restrictions. this runs an hour five minutes. >> i know the house will want to join me in expressing our outreach and deep sorrow for

the elementary school in texas. i know our thoughts and prayers are with those affected and all the families that lost loved ones . before we come to prime minister's questions i want to welcome nick bunting and his family. nick has worked in parliament for over 30 years and as a sous chef but also an associate sergeant at arms unfortunately nick has had to leave his role because of ill health and is much missed by his colleagues and all members particularly as a member of deployment central. we will us to join me in thanking you for his long service to the house and in sending well wishes to his families. i would also like to point out that sign language interpretation is available to watch on live tv. we now come to questions to the prime minister. >> question number one please you. >> i want to begin by echoing what you've just said about

the reports of the fatal shooting in texas. also with all those affected by this horrific tragedy. >> the speaker welcomes mister downing to downing street and will invest 10 million pounds into the uk through our new strategic investment partnership and support jobs, it will support our green economy and decarbonization. mister colleague i had meetings with others in addition to my duties in this house i shall have further regulatory. >> thank you mister speaker. cambridge is one of the most expensive places to live but unlike many cheaper places nhs workers get no time off . nhs workers in cambridge pay higher rents and yet they get paid 15 percent less.

this makes it difficult for the and a set and cambridge to retain and recruit staff. my right honorable fan friend will he work with me to make sure workers and south cambridge get paid fairly? >> prime minister. >> my honorable friend champions his constituents. we're very proud of our nhs and that's why we're putting record investment in mister speaker and i hope the independent nhs review body will listen carefully. >> now comes to the leader of the opposition. >> thank you mister speaker and my thoughts also and i know the thoughts of the whole house are with the families of the victims of yesterday's school shooting in texas. 19 children have died, some as young as seven and 2 at adults believed to be

teachers. this is an unspeakabletragedy and our hearts are with the american people . last weekend the anniversary of both the bombing and murder of lee rigby we remember them this year as we do every year. but today is also the anniversary of the killing of george floyd, a reminder that we must all tackle racism that is experienced by so many in our country. mister speaker, the sioux grave was report was published and i look forward to discussing that with the prime minister so now i want to focus on the cost of living affecting the whole country . mister speaker since we stood here last week and i asked the prime minister yet again to back labor's plans for a windfall tax to reduce energy bills, hundreds of millions of pounds have been added to bills of families across the country and hundreds of millions of pounds have languished in the bank account of energy companies. it sounds like he's finally

seen it since and the inevitable u-turn may finally have arrived. so when can people across the country expect him to use those oil and gas profits to bring down theirbills ? >> prime minister, there's nothing original about a labor plan to tax. we are taxed the whole time every day labor wants to put our taxes up. what were doing is helping people and he asks when we're helping people, we're helping people now and putting 32 billion pounds into people's pockets already, cutting council tax 550 pounds. cutting national contributions on an average of 330 pounds for people who pay it and mister speaker how can we afford that? because we have a strong economy that as we came out

of covid which would not have been possible if we listened to the party . >>. >> mister speaker, it's been 4 and a half months since labor first put a windfall tax on oil and gas profits. i praised it week in week out and every week he has a new reason for not doing it. the business sector said it's bad. the justice secretary called it disastrous. even this weekend the health secretary of the northern ireland secretary opposed it . he ordered all of his mps to vote against it last week and now surprise surprise. he's backing it. prime minister i'm told it's

a wonderful thing. [laughter] but mister speaker, mister speaker. households across the country suffered when they didn't need to. [inaudible] >> a man who always wants to catch my eye not getting the best way to do so . >> households across the country suffered when they didn't need to. what is it about the sioux grave report that first attracted him tou-turn this week ? >> prime minister. >> there is no surprise about

neighbors love to put up taxes. there's nothing original. they get off on it. they absolutely love to confiscate other people's packets. what we preferred to do mister speaker is make sure that we have the measures in place to drive investment in our country and drive jobs. and thanks to the sense we took in front of other european countries it would not have listened to him but we now have unemployment, listen to this. you should hear about this mister speaker. unemployment at the lowest level since 1974. put that in your pipe. >> i thought he would get his head out of the sand but obviously not. the reality is everyday this is different in the way pounds and britain's household bills while he

distracted trying to save his own job the country has been having the cost. but complacency is nothing new for this government. back in october of the chancellor delivered a mini budget has to be reread to be believed. with inflationalready climbing , he said that he understood people are concerned about the government was ready to. since then inflation has risen to a 40 year high. the highest of any g-7 country. if the government was so ready to six months ago. >> the government has acted and my right honorable friend it continues to act. this is a government, we not only put in living wages mister speaker with conservative institutions but we've raised it by a record amount. raise it by 1000 pounds and we helped people's families

have another 1000 pounds. thanks to the measures 9.1 billion pounds we put in to support people's cost of heating, we're updating the cost of fuel for people up and down the country and of course we're going to do more. were going to putour arms around the people of this country just as we did throughout the pandemic . but the reason we can do that is because of the past decisions to drive the cost up in europe which wouldn't be possible to him mister speaker and that's why youth unemployment is at or near a record low. >> mister speaker it wasn't just the chancellor back in september. the prime minister's tears about inflation are unfounded. he was the last person to stop the cost-of-living crisis. just as he's the last person to back the labor plan to help people through it.

>> it wasn't just on inflation that they got it badly wrong. in the same speech the chancellor boasted about how we were going to do better, that all our major competitors it was obvious he was being complacent. and lo and behold britain is said to have the lowest growth of any major country except russia. despite our brilliant businesses and all we have to look up, why has is government inflicted on britain . the twin headed hydra of the highestinflation and the lowest . >> he loves running this country math. >> how many times did he come to this place and say the united kingdom has the highest death rate in europe. how many times, he was proved completely wrong.

he never apologized. absolutely not. did he take it back? absolutely not. last year we had the largest growth in the g-7 and we will return and we will return to the fastest growth of 2024 2025 thanks to the decisions this government took mister speaker and mister speaker they don't care about getting people into jobs. we care about the working people of this country. making sure we have a high wage, high skill i employment economy that's what we're delivering . he talks about running the country down, he is running the country down . and it wasn't just complacency on labors windfall tax which he's now bucking. it wasn't complacency on inflation which is now through the rough but it wasn't just complacency on growth is sweltering along at the back of the pack. the chancellor also claimed people shouldkeep more of the

rewards for their efforts . but then he put their taxes up. so does the prime minister want to explain to hard-working people whose wages are running out sooner and sooner each month and who are facing an astronomical bills. just how is 15 tax rises since taking office prevents them from keeping more of their awards in theirpocket . >> first of all what we're doing is making sure after a huge pandemic that we are funding are vital public services which we can because of the sense that we did but we're also making sure we put more money back into people's pockets by themeasures i've outlined today . whether through cutting national insurance or listing the living wage or lifting the universal credit mister speaker all this is made possible, all this made possible because we took the responsible and sensible steps to protect our economy

throughout covid and come out strongly and he's completely wrong about this country's growth performance. he runs it down, he was proved wrong about covid and he's going to beproved wrong again . >> just delusional. >> mister speaker, last week i raised the case of phoenix honeywell was conditions means he needs daily dialysis and whose energy bill hasgone through the roof as a result . i'm glad that as a result government officials stopped in phoenix yesterday and i hope that that will result in more support for people who are vulnerable. but it should be left to labor to turn up week after week to make him aware of the consequences of his delay. so i want to raise another issue where the government is

sleepwalking its disaster. with the sum of holidays living there are reports that the home office already has a backlog of 500 thousand parcels to issue . that's potentially more than half 1 million people worried whether they will get away this summer. so can the prime minister reassured people that they won't miss out on their holidays due to the failures of his home office? >> i thank you very much but i can tell that what we're doing is massively increasing the speed with which the office can deliver. and to the best of my knowledge everybody's getting there and forced to six weeks. but that is the cause. that is the cause. we are driving the leadership of this country and we are getting things done that would never have been possible if we didn't left. we got breakfast done.48 times he's trying to undo the

willof the people . we were the first european country, the first european country to help the ukrainians. because anybody seriously believe for a second that they would have done it. >>. >> that can be in the prime minister. >> let me say does anybody seriously think for a second that the laborparty would have done that mister speaker ? including that shadow foreign secretary was mysteriously not in his place. floated recently to get rid of this country's independence and he campaigned to put vladimir corbin, sorry, jeremy corbin

in downing street mister speaker. we did the difficult thing. >> .. [shouting] >> i'm trying to help you. you have to help me as well. mr. stewart did seek to get his question. >> greg stuart. >> thank you, mr. speaker. when the prime minister it's passionate, things get done. brexit, brexit is done. the vaccine -- the vaccine -- [shouting] if they can contain themselves. the vaccine rollout is done.

so will my right honorable friend personally intervene so that the immunocompromised, like my constituent scott, can get access to british wonder drug and then they, not next winter, not next year, but now so that they can enjoy this summer and enjoy their freedom just like the rest of us? >> yes, mr. speaker, i know my honorable friend has taken a keen interest in this for a while. it could reduce the risk of infection as he says. we've got to look at the available evidence before we can make a decision about whether it should be available, but i will make sure the department are health and social care keeps them updated on the progress. >> now we have come to the leader of the snp, ian blackburn. >> thank you, mr. speaker. i want to join a going to

express my deepest sorrow at the horrific events in texas yesterday. 19 children and two teachers have needlessly lost their lives. many of us in scotland will be remembered the tragic events that took place 26 use go. the thoughts thoughts and prayers of the snp of the family suffering today but also that lawmakers will finally act to bring the scourge of gun violence that plagues the united states to. mr. speaker, the report the prime minister in downing street has been damaged. rooms so crowded, people were sitting on each other's laps and security force to intervene because the parties were so outrageous. at the center was the prime minister orchestrating it in order to toast the partygoers. for eight months we have heard every excuse under "the sun."

but now, now we've all seen the damning photo evidence. while people stayed at home to protect the nhs, the prime minister was engaging in drinking and debauchery that makes of the mockery of the gut wrenching sacrifices of each and every person made. will the prime minister -- will the prime minister now take the opportunity and resign? >> mr. speaker, i i can tell e right honorable gentleman that much as i pray she is a device he will the opportunity which am sure he will take customary length to debate that matter in the course of the statement which will follow directly after pmqs. >> ian blackford. >> mr. speaker, it's all a joke to the prime minister. the prime minister has lost the trust of the public. he has lost what little more

authority he had left. the prime minister has apologized many times, not because he feels any genuine remorse. he still refuses to even admit that there were parties and that he presided over them. he apologize for one simple reason, he got caught. the reality is, no apology will ever be enough for the families of people who lost a loved one, for the families who follow the rules, who stayed at home while their nearest and dearest to them were dying, and they are now forced to look at photographs of the prime minister surrounded by drink, toasting to a party in the middle of a lockdown. if the prime minister will not accept that he must resign, then the tory benches must act. this prime minister was broken the law and shown cavalier -- to the truth cannot be allowed to remain in office.

prime minister, time is up. resign, resign, resign before this house is forced to remove him. >> i thank you very much and i would just direct him again, and i think it would be to his advantage to look through the report and then i think we should return to it after pmqs. >> we have now come to jonathan. >> thank you, mr. speaker. high street and heritage means a lot to the people of -- two of the great six -- [inaudible] which is why introduce my bill to increase fines on this ruin his own at the time i write on a photo of confirmed a part part of the government underreport people look at my bill -- the

held accountable? >> hear, hear, mr. speaker. i want to thank him by the way for his campaign. i think it's entirely right and that's why we've adopted the measures that he proposes in the bill, those who leave properties derelict, , i'm reasonably could take could face an unlivable -- unlimited fine. >> i was pleased to meet the prime minister last week in royal hillsboro in my constituency. we welcomed his commitment to introduce legislation to dealing with the protocol of the irish sea border and to protect the belfast good friday agreement. that'll take some time. in the meantime, as in the rest of the united kingdom hard-pressed households in northern ireland are suffering from a cost of living crisis. will the prime minister giving and assurance that any measures that are brought forward by the chancellor and in the near future to help hard-pressed will

apply to know the island and that the protocol will not be allowed to prevent northern ireland citizens receiving the support they need from the government at this time? >> i think the right honorable gentleman very much. as he knows where the package of measures to support families across the whole of the uk that i detailed already to the house. i may say i also think it would be an advantage to the people of northern ireland in tackling the issues we all face across the uk, if it were to be restored. >> thank you, mr. speaker. a recent report on leveling up the economy highlight areas where more work is needed in small rural and cultural communities to ensure they also benefit from our agenda. does the prime minister agree with me that we need to ensure lovely cup reaches into rural and coastal areas and will my right honorable friend meet with

me and our excellent candidate -- [shouting] to agree how we can progress our plans? >> yes, of course, mr. speaker. my honorable friend is a fantastic advocate for rural communities and and i will e both she and helen get a meeting with the relevant minister to discuss her ideas further. >> mr. speaker, reising cost foy causing says problems are workers in car dependent rural areas and for district nurses come the situations reached a crisis format. one person often has to travel to mouse just to reach the first of the day and decc must each month. with the prime minister therefore consider extending the rural fuel relief scheme to areas to have my constituent and many like her to continue their invaluable work? >> i thank him for his excellent question and i can tell him that

fuel duty relief is that, compensate motorists by helping retailers in some more remote rural areas as home prices can be significantly higher. it operates on a geographical basis but i'm very happy to ensure he gets a meeting with the revenue minister as fast as possible. >> prime minister, labour and social is assailed this country because they have followed policies which jennifer to much in people's lives, over regulates, spends too much taxpayer money, , borrowed too much and raise taxes. can the prime minister townhouse what policies his government are going to follow to make sure we don't follow a similar fate? >> yes, i can. i'm grateful to my honorable friend and you are absolutely right, labour instinct is always to put up tax.

that's what -- they are bragging about it today, mr. speaker, it's ludicrous. what we're doing is not only cutting people's contributions under national insurance but also cutting the -- helping business to invest in the 130% super deductions that my right honorable friend put in. and what that is doing is helping us to have a high wage high skilled economy. this i said before, at the low since 1974. >> thank you, mr. speaker. days before the election -- [inaudible] they won the conservative party -- [inaudible] >> sit down. >> be careful how you word the question.

>> shockingly, they fail to act on this report or explain whether that's why some would call for an independent investigation into failure warning that the conservative party have broken the trust. so will the prime minister personally launched an independent investigation into the failure to act so that victims can have confidence that his party will never again turned a blind eye? >> well, mr. speaker, i hear what she said and the sensitivity of the issues that she raises. i think though given the legal proceedings currently going on i don't, i don't think it will be right to comment any further. >> thank you, mr. speaker. politics often get all the attention back in the real world, millions of parents are being held back by issues with childcare being a model for the

government support. the taxpayer is 95 to 6,000,000,000 quade a year but with some of the highest costs in the world, cost of living, childcare and early care educators with the bureaucracy. i know i right honorable friend will investigate options reduce the cost of childcare. will he tell us all a bit more about what we can do urgently and work with me on the think tanks? >> yes, i thank you very much. she and i talk about this. this is a subject which is of direct personal interest anything, mr. speaker, there are things we can do to make it more affordable. when the issues is not enough people take up tax free childcare. we need to have more take up of what is on offer but what we can also look at, mr. speaker, is ways in which we can reform and improve the system.

>> thank you, mr. speaker. next month marks five years since a horrific fire tower which killed 72 people. my constituency as many tall buildings. in 2019 the prime minister rightly told this house where the inquiry recommends government responsibly or fire safety we won't legislate accordingly. but try to last with the government dropped the inquiry recommendation that personal evacuation plans should be in place at disabled residents claiming basic safety would be too expensive. they said this showed cuts in cost is more poor than the value of human life. so will the prime minister urgently reversed this deeply inhumane decision and not break another promise to this house? >> mr. speaker, let's be clear, if there is an issue with fire safety in a building an extra steps should be taken and remediation should be made. and when it comes to self

evacuation the home office has launched a new consultation to support the fire safety of residents who are unable to self evacuate. but it's just further representations to make on that i am very happy to get a meeting with the minister. >> mr. speaker, i am not a cynical sort, but i was slightly perplexed this week when the cabinet secretary and the director of government proprietary ethics no less were banned from attending my committee to give evidence which is been scheduled for two months. i cannot possibly think why, mr. speaker, but i wonder which particular subjects my right honorable friend that prime minister was most concerned being raised by my committee? what is the case of undeclared nontender nations in kind? security insights and appointment to the house of lords, or indeed the

consultation of the units the minister of appointments? >> mr. speaker, i can assure you, i will make -- i know he's a cynic that he wants to be an idealistic and i will make sure that all relevant ministers and civil servants appear before his committee. spirit what we're doing for people throughout this country is making sure we invest now in protecting them as i said to the house and i've said repeatedly

not just for the increases in universal credit or in a living wage, in the warm homes discount, in cutting fuel bills but also of course with the 330 pounds cut. but the reason we can do this is because we have a robust economic position which we have strong employment. that is giving us the revenue to pay to cushion people in this difficult time. would not have been possible if we listen to the labour party during covid. >> thank you, mr. speaker. this weekend tens of thousands of sporting fans are coming down to london. on saturday the giants are in the first rugby league challenge cup final for over a decade. and on sunday it's the championship playoff final in the premier league. will the prime minister as well as wishing the best of luck to both teams, agree with me that the best way that the council can honor the sporting tradition

is following through with their pledge to house the new national rugby league museum in the birthplace, the george hotel, and not pull out of the deal as a indicated they want to do so? >> prime minister. >> is that the labour stand? [shouting] well, mr. speaker, i not surprised. all i can say is i congratulate him on his campaign for a national rugby league museum and that her gym to take it up with the counselor or other relevant bodies. >> thank you, mr. speaker. under the cover of the pandemic we've seen a massive shift in wealth from the poorest to the richest. a parting p.m. and a lawbreaking chancellor of line the pockets of their wealthy pals while 175,000 of our fellow citizens have died from covid, and they

are now sitting on their hands and laughing in our faces as a cost of living crisis and fuel poverty could well leave thousands more to die of cold in their own homes. so, mr. speaker, when we saw pictures of that p.m. partying in the middle of the pandemic, was he toasting his assault on the working class? and ask him, how on earth does he sleep at night with so much blood on his filthy privileged hands? >> mr. speaker, from follow on which everything we've done since the pandemic began. to get money into the pockets of the working people of this country and those of the people, those of the people time and again that we prioritize and i do not for a moment i do not for a moment about mr. speaker, the things are tough. i do not doubt it for a moment but it is our intention to get this country through it and we

will get through it very well by putting our arms around people as we can and as we will because of the fiscal firepower we have, mr. speaker, but also by making sure we continue with a high wage high skill high employment economy that we have. and the best thing to get money into people's pocket is to get a job. >> does the prime minister agree with me that when the right honorable member opposite spins his myth of a low tax labour party, he clearly needs a memory jog? because can i just remind you all that in 2019 you all stood on a manifesto that would have inflicted the highest tax burden on the people of this country? why are there so few of you over there? >> yes, mr. speaker, they

campaign to put up taxes on business to the highest level this country has ever seen. that was his ambition, mr. speaker, and that's what come that is what they would do again. no doubt that's what you love to do. you can feel the last four tax rising off those benches opposite, mr. speaker, that is why they left office with unemployment lower than when they came in. >> thank you, mr. speaker. yesterday the head advised mps the energy cop is due to increase in the autumn come more than double from last year. i know the prime minister has been busy directing and redirecting his have ass apologies but -- [shouting] but work events -- [shouting] voted against it.

last week just to save his own neck. [shouting] >> i couldn't idea who the question or the advice that was being given. it might be helpful if i get you both. prime minister, dg management? >> i heard enough mr. speaker, to have a rough idea of the nonsense he was talking. [laughing] what we are doing, mr. speaker, is not on supporting people now but continue to put our arms around the people of this country as we did during the pandemic and beyond. >> can't i just say moderate language is what we normally use. it doesn't -- i don't think it suits the country, so please. john berndt. >> thank you, mr. speaker. the prime minister will recall previously raised with wite plight of 170 british council contractors who remain in afghanistan in fear of their lives to 85 of whom are deemed to be a very high risk. i met the refugee minister last

week, it was a positive meeting but we face bureaucracy which is presented as some cutting through the bureaucracy and helping these people now. will he help us cut through that red tape and help these people works we owe them a debt of obligation, and time is running out. >> i thank him very much. i think what we do to help those particular people but i will remind the house that we have not only backward 15,000 people, a great credit to this country, we supported since then 4600 more have come to this country, and we will do what we can to help the people that he mentioned. >> mr. speaker, my constituency -- recently asked me to visit this golden about their low pay campaign. the tide of seeing people anybody working hard but living in poverty and now bills are rising, inflation is 9% 9% at

the government seems incapable and disinterested doing anything to help out. our children can see the need for emergency action. why can't our government? >> mr. speaker, everybody in work, 30 million workers will get a tax cut in july. on top of everything we already doing but that is that the end of what the scope is going to do to look after people. i told the house before this morning, this afternoon that we will continue to use our fiscal higher power to look after the british people through the covid aftershocks and beyond. >> thank you, mr. speaker. on monday at 3:25 p.m. a school bus crashed into a group of schoolchildren. three children were airlifted to hospital but now another child and bus driver taken by papers and if the child discharge at the scene. everyone is in stable condition. clearly this is a tragic accident that will stay with us for sometime. will you join me and i'm sure

the whole house and senate our love and prayers to those in hospital and will also pray the teaching staff of both the high school, for the heroic response and their continued response? >> i thank my honorable friend for raising this very, very sad incident and i'm sure the whole house is thoughts, mr. speaker, will be with those have been affected and want to join him in particular in paying tribute to the emergency services, but also of course the teachers and the staff of the school. >> thank you, mr. speaker. prime minister, my constituent robert walter died last year. he worked for mi-6 and he disclose encompass he was a caveman. this conference was breached by the h.r. department of the foreign commonwealth office.

recently, amongst paperwork showed this breach largely a candidate for his well-being. would the prime minister offer his partner stephen honeyman a posthumous apology and commit to ask the foreign commonwealth office for a formal response to his treatment while he worked at mi-6? >> well, mr. speaker, i want to begin by saying how grateful i am to the honorable member for raising this case. but i have to tell you i am afraid i don't know directly about the events that she describes, what she says is very concerned. i will make sure she gets a meeting with the relevant minister as soon as possible an and. >> that ends prime minister's questions. those who wish to leave. [laughing] will we know -- i expect temperate language as we

consider statement, prime minister. >> thank you, mr. speaker. we have commissioned our statement. ungrateful to sue great for her reports i want to thank her for the work she has done. for the short lunchtime gathering a 19 june 202020 in the cabinet room during which i stood at my place of the cabinet table in which i received a fixed penalty notice. i also want to say, mr. speaker, bubble that i take full responsibility for everything that took place on my watch. sue gray's report has emphasized that it's up to the political leadership in number two today called the responsibility and, of course, -- but since these

investigations have come to an end this is my first opportunity to set out some of the content and to explain both my understanding of what happened and also to explain what ipc said to this house. and it's important to set out -- over a period of about 600 days, gatherings until of eight dates have found to be in breach of the regulation. in the building that is 5300 meters square a cost -- excluding the flats that should mr. speaker, i think it is important for this is the first time i've had to set up the content. hundreds of staff were invited to work and in the cabinet office which has thousands of officials and now the biggest at any point in its 100 year history. that's one reason why the government has look now looking for change and reform.

mr. speaker, those working in downing street were permitted to work in office for the purpose of work and exemption under the regulations applied to the work because of the nature of their jobs reporting directly to the prime minister. these people were working extremely long hours doing their best to give this country the ability to fight the pandemic during -- mr. speaker, i appreciate that there's no medication but it's important to -- >> prime minister, just one second. and i appeal to the house? i expected to be heard and what everyone to hear and what the same respect to be shown to the leader of the opposition afterwards, so please this is a very, very important statement the country wants to hear as well. prime minister. >> mr. speaker, i'm trying to set up context not to mitigate or to absolve myself in any way. the exemption under which they were present in downing street includes those circumstances

where officials and advisers were leaving the government. and it was appropriate, to recognize and to thank them for the work that they have done. let me come to that, mr. speaker, i briefly attended such gatherings to thank them for their service which i believe is one of the essential duties and particularly important -- and particularly important when people need to feel that the contributions have been appreciated, and to keep more out as high as possible. i am trying to say the reasons i was there, mr. speaker. and it is clear from what sue gray has had to say that some of these gatherings then went on far longer than was necessary. and they were clearly in breach of the rules. i have to tell the house because the house will need to know this

and again this is not to mitigate or to extenuate. i i had no knowledge of the subsequent proceedings because i simply wasn't there. and i had been as surprised and disappointed as anyone else in this house as the revelations have unfolded and, frankly, mr. speaker, i have been appalled by some of the behavior, particularly in the treatment of the security and the cleaning staff. and i would like to apologize to those members of staff, and i expect anyone who behaved in that way to apologize to them as well. and i'm happy to set on the record now that when i said when it came to this house and said in all sincerity that the rules and guides will be followed at all times, it was what i believed to be true. [shouting] >> it was certainly the case

when i was present at gatherings to which staff farewell and the house will note that my attendance at these moments, brief as it was, has not been found to be outside the rules. but clearly this was not the case for some of those gatherings after i had left and at other gatherings when i was not even in the building. so i would like to correct, , i would like to correct the record, to take this opportunity and not in any sense to absolve myself of responsibility, which i take and have always taken, but simply to explain why i spoke as i did in this house. mr. speaker, in response to her interim report, sue gray acknowledges that very significant changes have already been enacted. she writes, and i quote, i am pleased that progress is being

made in addressing the issues i raised. and she adds, since my update their event changes to the organization and management with the aid of creating clear lines of leadership and accountability and now these need the chance and time to bed in. number ten now has its own private sector charge with applying the high standards of government. there are now easier ways for staff to voice any worries, and sue welcomes that, and echo, steps have have since been taken to introduce more easily accessible means by which to raise concerns electronically, in person, or online including directly with the permanent secretary. the entire senior management has changed. there is a new -- [shouting] there is a new, there is a new chief of staff, and elected member of this house also

commands the status of the cabinet minister if there is a new director of communications, a new principal private secretary and another key appointment in my office. i am confident with the changes and new structures that are now in place, but we are humbled -- [shouting] -- by the experience, and we have learned our lesson. i do want to conclude by saying that i, mr. speaker, i am humbled and i have learned -- [shouting] >> and want to conclude by saying that whatever the failings, whatever the failings of -- we will come to that. we will come to that. whatever the failings of number ten in the cabinet office during this rightly difficult period which i admire, which i take

full responsibility, i continue to believe that the civil servants and advisers in question, hundreds of them, thousands of them, some of them, mr. speaker, are the very people who received fines, are good, hard-working people motivated by the highest calling to do the very best for our country. and i will always be proud of what they achieved, including procuring essential life-saving ppe, creating the biggest testing program in europe, and helping to enable distribution of the vaccine which got this country through the worst pandemic of a century. and now, mr. speaker, we must get our country through the aftershocks of covid with every ounce of ingenuity and compassion and hard work. so i hope that today, as well as learning the lessons from sue gray's report, which i'm glad i commission and again, i repeat, i'm grateful, i hope very much

now that she has reported we will be able to move on and focus -- [shouting] -- on the priorities of the british people. standing firm against russian aggression, easing the hardship caused by the rising costs people are facing, fulfilling our pledges to generate a high wage, high skilled, high employment economy that will unite and level up across the whole of our united kingdom. that is the nation, that is our mission, that a summation of whole of the government and we will work day and night to deliver it, and i commend the statement to the house. [shouting] >> at now comes to the leader of the opposition, keir starmer an and. >> thank you, mr. speaker. the door of number ten downing st. is one of the great symbols of our democracy. those who live behind exercise great power but they do so

knowing their state is temporary. temporary. long after they've gone, that door and the democracy represents will remain firm and unyielding. but britain's constitution is fragile. it relies on members of this house and the custodians of number ten behaving responsibly, honestly, and in the interests of the british people. when our leaders fall short of these standards, this house has to doubt. from its neighbors across the country westwick come first for the police investigation which concluded that this prime minister is a first in our country's history of broken the law in office. then they asked the country to wait for the sue gray report. they need wait no longer. that report lays bare the rot that under this prime minister has spread in number ten and it provides definitive proof of

found those within the building treated the sacrifices of the british people with utter contempt. when the dust settles and the anger subsides, this report will stand as a monument to the hubris and arrogance of a government who believe it was one role for them and another goal for everyone else. the details are stark. five months ago the prime minister told this house all guidance was completely followed in number ten. yet we now know he attended event on the 17th of december. at least one of those attending has received a find for deeming it a legal. window on 18 on the 18th r and event was held in which staff drink excessively with others in the building described as a party, and that cleaners were left to mop up a red wine the next day. on the 20th of may as a covid

press conference was taking place, one of his senior officials was told be mindful, cameras are leaving, don't walk about waving bottles. it is not impossible to defend the prime minister's words to this house. this is about trust, because during that may 20 press conference the british public were told normal life as we know it is a long way off. but that wasn't the case in number ten. even now after 126 fines they think it's everyone else's fault but theirs. they expect others to take the blame while they cling on. they pretend that the prime minister's somehow has been exonerated, as if the facts he only broke the law once is worthy of praise. the truth is, they set the bar for his conduct lower than a

snakes belly, and now they expect the rest of us to congratulate him as he stumbles over it. number ten ten symbolizes te principles of public life in this country, selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty, leadership. but who could read this report and honestly believe the prime minister upheld the standards? the reason the british public had to endure this ours was his refusal to admit the truth or do the decent thing when he was found to have broken the law. this report was necessary because of what sue gray describes as failures of leadership and judgment for which senior political leadership must bear responsibility. it is that failure of leadership that has now left his government

paralyzed in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis. the government has turned the focus of this government to saving his own skin, is utterly shameful. it is precisely because he cannot lead that it falls to others to do so. i have been clear what leadership looks like. [shouting] >> hear, hear. >> i haven't broken any rules, and any attempt, any attempt -- >> order. sorry, can i just -- calm it down. quite right, i expect the same of the leader of the opposition. those who don't wish to hear, legal have a cup of tea or something. keir starmer. >> i have been clear what leadership looks like -- [shouting] i haven't broken any rules and

any attempt to pressure illegal take away while working to this catalog of criminality looks even more ridiculous today. but mr. speaker, if the police decide otherwise, i will do the decent thing and step down. the public need to know that not all politicians are the same. but not all politicians with themselves about their country. that honesty and integrity and accountability matter. members on the opposite benches now also need to show leadership. this prime minister is getting the country in the wrong direction. they can hide in the back seat eyes covered praying for a miracle, or they can act. stop this out of touch, out of control prime minister and driving britain towards

disaster. we waited for the sue gray report. the country can't wait any longer. the values symbolized by the door number ten must be restored. members opposite must finally do their bit. they must tell the current inhabitant, their leader, that this has gone on too long, the game is up, you cannot be a lawmaker and a lawbreaker. and it's time to pack his bags only then can the government function again. only then can the rot be carved out. only then can we restore the dignity of that great office, and the democracy that it represents. [shouting] >> prime minister. >> mr. speaker, the right honorable gentleman talks about what went on in number ten downing street and the events

behind that black door, and the number of events, and i will say to him he throughout the pandemic was not leading many thousands of people in the fight against coronavirus. he was sniping from the sidelines and veering from one position to the next. and today, mr. speaker, he has done it again. week after week he could have come to this house and talked about the economy, about ukraine, about the cost of living. no, mr. speaker, time after time he chose to focus on this issue. he could have -- a could have shown some common sense, mr. speaker, and recognized that when people are working very hard together day in, day out that they it can be difficw the boundary, mr. speaker, between work and socializing.

and yet after months of this frankly sanctimonious obsession, mr. speaker, the great zeppelin has been permanently punctured and irretrievably by the revelation that he is himself -- he did mention this. he is himself under investigation by the police, by the police, mr. speaker, and yet, i'm not going to mince my words here and going to say this. he is currently fighting told himself to the same high standards that he demanded of me. it's true. he called for me to resign, mr. speaker, when the investigation began. why is he in his place? [shouting] >> mr. holding, it's the second

time. please, help me to help you because i'm sure you want to hear the rest of this. prime minister. >> mr. speaker, mr. speaker, mr. speaker, he should at least be, he should at least be consistent and hold himself to the same standard. he's still there and so is the shadow deputy leader. and mr. speaker, i apologize when the revelations emerged. i continue to apologize. i repeat that i am humbled by what has happened, and we've instituted profound changes throughout number ten what i think in view of the mess that his son himself in himself, it would not be a sensible thing for him, too, to apologize. so that we can all collectively move on, mr. speaker. that i think is what the people of this country what you see above all. they want to see leadership from the house of commons, leadership from both parties, mr. speaker, in dealing with their priorities and that is what we are focused on getting through the

aftershocks of code. that's why i am proud of what we did to rollout the process of vaccine campaign in europe, and that's what i am proud that we now have the lowest unemployment anywhere in this country for 50 years, mr. speaker. that is what the people of this country want. i appreciate that he has his points to make but i think overwhelmingly the will of this country is for us now to say thank you to sue gray and for us collectively to move on. >> thank you, mr. speaker here my right honorable friend well knows the rules apply to him as much to all of us. and the rules of this house are clear that anybody who comes here and deliberately lies and misleads this house should leave their position, resign or apologize. my right honorable friend has been asked many times about specific incidents, specific

event that sue gray has outlined. the have on any occasion come to this house in response to specific questions about specific events and deliberately lied to us? >> no, mr. speaker, are the reason i have given, that at the time that i i spoke to this he i bleed that what i was doing was to attend work events, and with the exception of the event in the cabinet room, that is a view that has been vindicated by the investigation. >> we now come to leader of the snp, ian blackburn. >> thank you, mr. speaker. as i speak, the public is pouring over the sordid details of what went on out of the public eye behind the high gates and the walls of the prime minister's resident. the report is damaging. concludes many gatherings and many individuals did not adhere to covid guidance. events were attended by leaders

in government, and should not have been allowed to happen. junior civil servants believed that involve it was permitted by the attendance of senior leaders. there was an unacceptable lack of respect and treatment of security including staff. the senior leadership at the center both lyrical and official must bear responsibility for this culture. that leadership came from the top, and the prime minister, in the words of the report, must bear responsibility for the culture. a fish rots from the head. mr. speaker, the prime minister's dispatch box denial of the party that took place on 30 november is now proven to be into. he was on the 13th of november, photographed raising a toast surrounded by wine and

others. the charge of misleading parliament is a vaccination matter. will the prime minister now finally resign? this prime minister has adopted a systematic conservative and sinister purpose. truthfulness, honesty, and transparency did not enter his vocabulary. it is just not part of his weight at being, and it speaks for the type of man that he is. credibility, truth, morality all matter, and the prime minister has been found lacking time and time again, and he can shake his head, but that's the reality, prime minister. ethics have to be part of our public life, and ethical behavior has to be at the core of the demeanor and the response of any prime minister. the prime minister brings shame on the office and has displayed

content not only to the members of this house but to every single person who follows the rules. they stayed away from family, those who missed funerals, those who lost someone we love. so when the tory members opposite retired to the 1922 committed this evening i hope they will bear in mind the now infamous government featuring a desperately ill covid patient, it's sad. look into her eyes and tell her you never been the rules. if they don't submit a letter, if they don't remove this prime minister, how will that ever, ever look at their constituents in the i ever again? >> mr. speaker, i think that the right honorable gentleman should look closely at sue gray's

report, and repeat my thanks to her. i stress the nature and length of my involvement in these events is very clear from what she says, and i take full responsibility for what happened. happened. and that is why we have taken the steps that we have to reform and improve the way number ten works. we are humbled by what has happened and we had changed