'He can't be trusted to keep this country safe,' Sunak says
UK ParliamentCopyright: UK Parliament
Poking fun at Starmer for his earlier stutter, the PM says Starmer keeps showing that he's not fit to lead the country into the future.
Sunak says if Starmer was around during the Industrial Revolution he would have called James Watt the "steam bro".
The PM says Starmer voted against tougher sentences for criminals and voted against laws that have arrested criminal people smugglers.
"He can't be trusted to keep this country safe," he adds.
Starmer continues to press on prisoners
Back to Starmer, who calls the government "shambolic".
He says the PM's latest rebrand was "Mr Security", but then later that day it was revealed that the Tory party was being investigated for accidentally publishing the personal details of hundreds of people.
Starmer trips over his words slightly, prompting jeers from the benches opposite, as he mocks the PM for being "the only tech bro in the country who can't work a debit card or send an email".
PM hits back over Labour's defence spending commitments
"There are straight eligibility criteria in place for public safety and no-one will be put on the scheme if they were deemed a threat," answers Sunak to Starmer's question about prisoners being released early.
He says the Labour Party refused to match the defence spending commitment, with loud support from the Tory backbenches.
Can Sunak make guarantees about released prisoners?
Video content
Video caption: Starmer to Sunak: Do early releases make country safe?Starmer to Sunak: Do early releases make country safe?
Starmer continues to press the PM about prisons and asks Sunak if he can guarantee that none of the criminals he is instructing prisons to release early are considered high risk.
He says that Sunak hasn't provided any information on the prisoners being released early, such as how many, where are they, and what crimes have they committed.
But back to PMQs: the Labour leader also says that he was the first to call for 2.5% of GDP on defence spending, adding that it needs a credible plan not fantasy "economics".
PM says Labour can't be trusted with country's security
Sunak responds by saying that civil service impartiality is an important principle, but that Starmer "could ask his chief of staff about that".
Sunak says he outlined the threats the UK faces in his speech on Monday, yet Starmer "won't back our plan to increase defence spending".
He goes on to say Labour can't be trusted with the country's security.
Starmer opens questioning on prisons
Opposition leader Sir Keir Starmer is on his feet. As always, he will pose six questions to the PM.
He first jokes that on Monday the prime minister treated us to his "seventh relaunch in 18 months" - vowing to take on the dangers of the future in a pre-election speech.
Starmer then turns to his first line of inquiry: prisons.
He asks Sunak if he thinks his decision to take inmates out of prison 70 days early is more secure.
(In case you missed it, we reported today that some court appearances
will be delayed and some prisoners released early as part of an emergency measure to manage prison
overcrowding.)
A noisy entrance to the Commons
Henry Zeffman
Chief political correspondent
As Conservative MPs entered the chamber for PMQs, Labour
MPs were heard making “ohhhh” noises, mocking the possibility that they might be about
to cross the floor and join Labour.
When Simon Hart, the government chief whip, got the
treatment, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, the Speaker, interjected to say he did not think
Hart was about to join Labour.
For all the comedy, it seems nobody has defected — making
this the first PMQs in three weeks where Sir Keir Starmer has not had an
ex-Conservative MP sitting behind him.
PM on his feet
BBCCopyright: BBC
The prime minister is now standing at the dispatch box, which means proceedings are about to begin.
Stay with us as we bring you the latest developments, as well as political analysis from our colleagues at Westminster.
How Natalie Elphicke's defection to Labour unfolded
PA MediaCopyright: PA Media
While we wait for PMQs to get under way, let’s remind ourselves of how Natalie Elphicke’s defection from the Conservatives to Labour unfolded this time last week.
In a statement released just as PMQs began, the MP for Dover accused Rishi Sunak of "broken promises" and abandoning key pledges.
Meanwhile, in the Commons, Elphicke crossed the floor to sit behind Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer - a scene that appeared to confuse many sitting on Conservative benches.
The aftermath of Elphicke’s defection has rumbled on throughout the week, with some Labour MPs raising concerns about her move to the party.
Former Justice Secretary Sir Robert Buckland has claimed she tried to lobby him in 2020 to move the date of her then-husband Charlie Elphicke's sexual assault case to avoid publicity. A spokesman for Elphicke said the claims were "nonsense".
Labour MP Rosie Duffield said Elphicke should be suspended from the parliamentary party pending the outcome of an investigation into the lobbying claims.
We're poised to bring you all the latest from PMQs when it starts in the next few minutes.
As a reminder, you can also watch live by pressing the large Play button at the top of this page.
Court delays imposed after pressure on prison places
As we mentioned in our previous post, the prime minister could likely be pressed on a new move which will see court appearances delayed as part of an emergency measure because of prison overcrowding.
Operation Early Dawn aims to better manage the flow of cases through magistrates' courts, the custody service and prisons in England.
Courts in areas with a lack of prison places will be affected for around a week.
A Ministry of Justice spokesman admitted magistrates and police were notified late last night due to extreme pressure on the prison system, although he said there was a lot of movement in and out of prisons.
As ever, Prime Minister's Questions (PMQs) is set to be lively today. After two Conservative defections to Labour in two weeks, most of Westminster is watching to see if Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer arrives with a third defector. Senior Labour sources have been pouring cold water on these rumours but keep your eyes peeled.
Here's a sneak peak at the key issues that could dominate the discussion:
Court delays and prison overcrowding
Labour insiders suggest Starmer will use his six questions to press Rishi Sunak on the court delays linked to prison overcrowding. Operation Early Dawn is causing a stir, with some defendants staying longer in police cells.
Labour's trade union talks
Labour's leadership is currently negotiating its "New Deal For Working People" with unions - which make up a major a base of its support. Unions have expressed concern the party is back peddling on its promises to ban zero-hours contracts and tightening up workers' rights.
The UK's ban on sandeel fishing to protect puffins is causing friction with the EU, which claims it violates post-Brexit agreements. Expect some pointed questions on environmental policies and Brexit ramifications.
Sunak leaves Downing Street for PMQs
PA MediaCopyright: PA Media
The prime minister has just left Downing Street and is making his way to the House of Commons.
PMQs will kick off at 12:00 BST, so stay tuned as we'll be bringing you the latest from the Commons here.
How are the parties faring in the opinion polls?
Daniel Wainwright
BBC England Data Unit
Labour has a 20 percentage point
lead over the Conservatives, according to the latest opinion polling.
If a general election were held
tomorrow, about 44% of people in Great Britain would vote for Labour compared
to 24% for the Conservatives.
This is once people who don’t
know or say they won’t vote are excluded.
The
gap that had opened up between Reform UK and the Liberal Democrats appears to
have narrowed, but things are very close between the two parties with a
difference of one percentage point on average.
While
most polling companies have Reform ahead by between one and four points, a
couple have the Lib Dems slightly ahead.
Our latest averages come from polls
by 10 different polling companies completing their
fieldwork between 3 and 13 May.
That means some of the polls
were taken before the recent local elections and some afterwards.
You can use our interactive poll tracker to see how different parties have been
doing at different points over the past few years.
.Copyright: .
Post update
BBCCopyright: BBC
If you want more political insight and insider stories from Westminster, why not sign up for Laura Kuenssberg’s weekly newsletter, Off Air with Laura K?
Fraught union talks a sign of things to come for Labour
Chris Mason
Political editor
Down an unassuming street in south London the man who could be prime minister within months met leaders of some of the country’s biggest trade unions.
At Labour’s new headquarters in Southwark they were thrashing out what the party would say it would do about conditions at work and the rights of workers if it won the general election.
It gets right to the heart of one of the most important dynamics an incoming Labour government would juggle: its relationship with business and its relationship with, well, labour – i.e workers.
For a party born out of the unions, seeking office in a world where union influence is shrunken, there is a dilemma and it involves trade-offs.
A desire to be true to its heritage but a desire too to win and to win over recent Tory voters among whom there may be few union members and even suspicion of their influence.
So, will Labour ban zero-hours contracts? What about companies firing and then rehiring? What about the right to switch off, and not be hassled by a boss when you’re not at work?
The upcoming PMQs will likely touch on the points mentioned by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in his pre-election speech on Monday.
In the 30-minute speech, Sunak said Keir Starmer would make the UK less safe, adding that Labour would not match his pledges on defence including a commitment to boost defence spending to 2.5% of national income by 2030.
Labour has said it would meet the same target when conditions allow. Asked about the remarks, Sir Keir said security would be his "first priority".
Sunak also warned of threats from an "axis of authoritarian powers" such as Russia, Iran, North Korea and China and spoke of the challenges to cyber security.
And referencing last week's defection, which happened just as PMQs was starting, he said Starmer had gone from "embracing Jeremy Corbyn to embracing Natalie Elphicke".
Welcome to the Sunak and Starmer show and welcome to the next four, five, six or seven months of your life.
Even if you pay only fleeting attention to the goings-on in UK politics, you have probably spotted we are seeing rather a lot more of the prime minister and the Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer.
This could begin to feel, perhaps it already feels, like a very, very long general election campaign.
In big picture terms, we are seeing a classic dynamic being road-tested by either side.
Better the devil you know and be careful what you wish for, from the long time incumbent party of government.
Time for change, say the opposition.
You can read more of Chris’ analysis on what feels like the ramping up of an election campaign here
Sunak and Starmer to face off at PMQs
Good morning and welcome to our coverage of this week’s Prime Minister’s Questions.
The week began with a keynote speech from Rishi Sunak, where he attempted to set out some election battle lines, with defence spending forming his attack on Labour.
The PM said Labour would not match his pledges on defence and claimed Keir Starmer would make the UK less safe.
Starmer hit back at the “chaos and division” of the government and dismissed Sunak’s speech as his "seventh reset in 18 months".
The Conservatives are currently behind Labour in the polls and Sunak faces an uphill struggle to turn things around before the next general election. No date for an election has been set yet, but it has to take place by next January.
We’ll hear what questions Starmer has for Sunak from 12:00 BST, so stay with us for live updates and you can watch our live stream by pressing the Play button at the top of this page.
Live Reporting
Edited by Marita Moloney and Johanna Chisholm
All times stated are UK
'He can't be trusted to keep this country safe,' Sunak says
Poking fun at Starmer for his earlier stutter, the PM says Starmer keeps showing that he's not fit to lead the country into the future.
Sunak says if Starmer was around during the Industrial Revolution he would have called James Watt the "steam bro".
The PM says Starmer voted against tougher sentences for criminals and voted against laws that have arrested criminal people smugglers.
"He can't be trusted to keep this country safe," he adds.
Starmer continues to press on prisoners
Back to Starmer, who calls the government "shambolic".
He says the PM's latest rebrand was "Mr Security", but then later that day it was revealed that the Tory party was being investigated for accidentally publishing the personal details of hundreds of people.
Starmer trips over his words slightly, prompting jeers from the benches opposite, as he mocks the PM for being "the only tech bro in the country who can't work a debit card or send an email".
PM hits back over Labour's defence spending commitments
"There are straight eligibility criteria in place for public safety and no-one will be put on the scheme if they were deemed a threat," answers Sunak to Starmer's question about prisoners being released early.
He says the Labour Party refused to match the defence spending commitment, with loud support from the Tory backbenches.
Can Sunak make guarantees about released prisoners?
Video content
Starmer continues to press the PM about prisons and asks Sunak if he can guarantee that none of the criminals he is instructing prisons to release early are considered high risk.
He says that Sunak hasn't provided any information on the prisoners being released early, such as how many, where are they, and what crimes have they committed.
Earlier, a Ministry of Justice spokesperson told the BBC that the government was "categorical that dangerous offenders should stay behind bars".
But back to PMQs: the Labour leader also says that he was the first to call for 2.5% of GDP on defence spending, adding that it needs a credible plan not fantasy "economics".
PM says Labour can't be trusted with country's security
Sunak responds by saying that civil service impartiality is an important principle, but that Starmer "could ask his chief of staff about that".
Sunak says he outlined the threats the UK faces in his speech on Monday, yet Starmer "won't back our plan to increase defence spending".
He goes on to say Labour can't be trusted with the country's security.
Starmer opens questioning on prisons
Opposition leader Sir Keir Starmer is on his feet. As always, he will pose six questions to the PM.
He first jokes that on Monday the prime minister treated us to his "seventh relaunch in 18 months" - vowing to take on the dangers of the future in a pre-election speech.
Starmer then turns to his first line of inquiry: prisons.
He asks Sunak if he thinks his decision to take inmates out of prison 70 days early is more secure.
(In case you missed it, we reported today that some court appearances will be delayed and some prisoners released early as part of an emergency measure to manage prison overcrowding.)
A noisy entrance to the Commons
Henry Zeffman
Chief political correspondent
As Conservative MPs entered the chamber for PMQs, Labour MPs were heard making “ohhhh” noises, mocking the possibility that they might be about to cross the floor and join Labour.
When Simon Hart, the government chief whip, got the treatment, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, the Speaker, interjected to say he did not think Hart was about to join Labour.
For all the comedy, it seems nobody has defected — making this the first PMQs in three weeks where Sir Keir Starmer has not had an ex-Conservative MP sitting behind him.
PM on his feet
The prime minister is now standing at the dispatch box, which means proceedings are about to begin.
Stay with us as we bring you the latest developments, as well as political analysis from our colleagues at Westminster.
How Natalie Elphicke's defection to Labour unfolded
While we wait for PMQs to get under way, let’s remind ourselves of how Natalie Elphicke’s defection from the Conservatives to Labour unfolded this time last week.
In a statement released just as PMQs began, the MP for Dover accused Rishi Sunak of "broken promises" and abandoning key pledges.
Meanwhile, in the Commons, Elphicke crossed the floor to sit behind Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer - a scene that appeared to confuse many sitting on Conservative benches.
The aftermath of Elphicke’s defection has rumbled on throughout the week, with some Labour MPs raising concerns about her move to the party.
Former Justice Secretary Sir Robert Buckland has claimed she tried to lobby him in 2020 to move the date of her then-husband Charlie Elphicke's sexual assault case to avoid publicity. A spokesman for Elphicke said the claims were "nonsense".
Labour MP Rosie Duffield said Elphicke should be suspended from the parliamentary party pending the outcome of an investigation into the lobbying claims.
Read more: Labour MP calls for Natalie Elphicke to be suspended over lobbying claims
Watch live
We're poised to bring you all the latest from PMQs when it starts in the next few minutes.
As a reminder, you can also watch live by pressing the large Play button at the top of this page.
Court delays imposed after pressure on prison places
As we mentioned in our previous post, the prime minister could likely be pressed on a new move which will see court appearances delayed as part of an emergency measure because of prison overcrowding.
Operation Early Dawn aims to better manage the flow of cases through magistrates' courts, the custody service and prisons in England.
Courts in areas with a lack of prison places will be affected for around a week.
In addition from next week, some prisoners will be released 70 days earlier than originally planned. This is going up from 35 days, having previously been 18 days.
A Ministry of Justice spokesman admitted magistrates and police were notified late last night due to extreme pressure on the prison system, although he said there was a lot of movement in and out of prisons.
Read the full story here
What to expect at PMQs
Sam Francis
Political reporter
As ever, Prime Minister's Questions (PMQs) is set to be lively today. After two Conservative defections to Labour in two weeks, most of Westminster is watching to see if Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer arrives with a third defector. Senior Labour sources have been pouring cold water on these rumours but keep your eyes peeled.
Here's a sneak peak at the key issues that could dominate the discussion:
Court delays and prison overcrowding
Labour insiders suggest Starmer will use his six questions to press Rishi Sunak on the court delays linked to prison overcrowding. Operation Early Dawn is causing a stir, with some defendants staying longer in police cells.
Labour's trade union talks
Labour's leadership is currently negotiating its "New Deal For Working People" with unions - which make up a major a base of its support. Unions have expressed concern the party is back peddling on its promises to ban zero-hours contracts and tightening up workers' rights.
Sex education reforms
Leaked government plans to restrict sex education for children under nine have been all over the newspapers today. Critics call it politically motivated, while supporters argue it's about protecting young children.
Puffin protection
The UK's ban on sandeel fishing to protect puffins is causing friction with the EU, which claims it violates post-Brexit agreements. Expect some pointed questions on environmental policies and Brexit ramifications.
Sunak leaves Downing Street for PMQs
The prime minister has just left Downing Street and is making his way to the House of Commons.
PMQs will kick off at 12:00 BST, so stay tuned as we'll be bringing you the latest from the Commons here.
How are the parties faring in the opinion polls?
Daniel Wainwright
BBC England Data Unit
Labour has a 20 percentage point lead over the Conservatives, according to the latest opinion polling.
If a general election were held tomorrow, about 44% of people in Great Britain would vote for Labour compared to 24% for the Conservatives.
This is once people who don’t know or say they won’t vote are excluded.
The gap that had opened up between Reform UK and the Liberal Democrats appears to have narrowed, but things are very close between the two parties with a difference of one percentage point on average.
While most polling companies have Reform ahead by between one and four points, a couple have the Lib Dems slightly ahead.
Our latest averages come from polls by 10 different polling companies completing their fieldwork between 3 and 13 May.
That means some of the polls were taken before the recent local elections and some afterwards.
You can use our interactive poll tracker to see how different parties have been doing at different points over the past few years.
Post update
If you want more political insight and insider stories from Westminster, why not sign up for Laura Kuenssberg’s weekly newsletter, Off Air with Laura K?
You can sign up here.
Fraught union talks a sign of things to come for Labour
Chris Mason
Political editor
Down an unassuming street in south London the man who could be prime minister within months met leaders of some of the country’s biggest trade unions.
At Labour’s new headquarters in Southwark they were thrashing out what the party would say it would do about conditions at work and the rights of workers if it won the general election.
It gets right to the heart of one of the most important dynamics an incoming Labour government would juggle: its relationship with business and its relationship with, well, labour – i.e workers.
For a party born out of the unions, seeking office in a world where union influence is shrunken, there is a dilemma and it involves trade-offs.
A desire to be true to its heritage but a desire too to win and to win over recent Tory voters among whom there may be few union members and even suspicion of their influence.
So, will Labour ban zero-hours contracts? What about companies firing and then rehiring? What about the right to switch off, and not be hassled by a boss when you’re not at work?
Read more of our political editor’s analysis on these questions and more here
Sunak’s pre-election pitch to voters
The upcoming PMQs will likely touch on the points mentioned by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in his pre-election speech on Monday.
In the 30-minute speech, Sunak said Keir Starmer would make the UK less safe, adding that Labour would not match his pledges on defence including a commitment to boost defence spending to 2.5% of national income by 2030.
Labour has said it would meet the same target when conditions allow. Asked about the remarks, Sir Keir said security would be his "first priority".
Sunak also warned of threats from an "axis of authoritarian powers" such as Russia, Iran, North Korea and China and spoke of the challenges to cyber security.
And referencing last week's defection, which happened just as PMQs was starting, he said Starmer had gone from "embracing Jeremy Corbyn to embracing Natalie Elphicke".
Welcome to the Sunak and Starmer show
Chris Mason
Political editor
Welcome to the Sunak and Starmer show and welcome to the next four, five, six or seven months of your life.
Even if you pay only fleeting attention to the goings-on in UK politics, you have probably spotted we are seeing rather a lot more of the prime minister and the Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer.
This could begin to feel, perhaps it already feels, like a very, very long general election campaign.
In big picture terms, we are seeing a classic dynamic being road-tested by either side.
Better the devil you know and be careful what you wish for, from the long time incumbent party of government.
Time for change, say the opposition.
Sunak and Starmer to face off at PMQs
Good morning and welcome to our coverage of this week’s Prime Minister’s Questions.
The week began with a keynote speech from Rishi Sunak, where he attempted to set out some election battle lines, with defence spending forming his attack on Labour.
The PM said Labour would not match his pledges on defence and claimed Keir Starmer would make the UK less safe.
Starmer hit back at the “chaos and division” of the government and dismissed Sunak’s speech as his "seventh reset in 18 months".
The Conservatives are currently behind Labour in the polls and Sunak faces an uphill struggle to turn things around before the next general election. No date for an election has been set yet, but it has to take place by next January.
We’ll hear what questions Starmer has for Sunak from 12:00 BST, so stay with us for live updates and you can watch our live stream by pressing the Play button at the top of this page.