us we are all in this together - he has only every been in it for himself and his rich mates."

Johnson denies the accusations, saying: "No, I am in it to serve my country and the entire of the United Kingdom."

Ian Blackford started by commenting on the Speaker's reminder to MPs that accusing each other of lying is against the rules, saying he has a “duty to reflect and represent the deep, deep public anger” with the PM.

But he adds that he respects the impartiality of the Speaker.

He then asks the PM where he was on 13 November 2020, when the Daily Telegraph says the PM attended a gathering in his Downing Street flat.

Johnson replies that Blackford asked the same question in the Commons a few days ago, but - referring to the Met investigation - says that “the process must go on”.

Iain Watson
Political correspondent

The SNP's Westminster leader Ian Blackford shows no reluctance to return to partygate - and the generally noisily supportive Conservative benches went a little quiter as the PM sidestepped the question of whether he attended an alleged party in his own Downing Street flat in November 2020.

Image source, PA Media

Sir Keir Starmer says the government has been forced to put up taxes because of low growth, and accuses the PM of "squeezing working people".

He compares the PM and the chancellor to American crime duo Thelma and Louise "as they drive the country off the cliff into the abyss of or low growth and low tax".

The prime minister replies with a comparison of his own - comparing Sir Keir to cartoon characters Dastardly and Muttley.

He says the government is "getting on with the job" - including with the "fantastic vision" in the levelling up white paper, to be unveiled this afternoon.

Image source, PA Media

Starmer again pokes fun at the PM over the Met investigation into No 10 parties, saying: "The prime minister might want to sharpen how he answers question under interview."

Back again to the economy, and the Labour leader accuses Johnson of protecting "oil companies and bank profits while putting taxes up on working people".

But the PM says he wants to "get to the heart of what this is all about - dealing with the consequences of the biggest pandemic this country has seen".

He says the Tories are putting lots of money into the NHS and that it is "lamentable" Labour isn't supporting them.

Image source, PA Media

Sir Keir changes tack, attacking "waste and fraud" in Covid procurement - including yesterday's news that ministers have written off £8.7bn in personal protective equipment (PPE).

He accuses Tory ministers of treating taxpayers "as an ATM for their mates and their lifestyles".

Boris Johnson replies that the government "despises" fraud and he is "proud of what this government did to secure PPE".

He says ministers did "exactly what" the Labour leader was asking them to do at the start of the pandemic.

Starmer takes a risk at denouncing PM's claims on Savilepublished at 12:17 Greenwich Mean Time 2 February 2022

12:17 GMT 2 February 2022

Iain Watson
Political correspondent

Keir Starmer took a risk of denouncing the PM's claims on Monday that as the head of the Crown Prosecution Service he failed to prosecute Jimmy Savile, by saying the PM was peddling 'conspiracy theories' - an accusation that BBC Reality Check said was baseless.

But by giving more publicity to the allegation there is a danger for him that the focus moves away from scrutiny of Boris Johnson's more recent record as prime minister.