PMQs series: Flip flops and Russia

So we have now reached the last PMQs before summer recess in Parliament. This is the first time Boris Johnson has appeared since the publishing of the Russia report. A very interesting PMQs where Johnson was interrogated on aspects of the report. Johnson of course replied with more flippant comments - a common defense mechanism that he uses when out of his depth. 

Starmer brought clarity and seriousness to the debate chamber. A skill that I wish all MPs used rather than the populist point scoring with poor jokes. From topics from Russia to the Remain vote, it seems that the issue of Covid-19 is slowly being dissipated in PMQs. As we get out of this pandemic, we now have to deal with the issue of Brexit and this is becoming more evident in the chamber as the topics are changing. 

Labour

I will start with Labour questions. Starmer started his questioning, asking the PM: "I want to ask the Prime Minister about the extremely serious report by the Intelligence and Security Committee. It concludes that Russia poses an immediate and urgent threat to our national security and is engaged in a range of activities that includes espionage, interfering in democratic processes and serious crime. "The Prime Minister received that report 10 months ago. Given that the threat is described as immediate and urgent why on earth did the Prime Minister sit on that report for so long?" Johnson responded by saying that he has been taking the strongest possible action against Russia. During PMQs he added: "The right honourable gentleman sat on his hands and said nothing while the Labour Party parroted the line of the Kremlin when people in this country were poisoned at the orders of Vladimir Putin."

Starmer  says he condemned the Salisbury poisonings and asks him to withdraw his comments.He says “The report was very clear that until recently the government has badly underestimated the Russian threat,” he said. “The government’s taken its eye off the ball – arguably it wasn’t even on the pitch. After this government’s been in power for 10 years, how does the prime minister explain that?” In reply, the prime minister calls the Labour leader's questions "absolutely absurd". He says the government will introduce legislation to protect national infrastructure and intellectual property from foreign influence. "No country in the Western world," he adds, has taken the threat of interference more seriously.

Johnson then accused Starmer of having an ulterior motive with his questioning. He said Starmer’s argument was that of an “Islingtonian remainer” who still did not accept the EU referendum result and tried to give the appearance that Russian interference was responsible for Brexit. Johnson said: “Everybody understands these criticisms are motivated by a desire to undermine the referendum on the European Union that took place in 2016, the result of which he simply cannot bring himself to accept.”

Keir said the Russia report was "clear" the Tory Government underestimated the threat from Russia. He added that one way the government can "clamp down" on Russia is tackling the spread of disinformation. He said Russian-owned broadcasters, such as Russia Today are a threat, and asks if the PM will look at licensing. But Johnson said the request would "come more credibly" if he had condemned his former leader, Jeremy Corbyn, for appearing on the channel. He added: "The leader of the opposition has more flip flops than Bournemouth beach." Of course the normal type of seriousness we get from Johnson in the chamber.

Starmer hit back by stating that Labour is now "under new management" and none of the party’s frontbenchers has appeared on Russia Today since he became leader in April.

He then turned to the to the issue of treatment of Uighur Muslims and asked whether the government will take “targeted sanctions” against Chinese officials suspected of rights abuses. Boris Johnson said the UK had previously condemned China’s treatment of the Uighurs and had taken sanctions against human rights abusers.

SNP

In his questioning, SNP's Westminster leader Ian Blackford, alluded to a new bill removing power from Scotland, asked: "Will the PM call a halt to his government's full-frontal attack on devolution?" A baffled Mr Johnson replied: "Mr Speaker, I really don't know what the Rt Hon Gentleman is talking about. The only bill I can think about is the UK Internal Market Bill ... this gives huge powers straight from Brussels to Scotland, it's principle purpose is to protect jobs, protect growth. Anybody sensible, Mr Speaker, would support it."

Mr Blackford retorted: "Anybody sensible would realise from that answer that the PM just doesn't get Scotland."Blackford was scornful of the “power grab” on devolution and lists SNP complaints against the Tory government. He said: "How can this be a Union of Equals if these damaging policies are being imposed on Scotland?" Johnson replied by saying: “It is bizarre to me that the SNP wants to reverse the process and send powers back to Brussels,”

Other

Now for questions by other MPs. Firstly, Plaid Cymru's Ben Lake Plaid Cymru asks about VAT on face coverings as they become mandatory on public transport in Wales, and in shops in England on Friday. He says there is already zero VAT on all other PPE, but will the PM extend that. Boris Johnson says he will need to talk to the relevant minister about what could be done, and he will come back to the MP.

Labour’s Ben Bradshaw said the security committee had said the reasons for its delayed publication previously used by No 10 were “spurious”. With his question, he accused the prime minister of putting “his own personal and party interests” before questions of national security. Boris Johnson rejected this, calling it a “lamentable question”. He accused the Labour of MP of being part of the “rage and fury of the remainer elite” who have found “no smoking gun” in the report after “froth and fury” over alleged Russian interference in the Brexit referendum. He added: "They should simply move on."

The chair of the Women and Equalities Committee, Caroline Nokes, said coronavirus has had an "unequal impact on the BAME community, the elderly, men and the overweight". She asked the PM to update MPs on how it plans to "empower people away from 'fat shaming' and the reliance on BMI... and let us know what he is doing on helping people to take back control on their own wellbeing." Boris Johnson thanked the Tory MP for her "tact" in the question, and says the UK "needs as a country to address obesity and the sad fact we are considerably fatter than most other European nations, except Malta". He said the government will bring forward a strategy, which he hopes will please Ms Nokes. I found it quite surprising that this was the first question related to the coronavirus in the chamber. It has been an issue which has dominated Parliament for a while. Perhaps this is a sign of hope of us moving out of the pandemic as other issues now get raised.

In the last question of PMQs, Liberal Democrat leadership contender, Layla Moran, said she is leading a "cross-party rapid inquiry to learn the lessons of Covid before a second wave". She said the group had already received 900 submissions, including from bereaved families and professional bodies. "We will be releasing recommendations over the recess," she said, adding: "I simply ask, will the prime minister take them seriously with the view to acting on them when he returns in September?" Boris Johnson said he will be "very happy to look" at what the group comes up with.

Overall, this PMQs has been dominated with a push in questions to the PM over the Russian report which was finally published yesterday after a 9 month delay. Now MPs will head back to their constituencies for the next 40 days and will be back in September. In this last PMQs, there was a sense of seriousness which was different to the jolly affair that we have seen in previous years. I feel that whilst covering PMQs since Starmer, the theatrical performance of Parliament has dissipated to an extent. Whether it is down to the serious times of coronavirus or Starmer's new style of questioning, we will not know but it has brought a new atmosphere that perhaps could initiate a change in leadership for future leaders.