House of Commons
Parliament

Labour MP Grahame Morris questions how the prime minister could promise to end austerity for all when under increasing demands in the NHS she is letting "health ineqaulities rise".

He questions how County Durham can have their public health budget cut by £19m "when affluent Surrey has had its budget increased by £14m".

Theresa May says "there are proper ways of looking at these issues and ensuring that the money is there for local authorities to do the job they need to do."

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Conservative Andrew Bridgen condemns the South African government for seizing land from people based on the colour of their skin. He asks her to condemn these new developments.

Mrs May says that the government recognises the need for land reform, but they want to see a process which works in a way that is fair for all South African citizens.

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SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford says the business community are "watching in horror at the actions of the government", they are "not fit", he adds.

He says the PM has failed businesses, failed MPs and failed the British people. He asks when the PM will move aside and put a vote to the people.

Theresa May says MPs not being able to come a decision on the deal agreed scares business more.

Mr Blackford asks why she pulled the vote if the deal is so good.

He says the SNP and other opposition party leaders tabled a motion of no confidence in the government, without Labour's support. "When the official opposition fails to step up, the real opposition to this Tory government will step in."

The prime minister is running scared, he says, asking if she is she so scared that she'll deny a vote on the deal by MPs.

Mrs May repeats that there will be a vote.

The Northern Ireland Affairs Committee will look at how the Irish border backstop would work.

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Conservative MP Tim Loughton says he wishes to give the prime minister his priority Christmas list: justice for the WASPI women, a bridging of the gap of the £2bn shortfall in children's care, and a vote in no confidence on the leader of the opposition.

Theresa May says the government is putting more money into social care, but agrees that "if there is any vote of no confidence in this House it should be with the leader of the opposition."

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Jeremy Corbyn says "the prime minister should stop dithering...and let the House make a decision on it". He says that Conservative MP Sarah Wollaston has said threatening no deal is "an absolute disgrace". He accuses Mrs May of wasting two years and now holding Parliament and the country to ransom.

"Parliament must take back control," he demands. He says it is a "deeply cynical manoeuvre" from a "failing" prime minister.

Mrs May replies that Mr Corbyn is being "ineffective" by not tabling a no confidence motion, then tabling one that is ineffective.

"I know it's the...pantomime season," she says, "is he going to put a confidence vote? Oh yes he is," and backbench Tories join in to say "oh no he isn't".

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Jeremy Corbyn says what the prime minister is doing is "a criminal waste of money - she is recklessly running down the clock all in a shameful attempt to make her own bad deal look like the lesser of two evils."

He questions how, with rising crime, 20,000 fewer police officers on our street and 100,000 vacancies in the NHS, the prime minister "can justify wasting that money on no deal that cannot and will not happen".

Theresa May says it is the responsible position of any government to put in place contingency arrangements for any scenario.

She adds that Jeremy Corbyn should practice what he preaches and support the deal to avoid a no deal outcome.

"We gave extra money to the police this year and the Labour Party voted against it," she says.

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Jeremy Corbyn says the PM has not offered the cast iron guarantee he asked for.

He says Parliament should have had a vote a week ago and should now be debating practical alternatives. The prime minister is "behaving in a disgraceful way".

"No deal would be a disaster and no responsible government would allow it," he says, it is "simply not an option", with no time to sufficiently prepare.

He asks why doesn't the prime minister "stop the pretence" and stop wasting money in "a cynical attempt" to wind down the clock and force MPs to support the deal.

Theresa May says MPs should support the deal if they want to stop the UK leaving without a deal.

And our parliamentary correspondent, Mark D'Arcy points out:

The PM sidesteps Jeremy Corbyn’s question about guaranteeing that her Brexit deal would be put to the vote, as promised, in the week beginning 14 January.

Another delay?

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Parliament

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Jeremy Corbyn says that it is the prime minister who is "supposed to be doing the negotiation" and he urges her to "step aside".

He says that the reality is "that she is stalling" for time.

"There is still no majority for her deal in this House," he says.

He asks for a "cast iron guarantee" that the vote will not be delayed again.

Mrs May says that the government have been "very clear" on what it is doing on Brexit. "Every member of this House has a responsibility to deliver on Brexit," she says.

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Jeremy Corbyn says: "We should have had the vote a week ago but the prime minister denied Parliament the opportunity to have that vote and she's still unclear as to when it will actually take place."

Mr Corbyn says there are no meetings of EU Council scheduled until the 21 March and "the EU has been clear there are no more meetings, clarifications or negotiations."

He adds that the prime minister will bring back the same deal as last week and that "she is simply playing for time", and calls for her to clearly set out how she will achieve legally binding assurances on the backstop from the EU before the House returns on 7 January.

The prime minister says she will bring the assurances back when the House resumes on the 7 January.

"He can get as angry as he likes, but it doesn't hide the fact that he has no Brexit plan," she says. "He has to accept his responsibility to deliver on Brexit.

"Some people say the leader of the Opposition is simply going through the motions, but he isn't even doing that," she concludes.

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Jeremy Corbyn echoes the PM's tributes to Lockerbie victims and wishes of a happy Christmas.

"My Christmas good wishes do extend to everyone [in government] as well, however, until then..." and he goes on to say that the prime minister has "plunged this country into a national crisis".

He says she's refused the right of Parliament to vote on the deal and claims to be seeking further assurances. He asks her to explain when the EU will meet to approve the changes they have already ruled out.

Theresa May says the government is working with the EU and MPs will get a meaningful vote.

She says Jeremy Corbyn talks about what he's against, but he never says what he's for.

He goes on about a meaningful vote, she says, "all he gives us is a meaningless position".

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Conservative Alberto Costa says that the rights of EU citizens in the UK are important to every MP in the House. He asks for confirmation that in the event of no deal then there will be a multilateral agreement with the EU ahead of 29 March.

Mrs May says that the withdrawal agreement reached does protect citizens' rights. She adds that in the event of no deal, EU citizens will be able to continue to work and use public services in "broadly the same way as they do now".

House of Commons
Parliament

Labour's Mike Amesbury raises the subject of leasehold mis-selling scandal.

The prime minister says the government has been taking action and legislation will be forthcoming.