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| Prime Minister's Questions: Cameron faces Harman and SNP | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| David Cameron has clashed with acting Labour leader Harriet Harman at his first Prime Minister's Questions since winning the general election. | |
| The prime minister said he was still clearing up Labour's mess, after Ms Harman warned he would no longer have anyone to blame but himself. | |
| The SNP's Angus Robertson was given two questions, in recognition of his party's bigger presence in the chamber. | |
| He focused on the migrant crisis in the Mediterranean. | |
| The SNP had previously not been guaranteed questions at the weekly half hour session but with 56 MPs the nationalists have now replaced the Liberal Democrats as the third largest party in the Commons. | The SNP had previously not been guaranteed questions at the weekly half hour session but with 56 MPs the nationalists have now replaced the Liberal Democrats as the third largest party in the Commons. |
| The Lib Dems who before they were in government as part of the coalition were given two questions each week will now be given one question every three weeks, in rotation with Plaid Cymru and the DUP. | The Lib Dems who before they were in government as part of the coalition were given two questions each week will now be given one question every three weeks, in rotation with Plaid Cymru and the DUP. |
| Special session | Special session |
| Ms Harman - who is standing in as Labour leader following the resignation of Ed Miliband - has promised to hold the government to account while her party is choosing a new leader. | Ms Harman - who is standing in as Labour leader following the resignation of Ed Miliband - has promised to hold the government to account while her party is choosing a new leader. |
| Four newly elected MPs - Labour's Cat Smith, representing Lancaster and Fleetwood, Flick Drummond, Conservative MP for Portsmouth South, SNP MP Patrick Grady, who represents Glasgow North and Labour's Rachel Maskel, representing York Central - were among those to have been granted a question. | |
| MPs are now paying tribute tribute to former Lib Dem leader Charles Kennedy, who has died aged 55. You can watch back PM's questions and follow the tributes live. | |
| What is prime minister's questions? | What is prime minister's questions? |
| Each week on Wednesday afternoon the prime minister must come to the House of Commons to answer oral questions for half an hour. | Each week on Wednesday afternoon the prime minister must come to the House of Commons to answer oral questions for half an hour. |
| This system was changed by Tony Blair's Labour government shortly after they came to power in May 1997. Previously PMQs took place on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons for 15 minutes. | This system was changed by Tony Blair's Labour government shortly after they came to power in May 1997. Previously PMQs took place on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons for 15 minutes. |
| Prime minister's questions follows a different format to those of questions to other ministers. MPs do not normally give the prime minister prior notice of the subject which they are going to raise. | Prime minister's questions follows a different format to those of questions to other ministers. MPs do not normally give the prime minister prior notice of the subject which they are going to raise. |
| This element of surprise allows opposition MPs, in particular, to try to catch the prime minister out with an awkward question. although they are not allowed to ask follow-up questions which limits their scrutinising powers. | This element of surprise allows opposition MPs, in particular, to try to catch the prime minister out with an awkward question. although they are not allowed to ask follow-up questions which limits their scrutinising powers. |
| Government backbenchers can normally be relied upon to ask a "helpful" question which will allow the prime minister to tell the House about successful government policies. | Government backbenchers can normally be relied upon to ask a "helpful" question which will allow the prime minister to tell the House about successful government policies. |
| The relative performance of each of the main party leaders is closely watched and each is under great pressure to get the better of their opponent. | The relative performance of each of the main party leaders is closely watched and each is under great pressure to get the better of their opponent. |
| The names of the MPs who will get the chance to ask the prime minister a question are drawn in a weekly lottery. | The names of the MPs who will get the chance to ask the prime minister a question are drawn in a weekly lottery. |