PMQs live: Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer clash at PMQs over taxation as PM avoids ruling out NHS cuts

Nick Boles, who was an MP for nine years, slammed the scrutiny over the sale of Ms Rayner’s former council home and whether she avoided paying the right tax or had correctly registered at the right address.

Two MPs became embroiled in a row over the investigation into Angela Rayner and the sale of her former home live on air after PMQs.

James Daly, the Conservative Party deputy chairman, was asked by senior Labour MP Chris Bryant what offences he thought Ms Rayner, Labour’s deputy leader, had committed.

Greater Manchester Police launched an investigation after Mr Daly contacted them with concerns about how the force had initially responded after it emerged that Ms Rayner had not paid capital gains tax on the sale of the property.

When asked by the Labour MP what he thought Ms Rayner had done, Mr Daly said “the matter is with Greater Manchester Police – they’ve confirmed” before being interrupted by Mr Bryant.

“Shout a bit louder so none of us can hear,” Mr Daly then told Mr Bryant. “Unlike Chris, who shouts and makes all sorts of public allegations, what I want to do is – an allegation has been made to the police, the police are investigating that allegation – lets give them the time and opportunity to do that”.

It is the second time this week Mr Daly has refused to say what offences he thought Ms Rayner had committed. Read more below:

Rishi Sunak defended his predecessor Liz Truss’s legacy as foreign secretary and its impact on “Brexit Britain”.

Labour MP Daniel Zeichner (Cambridge) asked: “In the exchanges earlier we didn’t hear much of a defence from the prime minister of his predecessor, so perhaps he could tell the house what does he consider to be her greatest achievement?”

The PM replied: “While the party opposite were busy trying to take us back into the EU and reverse the referendum result, my predecessor was signing trade deals around the world, which have now meant that Brexit Britain has overtaken the Netherlands, France and Japan to become the fourth largest exporter in the world.”

The government is “actively looking” at options to reduce the costs victims face when trying to access court transcripts, Rishi Sunak said.

Liberal Democrat MP Sarah Olney (Richmond Park) told the Commons: “Four years ago my constituent Juliana was drugged and raped by her then boyfriend. After his conviction Juliana was advised that reading a transcript of his trial would help her to come to terms with her experience, but when she requested that transcript she was told that she would have to pay more than £7,000.”

She claimed other victims had been quoted up to £22,000 to read transcripts, adding: “Justice should not have a price tag.”

Ms Olney said the Lib Dems would bring an amendment to the Victims and Prisoners Bill intended to make access to transcripts free of charge, and asked: “Juliana is here in the gallery today and she asks if the Prime Minister will support that amendment. Will he look her in the eye and say yes?”

The PM replied: “We are committed to improving victims’ access to court transcripts to help them move on and rebuild their lives. We already offer a free service to families of homicide victims for example, and that is why we have already committed to a one-year pilot to help identify the current demand, inform our next steps.

“Alongside this we are actively looking at other options to immediately reduce the costs.”

Sunak said he spoke to Israel’s Netanyahu and discussed how Iran is “isolated on world stage” and told him “escalation is not in anyones interest”, Zoe Grunewald reports.

“I also reiterated our concerns about the humanitarian situation in Gaza where I welcome the statements and commitments that the Israeli government have made about significantly increasing aid into Gaza, and now we need to see those commitments delivered,” the PM said.

The SNP should stop “obsessing” about independence and trying to lock up JK Rowling, and instead focus on what matters to people in Scotland, the prime minister told the Commons.

SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn highlighted comments made by Scottish Trades Union Congress general secretary Roz Foyer on independence remaining an unresolved issue, he added: “She said ‘that can be a very dangerous place to end up in, when you are not allowing people to express their wishes in a democratic manner’.

“So may I ask the prime minister, does he welcome the fulsome, wholehearted, and warm support of the Labour Party in denying the people of Scotland that opportunity to have a say over their own future.”

Rishi Sunak replied: “We did have a democratic vote on that topic.

“But what I would suggest to the SNP is that rather than obsessing about independence and indeed wasting time cracking down on free speech and trying to lock up JK Rowling, he should focus on what the people in Scotland actually care about – schools, hospitals, jobs, and our new tax cuts.”

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has reiterated calls for prime minister Rishi Sunak to cost a £46 billion plan to end national insurance.

Sir Keir told the Commons: “(He) is not denying the £46 billion promise to scrap national insurance.

“ He is refusing to say where the money will come from and we’ve been trying for months to get to the bottom of this. So, now’s his chance. No more spin, no more waffle, no more diversion, I know that will be difficult.

“He can either – this is the choice – he can either cut state pension or the NHS that national insurance funds, that’s route one. Or he can put up income tax, which one is it?”

Sunak responded: “We’ve just cut taxes by £900 for a typical worker, we’ve delivered the biggest tax cut for businesses since the 1980s, but while we’re cutting taxes Labour is already putting them up.

“In Wales putting up taxes right now for small businesses, in Birmingham putting up council tax by 21 per cent, in London his mayor has put up taxes by 70 per cent and this is just a glimpse of what they’d do if they got in power, a few weeks ago he finally admitted it to The Sun, what did he say he would do? I quote, he said ‘we would put up taxes’.

“It’s always the same, higher taxes and working people paying the price.”

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has said the Conservatives’ “obsession with wild, unfunded tax cuts” crashed the economy.

He said during PMQs: “I appreciate the prime minister having the stomach to say it out loud, but everyone knows it’s the Tory Party’s obsession with wild, unfunded tax cuts that crashed the economy. We know it, he knows it, they know it and the whole country is living it.

“So, when is he finally going to learn the lesson from his predecessors’ mistakes and explain where the money is coming from for his own completely unfunded £46 billion promise to scrap national insurance?”

Prime minister Rishi Sunak replied: “When my predecessor was running for leader, to use his words, I did have the stomach to argue out loud about her economic policies and the conviction to say that they were wrong not once, but twice.

“He tried to make his predecessor prime minister, despite him opposing Nato and Trident, ignoring antisemitism and siding with our enemies. It’s clear what he did, he put his own interest ahead of Britain’s.”

Rishi Sunak said he “repeatedly warned” about what Liz Truss’s “economic policies would lead to”, Zoe Grunewald reports.

The prime minister has said he “wasn’t afraid to repeatedly” about what the mini budget of his predecessor Liz Truss would “lead to” even “if it wasn’t what people wanted to hear at the time”.

Mr Sunak was responding to questions from Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer about Ms Truss’ new book. The prime minister added: “I was right then. But I’m also right now when I say that his economic policies would be a disaster for Britain.”