Transcripts For BBCNEWS Thursday In Parliament 20240714

Hello there, and welcome to thursday in parliament, where borisjohnson made his first appearance in the commons as Prime Minister and said the uk must get ready for a no deal brexit. We must turbocharge our preparations to make sure that is as little disruption as possible to our national life, and i believe that it is possible. But labour says it wont be the reckless backers of no deal who lose out. He says he has nerve and ambition. Our country does not need arm waving bluster. Whilst the snp predicts the end of the union. I should welcome the Prime Minister to his place, the last Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. So, Boris Johnson came to the house of commons on his first full day of the job to set out the priorities for his government. On wednesday, mrjohnson met the queen, officially taking over as Prime Minister and then it was back to downing street for a reshuffle that saw him replace half of theresa mays cabinet. With his top team in post, it was time for him to face the house of commons and set out his plans, unsurprisingly dominated by brexit. He said the first step was to restore trust in democracy. And fulfil the repeated promises of parliament to the people by coming out of the European Union and doing so on october the 31st. I, and all ministers, are committed to leaving on this date, whatever the circumstances, and to do otherwise would cause a catastrophic loss of confidence in our political system. He said he would prefer to leave with a deal. But certain things need to be clear. The Withdrawal Agreement negotiated by my predecessor has been three times rejected by this house. Its terms are unacceptable to this parliament and to this country. No country that values its independence, and indeed its self respect, could agree to a treaty which signed away our economic independence and Self Government as this backstop does. A time limit is not enough. If an agreement is to be reached, it must be clearly understood that the way to the deal goes by way of the abolition of the backstop. Mrjohnson said he hoped the eu would rethink its refusal to make changes to the Withdrawal Agreement. If they do not, we will of course have to leave the uk without an agreement under article 50. The uk is better prepared for that situation and many believe. But we are not as ready yet as we should be. In the 98 days that remain to us, we must turbocharge our preparations to make sure there is as little disruption as possible to our national life, and i believe that it is possible with the kind of National Effort that the british people have made before and will make again. And in the circumstances, we would of course have available the £39 million in the Withdrawal Agreement to help deal with any consequences. I have today instructed the chancellor of the duchy of lancaster to make these preparations his top priority. I have asked the cabinet secretary to mobilise the Civil Service to deliver this outcome should it become necessary. And the chancellor has confirmed that all necessary funding will be made available. He repeated guarantees to eu nationals in the uk that theyd continue to have the right to live and work here, and moved on to wider promises, with pledges to cut nhs waiting times, increase school funding, begin a review of the points based immigration system and recoup 20,000 police officers, and he predicted a new golden age for the uk. Too many people in this country feel that they have been told repeatedly and relentlessly what we cannot do. Since i was a child, i remember respectable authorities asserting that our time as a nation has passed, that we should be content with mediocrity and managed decline, and time and again,. These are sceptics and doubters they are time and again, time and again, by their powers to innovate and to adapt, the british people have shown the doubters wrong. No one underestimates this country but the country. But the country is deeply worried that the new Prime Minister overestimates himself. He accused mrjohnson of throwing together a hard right cabinet and said he was deeply alarmed to see no plan for brexit. Those recklessly advocating no deal wont be the ones who lose out. The wealthy elite that funds him and his party will not lose theirjobs, see their Living Standards cut or face higher food bills. Mr speaker, if the Prime Minister has confidence in his plan once he has decided what it is, he should go back to the people with that plan. Labour will oppose any deal that fails to protectjobs. We will oppose any deal that fails to protectjobs, workers rights or environmental protections. And if he has the confidence to put that decision back to the people, we would in those circumstances campaign to remain. He says he has pluck, nerve and ambition. Our country does not need arm waving bluster but competence, seriousness, and after a decade. And after a decade of divisive policies for the future, and after a decade of divisive policies for the few, to focus for once on the interests of the many. He speaks about trust in our democracy but i have to say a most extraordinary thing has just happened, did anybody notice what happened today . Did anybody notice the event that took place, like the final scene of invasion of the body snatchers . At last, this long standing eurosceptic, the right honourable gentleman, has been captured, he has been reprogrammed by his honourable friends, and he has been turned 110w into a remainer. Sir ian blackford. Thank you, mr speaker, and of course i should welcome the Prime Minister to his place, the last Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. You know, mr speaker, it is often said that the Prime Minister lives in a parallel universe. My goodness, its been proven beyond any reasonable doubt this morning. In fact, he looked as if he was about to launch himself into outer space. Let me warn the Prime Minister now, try to take scotland, try to take the United Kingdom out of the European Union and we will stop the Prime Minister from doing so. This house. It will stop the Prime Minister. We will not let the Prime Minister do untold damage to the jobs of the constituents of our country. Parliament will stop this madness in its tracks. Well, the main Party Leaders werent the only mps who wanted to question the new Prime Minister. In all, borisjohnson answered 129 questions in his first marathon session. Many conservatives were clearly delighted by mrjohnsons self declared can do attitude a verdict shared by the dup. I warmly welcome his positivity, his optimism. That is what this country needs, and would he agree with me, in terms of our shared priority, that the union comes first. That we need to deliver brexit with a deal but we must be prepared for no deal if necessary. But others werent convinced. Yesterday the taoiseach said that any suggestion that a whole new negotiation could take place in weeks or months is not in real world. If leo varadkar is right, and as a consequence the house of commons votes in the autumn against leaving the European Union on 31st october, without an agreement, what will be Prime Ministers policy be then . I thank you mr speaker. I think what the right honourable gentleman has said is redolent of the kind of defeat and negativity. Why begin by assuming that our eu friends will not wish to compromise . I think they have every reason to want to compromise and that is what we will seek, a compromise, and i respectfully say to the right honourable gentleman, and to all the on all members that it is now our collective responsibility to get this done. Will he bring back any brexit plan and put it to this house and then put it to the people because that is the way that we can finally break the brexit deadlock . Borisjohnson said he respectfully disagreed. If the Prime Minister fails to secure some magical, mythical new deal with the European Union, will he promise now, at the dispatch box, that the matter will return to this Sovereign Parliament so that we can decide what happens next before october 31 . This parliament has already voted several times to honour the mandate of the people, to come out of the eu, and that is what we should do, and i think that the right honourable lady herself voted to trigger article 50. But brexit wasnt the only issue. In a previous role the right honourable gentleman has accused my constituents of wallowing in victim status, repeated offensive untruths because of the hillsborough disaster, calling liverpool a petty city, so will he now apologise to the people of liverpool for the offence he has caused . I ask you to look at my political record, and what we have achieved and what i have done as a one nation conservative, lifting up and helping with policies that are uniformly delivering Better Outcomes for the poorest and neediest in society, and that is what i stand for and what i believe and what this whole government is going to deliver. The Prime Ministers carelessness and lack of attention to detail aided and abetted the Iranian Regime in locking up a british citizen. Can i ask the Prime Minister now to put right what he did so wrong and take personal responsibility for ensuring the release of Nazanin Zaghari ratcliffe . The Prime Minister said it was time for her to be released. The issue of his opposition to a new runway at heathrow was raised by the green mp. Few will forget his pledge to lie down in front of the bulldozers to stop the construction of a third runway at heathrow airport. Luckily for him and for us all, he is now at the Steering Wheel and can turn those bulldozers around. Will he do it . Will he scrap the third runway . I thank the right honourable lady. Of course, the bulldozers are some way off but i am following with lively interest the court cases because i share her concerns about air quality and about pollution. But conservatives of a brexit persuasion were keen to show their support. Despite it being the hottest night of the year last night, it is the first time in months that i have slept soundly. Prime minister, will you ensure that i and millions of others can sleep soundly in our beds . Mr speaker, i hesitate to do anything to disrupt the nocturnal arrangements of my honourable friend in any way, except to say that i think the whole country, the whole country can sleep soundly in the knowledge that we are going to come out of the eu on october 31, we are going to get it done with the mandate of the people and theyre going to take this country forward in a way that i think it wants. The new Prime Minister, borisjohnson. Youre watching thursday in parliament with me, alicia mccarthy. Dont forget, you can catch our round up of a dramatic week here at westminster on friday night at 11pm on bbc parliament. So its all change at the top with a radically different cabinet and dozens of new ministers bedding into their newjobs. Jacob rees mogg was one of the first to appear in the house in his new role as leader of the commons. He immediately faced a shout of resign from the opposition benches, but replied it was a little bit too early. Can i welcome the leader and it is great to see him in that place, and perhaps suggest to him a few things, he does have staff, so the nanny can stand down. And i know his previousjob was to send googly eyes and a full cost of the government, but actually he has to try and get the business through. And i want to ask him if he could come along with the honourable member to get a complimentary copy of erskine may for us, we should not have to buy it and i know its online but it would be helpful if the opposition parties had a copy of it. The issue is, its Available Online for free. I understand people view themselves as modern and cutting edge and going online may be in not too problematic, i could do it occasionally myself. If they dont want to do that well the proper edition is available for £400 and may prove a good investment. I have a few questions. What is going on for conference recess whether provoking is still on the menu, could he rule that out . The Prime Minister gave a mini manifesto on the streets of downing street, where we have a new session of parliament . The honourable lady asked for a new session and said when with this session end . And then we cannot have both. We cannot have a new session without that. My right honourable friend the Prime Minister says he views it as a archaic mechanism does not wish to see it used. Laughter. I am not bound by collective responsibility and that is now my view. Can i thank our curious new leader of the house for announcing all of these meetings which are coming back to in september and can also warmly welcome him to his place, he is the fifth leader of the house that ive had in my fourth year, but by far the most exotic so far. And i did not mean to upset the right honourable member in that particular remark. He is leader of the house of commons and not the house ofjudah, but it will have clear responsibilities and renewal perhaps not a concept that he had was particularly renowned for. I may be the fifth leader of the house since he has taken his post but the question is the same regardless so it does not make any difference who the leader of the house should be. I would point out that the house of commons does predate this. Obviously begins with henry vii. The honourable gentleman is a very good historian, but 1265 is when they came for the towns as he knows perfectly well. Can i really welcome the leader of the house to his position, because certainly the liberal democrats could not one for a better recruiting sergeant for us than him as we set up a contest between victorian values and liberal democratic values. More seriously could i ask the leader of the house if you will make time for the house to discuss his views on Northern Ireland and the checks on the border as we had during the troubles as he has articulated, and how the government could keep an eye on the border and have an ability to have people inspected and the impact this would have on the good friday agreement. I may be a better recruiting sergeant for the liberal democrats that he is, but. Hear, hear laughter. I feel that might not be a very difficult task. With regard to Northern Ireland and the border with the republic of ireland, Prime Minister may clear it will not be a porter imposed by the British Government but there will be Northern Ireland questions on the 11th of september and he can raise these matters directly. Jacob rees mogg. But he wasnt the first of the newly appointed cabinet ministers to pop up in the commons, that honor went to Theresa Villiers whos now the environment secretary. Among the first questions she faced was one about cutting down on waste. Much of the south east of england has been sweltering in the heat in recent days and while were all being told to stay well hydrated mps wondered at what cost to the planet . Nearly a0 million plastic bottles are used in the uk every day. But the governments bottle return scheme does not kick in forfour years. Why so long . We have gone further than any other government in history on tackling the plastic waste. I very much acknowledge that the concern felt about the matter he has raised that we will always try and move as fast as possible to ensure that we are taking the most effective action possible but we also need to take time to make sure we get it right but i can assure him that we are working hard to in short this is done as soon as possible. They unanimously to supported this. If the action is taken and yet the government plans do not envisage extended producer responsibilities for packaging coming into force before 2023 or for a 75 recycling rate to be achieved before 2030. Does the secretary asked of state except the emergency requires much faster action than this . I look forward to working with the shutter front bench on these issues and it would point out that we have gone further and faster than the previous Labour Government with the radical changes on the plastic bag tax and plastic stirrers and plastic products. We are world leading on this issue and will continue to be so because we are determined to tackle this problem. Another labour mp was worried about a different sort. Admitted government do more to tackle what she called the first epidemic of cheap throwaway clothes. It might be bikini weather. But when they are being sold for £1 oii but when they are being sold for £1 on the fashion websites, it is clear the workers are getting what they need. Is she going to bring in the responsibility of and ban clothing from landfill . I very much look forward to working with her committee on these matters and will appear when there is time in their diary. She raises very important points in his real consensus across the house that we need action on this, and the government has a credible plan which we are delivering as i said in response to earlier questions that to ensure we get this right but i can assure her we will be moving toward solutions on these problems in response to this. When she agree with me that fast fashion provides very important livelihoods to the people in low Income Countries around the world and that as we read the address the question of sustainability who was never throw away their livelihoods which are so important we will seek, in fact to see that those livelihoods are improved . With all of these matters our goal should be to harness and pursue both prosperity and environmental sustainability at the same time. Makes a very valid point that in taking forward our new regulatory structures to tackle this problem we must also take into account the impact and interest of developing countries and people on low incomes. Now one of borisjohnsons pledges when he took over as Prime Minister was to act on social care. Speaking outside number 10 on wednesday he said his job was to protect you or your parents or grandparents from the fear of having to sell your home to pay for the costs of care. In the lords labour said a promised policy paper on social care had been delayed six times and was now two years overdue. Given this inexcusable debate and the widespread consensus across social care what needs to be done mike at the government now commit to publishing a white paper with actual proposals . And hasnt the Lords Economic Affairs Committee Report calling for £15 billion extra funding to include free personal care for people needing basic washing and dressing support done the governments job for it . I share the noble baronesss impatience of this issue and agree with the report the older and disabled people need high quality and dignified care and as a nation we must make this an immediate priority. Thats why i welcomed the incoming Prime Ministers statement that we will fix the crisis in social care once and for all with a clear plan to give every older person the dignity and security they deserve. He will make it a priority for the incoming government and an imminent announcement of a new Health Secretary at i dont know whether i will be part of that department i am afraid i cannot commit to that. Im sure that whoever is in this place when it comes forward will be very happy to do so. It is notjust one crisis but lots and local leadership alone cannot overturn the inequalities. As the co chair of the all party group of Adult Social Care i hope the lady minister can assure me that her majestys refreshed government will now prioritise this issue. Can i welcomed the statement of the incoming Prime Minister, but does my noble friend share the concern of the unfairness of the Current System . We need the government to write a check we need to move away from the system or local authorities are being asked to fund this out of Business Rates which results in a letter in differences in care throughout the kingdom. I thank the noble lord and thank him for the amount of work that he has done on this issue, its very much welcomed. He will know that the Prime Minister with one of his first statement said that his job is to protect you or your parents or grandparents from the fear of having to sell your home to pay for the costs of care, it is one of the first points he made. Also one of the long term principle that the government does have is that there must be a level of personal responsibility for social care in england as well as a safety net that supports significant numbers of people today. We accept that there will need to be a significant amount of funding as part of the Spending Review commitment and that is what is being considered at the moment and will be imminently coming forward. Lady blackwood. And thats it from me for now, but dojoin me on friday for the week in parliament when well be taking a look back at theresa mays final pmqs and asking what next for Boris Johnson. But for now from me, alicia mccarthy, goodbye. Hello. When the weather makes news, its rarely a good thing. And after the extreme heat of thursday, the thunderstorms that followed caused a few problems. Its a new ukjuly record, the all time record avoided by a few tenths of a degree. Not sure that made any difference to this years unpleasantness of trying to get out and about in heat like this, where it has been so hot. Friday is going to be cooler and this weather front moving through will cool things further into the weekend but being for some of us heavy rain as we will see in a moment. Now, still a few thunderstorms perhaps effecting easternmost areas as friday begins. But, it is very warm and humid still across eastern parts in particular, some spots wont have gone below the low 20s. For many of us, friday will be a day of broken cloud and the chance of catching a shower. And still perhaps a few thundery ones popping up towards eastern england. There is a weather front, not a huge amount of rain on it, some heat further east you are into northern scotla nd further east you are into northern scotland as well hotspots will be near 30 celsius and again, it is not as hot as it has been. I remember that weather front. It looks like it is going to really get going as we go through friday night and indeed stay with us through the weekend. An area of rain expanding and turning heavier, just as those temperatures are coming down by day, theyre doing that at night as well. Lets ta ke doing that at night as well. Lets take a look at the big picture for the weekend. For some of us and we can weather will be dominated by a proximity to this weather front. Still a bit of leeway in exactly where its going to be sitting you get the idea. If your question it, it will not in the be cloudy but very wet at times, doesnt move much between such that on sunday, as potential of amassing quite a bit of rain, Northern England and southern scotla nd rain, Northern England and southern scotland in particular. The pennines, could end up with around 100 millimetres of rain. We also get the idea that Northern Ireland, wales and the south west see the dry weather and not just wales and the south west see the dry weather and notjust on saturday but into sunday as well to stop this weather front may not be exactly sitting right here but we will keep you updated on how that shapes up but close to that there will be heavy rain. Elsewhere, it stays many dry but there will be one or two showers popping up but i think many of us, the weather will be all about is much more comfortable temperatures. Welcome to bbc news. Im duncan golestani. 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