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Prime Minister's Questions: Cameron faces Harman and SNP | Prime Minister's Questions: Cameron faces Harman and SNP |
(35 minutes later) | |
David Cameron has clashed with acting Labour leader Harriet Harman at his first Prime Minister's Questions since winning the general election. | 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 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. | 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. | He focused on the migrant crisis in the Mediterranean. |
Mr Cameron was greeted by loud cheers from Conservative MPs as he rose to take questions as the first majority Conservative Prime Minister since 1997. | Mr Cameron was greeted by loud cheers from Conservative MPs as he rose to take questions as the first majority Conservative Prime Minister since 1997. |
Ms Harman began by challenging Mr Cameron on what she said was a big fall in the percentage of people owning their own homes since he had been prime minister. | Ms Harman began by challenging Mr Cameron on what she said was a big fall in the percentage of people owning their own homes since he had been prime minister. |
Mr Cameron hit back by challenging the interim Labour leader to back the government's plans to give housing association tenants in England the right-to-buy their homes. | Mr Cameron hit back by challenging the interim Labour leader to back the government's plans to give housing association tenants in England the right-to-buy their homes. |
Norman Smith's PMQ verdict | Norman Smith's PMQ verdict |
A stroll in the park for the PM today. He could bask in the gratitude of his backbenchers for winning the election. And he was ready with some prepared put-downs taunting Labour for being "enemies of aspiration". | A stroll in the park for the PM today. He could bask in the gratitude of his backbenchers for winning the election. And he was ready with some prepared put-downs taunting Labour for being "enemies of aspiration". |
Difficult day at the office for Harriet Harman. She didn't manage to land any real blows on the PM over plans to cut benefits. She tried her best to fire up a disconsolate Labour Party but that's probably mission impossible at the moment. | Difficult day at the office for Harriet Harman. She didn't manage to land any real blows on the PM over plans to cut benefits. She tried her best to fire up a disconsolate Labour Party but that's probably mission impossible at the moment. |
The SNP took advantage of their two questions to strike a sober and serious note on the plight of refugees in the Mediterranean and Syria. Their leader at Westminster, Angus Robertson, will be glad to have got off to a solid start. | The SNP took advantage of their two questions to strike a sober and serious note on the plight of refugees in the Mediterranean and Syria. Their leader at Westminster, Angus Robertson, will be glad to have got off to a solid start. |
Ms Harman changed tack and asked demanded Mr Cameron spell out where £12bn planned cuts in welfare will be found. | Ms Harman changed tack and asked demanded Mr Cameron spell out where £12bn planned cuts in welfare will be found. |
She told him:: "You spent the last five years saying everything that was wrong was the fault of the previous prime minister. | She told him:: "You spent the last five years saying everything that was wrong was the fault of the previous prime minister. |
"You can't do that for the next five years because the last prime minister was you. I hope you'll bear in mind when things go wrong over the next five years there's no one responsible but you." | "You can't do that for the next five years because the last prime minister was you. I hope you'll bear in mind when things go wrong over the next five years there's no one responsible but you." |
Mr Cameron hit back: "We are still clearing up the mess your government left behind." | Mr Cameron hit back: "We are still clearing up the mess your government left behind." |
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. |
Mr Robertson used his question to attack the UK's "appalling record" on the resettlement of Syrian refugees and had turned its back on those rescued in the Mediterranean. | Mr Robertson used his question to attack the UK's "appalling record" on the resettlement of Syrian refugees and had turned its back on those rescued in the Mediterranean. |
He said: "It's a stain on the conscience of Europe that thousands and thousands of refugees have been dying in the Mediterranean when many lives could have been saved." | He said: "It's a stain on the conscience of Europe that thousands and thousands of refugees have been dying in the Mediterranean when many lives could have been saved." |
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. | 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. |
Immediately after PMQs, MPs paid tribute to former Lib Dem leader Charles Kennedy, who has died aged 55. You can watch back PM's questions and the tributes here. | |
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. |