Rishi Sunak tells the BBC that 2024 will be the year the UK's economy "bounces back" after figures showed inflation fell to 3.4% in February
The fall in inflation was slightly bigger than economists expected - but housing and fuel prices are continuing to rise rapidly
The PM says he believes the country has "turned a corner" following the financial shocks of the past few years, including Covid and the Ukraine war
Addressing the influential 1922 Committee, Sunak urged Conservatives to "pull together" amid reports some in the party are plotting to oust him as leader
Earlier, he rejected Labour's call for an imminent general election, saying his "working assumption" was for it to happen in the second half of the year
Speaking at Prime Minister's Questions, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer claimed the PM was "scared" of facing voters over his record on immigration and mortgage rates
Starmer called the PM's plan to deport some asylum seekers to Rwanda a "gimmick" - while the PM said Labour "don't care" about "fixing" illegal migration
Meanwhile, Sunak's flagship Rwanda deportation bill has faced a new set of defeats in the House of Lords
Starmer says Sunak doesn't believe in the "Rwanda gimmick" but says that he is now so diminished he has no choice.
He asks how Sunak has managed to pay £600m of taxpayers' money on a gimmick to deport 300 people.
Sunak says he is committed to stopping the boats. The number of small boat crossing is down by a third, he says.
He adds that his government has doubled National Crime Agency funding, "deported 24,000 illegal migrants", and processed over 112,000 cases - "more than at any point during the last two decades."
Starmer urges Sunak to "just call" the election.
He then turns his attention to illegal migration, claiming the Rwanda scheme will only see the government deport less than 1% of the 130,000 people waiting for an initial decision on their asylum application, calling it a "gimmick".
Image source, UK ParliamentRishi Sunak responds to Starmer's first question by saying his "working assumption" is that the election will be in the second half of the year.
"He's now got time to come up with a plan for Britain," Sunak says, referring to his opposite number.
Image source, UK ParliamentSir Keir Starmer lists what he claims is the result of Tory policies: violent prisoner released early, the NHS struggling to see people and the budget hitting pensioners and people having to pay much higher mortgages.
"Why is the Prime Minister so scared to call an election?" Starmer asks.
Watch: Starmer asks, 'Why is PM too scared to call an election?'
Chris Mason
Political editor
Here goes with the final PMQs before the Easter recess.
A friendly opener from former actor turned Conservative MP for Clacton in Essex - about falling inflation.
Rishi Sunak’s talk of his desire to "stick to the plan" is not just a reference to economics, but politics too — after the bumps of the last few days.
Opening today's session, Rishi Sunak congratulates the new Welsh Labour Leader Vaughan Gething in his new role.
He also offers outgoing First Minister Mark Drakeford his best wishes.
He adds he's looking forward to working constructively with the new FM of Wales.
Giles Watling, MP for Clacton, then raises the cost of living and asks if the PM agrees that cutting inflation is the best way to support his constituents' finances.
Sunak says inflation is down to 3.4% and his plan is working.
Quote MessageThat is why we need to stick to the plan to deliver a brighter future for our country."
Rishi Sunak
Rishi Sunak is at the despatch box as he begins to take questions from MPs in the Commons chamber.
Stay with us for live updates, as well as analysis from our correspondents in Westminster.
Rob England
data journalist, BBC Verify
On average, Labour has a 21 percentage point lead over the Conservatives in the opinion polls.
That’s based on the latest polls by 11 different companies that have asked people their voting intention over the two weeks up to 18 March. The vote share numbers exclude those who answered “won’t vote” or “don’t know”.
You can read more, see how things have changed over the past year and look at how the parties’ support has changed since 2020 in our interactive poll tracker.
Image source, .It's an end-of-term PMQs this week, with MPs set to head off next Tuesday for their 20-day Easter recess.
It's likely Rishi Sunak will be keen to talk about this morning's official figures showing inflation falling further back towards the government's 2% target, and what it could mean for the economy.
But Labour will no doubt try and pull the conversation back towards the prime minister's position within the Tory party amid poor poll ratings (he's due to face his backbenchers later).
And a vote at the other end of the building could come up - as the House of Lords prepares to vote on legislation to revive the government's Rwanda deportation scheme.
If Labour peers successfully amend the bill again, it could mean the legislative process will continue after Easter, threatening Sunak's target of getting the first flights off by "spring".
The prime minister is heading to Westminster to face PMQs.
Last week, the row over alleged comments from top Tory donor Frank Hester - who reportedly said Britain's longest-serving black MP Diane Abbott made him want to "hate all black women" - dominated Prime Minister’s questions.
During that session, Rishi Sunak resisted calls to hand back the £10m donated to his party by the businessman.
The PM condemned the reported remarks by Hester about Abbott as "racist" and "wrong" but insisted he had shown "remorse”.
"Is the prime minister proud to be bankrolled by someone using racist and misogynist language?" Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer asked.
Several times over, Sunak said Hester had apologised "genuinely".
All the while, Abbott repeatedly tried to ask the prime minister a question, but was not selected.
She has since accused the Commons Speaker of failing democracy by not allowing her to speak. A spokesperson for Lindsay Hoyle said he "ran out of time" to call on her.
Watch: Diane Abbott stands to catch Speaker's attention 46 times
Image source, ReutersHot on the heels of PMQs today will come a fresh tangle over the progress of Rishi Sunak’s Rwanda deportation bill.
The bill could face further delay after Labour vowed to try and change it again in the Lords.
On Monday, MPs voted down 10 amendments to the draft law proposed by the House of Lords earlier this month.
But Labour peers will try and reinsert five or six of the proposed changes when the bill returns to the Lords on Wednesday, the BBC has been told.
It means the bill might not become law until after Parliament's Easter break.
This could threaten Downing Street's ambition of getting the first flights to the east African country off the ground before June.
You keep read more on this here.
Reacting to today’s inflation figures, Labour’s Rachel Reeves said prices were still high - and called for a general election to avoid another “five years of this failed Conservative government".
But when that election might be is still not clear, with speculation mounting over the date.
Yesterday, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt hinted that it could be held in October.
He told a Lords committee the government's next spending review had to be completed before next April and "if the general election is in October that will mean it's very, very tight".
The latest date an election could legally take place is 28 January 2025.
The PM has said his "working assumption" is one will be held in the second half of this year.
Last week Rishi Sunak also ruled out polling day being on 2 May, the date when local elections are already taking place.
Rishi Sunak will likely welcome today’s figures showing inflation has fallen to 3.4% in the year to February - the lowest level in almost two and a half years.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said slowing food price inflation was the main reason for the drop.
Although the main inflation figure is lower than it has been, it does not mean prices are falling - only that they are rising less quickly than they were previously.
Inflation peaked at 11.1% in October 2022, its highest rate for 40 years.
A change in the rate of inflation affects everyone differently. The BBC, in collaboration with the Office for National Statistics, has put together a personal inflation calculator. You can find it here.
Image source, .
Image source, UK ParliamentHello and welcome to our live coverage of the main political events of the day - starting with PMQs.
Dominating this morning is the news that inflation fell to 3.4% in the year to February - the lowest level in almost two and a half years.
This figure is better than expected and is something Rishi Sunak will likely push hard on at this week’s round of Prime Minister’s Questions.
The PM has been under pressure on a number of fronts in recent weeks - the suspension of Lee Anderson, alleged comments made by mega-donor Frank Hester, and his party's showing in the polls.
How Labour might push back on the inflation figures is not yet clear - but earlier today, shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves called for an election, saying Britain could not “afford” another five years under the Tories.
And looming large is the risk of further delay to the Rwanda deportation bill, after Labour vowed to try and change it again in the Lords.
All in, there’s lots to get in to. Stay tuned.