Louise Haigh faces Alex Burghart at PMQs
PMQs is starting soon. Louise Haigh, the first secretary of state, is taking PMQs for the first time, standing in for Andy Burnham. She will be up against Alex Burghart. Kemi Badenoch used to rotate the shadow ministers who would stand in for her on a day when the PM was away. But recently Burghart was made deputy leader, and so he is now the permanent stand-in.
Here is the list of MPs down to ask a question.
Key events
Helen Maguire (Lib Dem) asks about conditions at Epsom hospital, where urgent repairs are needed.
Haigh says she is aware of the problems. The minister is happy to meet Maguire to discuss the situation, she says.
Munira Wilson (Lib Dem) says Haigh recently said the government would give local leaders more power to invest in things that matter. But it is cutting funding for Richmond council by more than £100m over the next four years, 60% of its budget? Will Haigh meet her to discuss this to find a solution.
Haigh says the government inherited an unfair council funding system. She offers Wilson a meeting with a minister.
Bobby Dean (Lib Dem) asks if the government will back legislation to make US tech companies pay fair compensation to victims of online scams. He says, given the US election results, the government should be tougher with the US administration.
Haigh says the Online Safety Act requires tech companies to take robust action on online scams.
Andrew Lewin (Lab) asks about support for Hatfield.
Haigh says the government is investing funding in local growth.
Bradley Thomas (Con) asks if Haigh agrees with a minister who said people how start their own businesses are not working people.
This is a reference to an answer Emma Reynolds, chief secretary to the Treasury, gave in an interview last week.
Haigh says Thomas is referring to the sort of people the government is trying to help.
Lib Dems ask government to support any new congressional inquiries into Trump, citing ‘scandals’ including rape allegation
Daisy Cooper, the Lib Dem deputy leader, says US voters have rejected the policies of Donald Trump. But Trump is threatening more strikes against Iran. Will the government tell him “no more strikes”.
Haigh says the government’s policy is de-escalation. She says she hopes the Tories and Reform UK will reconsider their decision to back the war.
Cooper says US voters are also sick of Trump’s scandals, including an allegation of rape. Will Haigh join her in saying we will not tolerate powerful men who abuse women? And will the UK support any investigations that Congress launches.
The American people have also sent a message that they are sick of Trump’s scandals, from his blatant corruption to his close friendship with Epstein and, most recently emerging from the Epstein files, an allegation of rape. Will the first secretary of state join me in saying that in this house we will not tolerate powerful men who abuse their position against women in this parliament or any other? And will the government commit to assisting any and all inquiries that the new Democratic Congress may launch?
Haig replies:
The honourable lady raises an incredibly important point about the Epstein files and everything that they revealed. She’s absolutely right to highlight the importance, always of challenging power and standing on behalf of vulnerable victims.
Cooper is referring to allegations contained in some of the Epstein files, recently set out at some length in a report from the Democrats on the House judiciary committee.
This is probably the first time rape allegations about Trump have been raised in the Commons.
Burghart says the Labour way is more welfare, more tax and more borrowing. They are too weak to do the right thing, he claims. Everyone else is paying the price.
If Labour doesn’t want to do the right thing, why doesn’t it just get out of the way?
The Speaker reprimands a Tory MP for “trying to shout a woman down”.
Haigh says Burghart, a historian, once wrote a paper titled “Profile of a Doomed Elite”. It could have been about the shadow cabinet, she suggests.
She stresses the government’s achievements.
This administration has in our first 100 days [been] cutting business rates for 70,000 businesses, cutting tax for entrepreneurs, cutting VAT from electricity bills, helping 20 million households with energy bills, scrapping standing charges, capping bus fares, investing in our high streets, extending parental pay, tackling rough sleeping.
Burghart says the government won’t fix welfare. The Milburn review was delayed until after the budget. And Pat McFadden once said Labour MPs just wanted more welfare spending. So will the government commit to not putting up taxes to pay for more benefits.
Haigh says the government will bring welfare spending down, but ensuring that it now longer pays for failure. She says Burghart is on record as saying the Tories should apologise for what happened when they were in office. But Kemi Badenoch was in cabinet at the time.
Burghart says, in her comments about the budget, Haigh missed out the bits “where the Resolution Foundation said that this budget would be catastrophic for living standards” and where the OBR said tax rises could cost jobs.
He asks about the 10-year plan.
I’m old enough to remember Keir Starmer’s 10-year plan because it was six months ago. This is the only political party in history to have two 10-year plans in ten months.
Will Labour cut welfare?
Haigh says Burghart can ask the same question, but he will get the same answer.
Burghart says last week John Healey said in an interview he would bring welfare spending down in this parliament. This caused panic in Downing Street, he says. He goes on:
The prime minister was sent out to clarify things. He said the welfare bill needs to come down, but this can’t be done by cutting the welfare bill.
Then, then at teatime, the chancellor conceded defeat and said it’s not correct to say that we’re going to bring the welfare bill down.
So will the first secretary of state be clear? Why isn’t Labour going to bring the welfare down.
Haigh says Burghart was not listening to here earlier answer. And she criticises the Tories for voting against the budget last night.
They voted against a council tax cut for 20 million households. They voted against VAT of electricity bills. They voted against taking 70,000 small businesses out of business rates, and they voted against a tax on banks to fund it all.
Burghart says the figure is £183bn. He goes on:
That’s the highest figure ever. It’s higher than anything during Covid. It is higher than defence schools and policing combined. It is nearly £10,000 for every working household in this country. So will the government commit to bring that bill down in this parliament?
Haigh says the government is taking measures to bring welfare spending down.
Alex Burghart starts with a short question. How much will the government spend on working age welfare?
Haigh congratulates Burghart on his job. He has said he will correct Kemi Badenoch when she is wrong. That will make him the busiest man in Westminster, she says.
She says the government is committed to getting welfare spending down. Under the Tories, welfare spending rose by £88bn, she says.
Matthew Patrick (Lab) asks Haigh to restore the opportunities for young people that Brexit took away.
Haigh says she agrees. She says an SPS deal with the EU will help the economy, and the government is also negotiating a youth experience scheme. She says Alex Burghart has already promised to rip up these deals.
