PMQs – live: Starmer and Sunak clash over security and rainbow lanyard ban

But his call also piles pressure on Labour, which is currently backing the policy despite criticism. Shadow health secretary Wes Streeting told The Independent that Labour would inherit a difficult set of public finances but would work to bringing down child poverty.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has been accused of acting as “a bystander” to the “horror” of deaths of Palestinians in Gaza.

Labour MP Dr Rosena Allin-Khan (Tooting) told the Commons: “In Gaza, Israel has attacked hospitals, it’s attacked refugee camps, and it has killed aid workers. Israel has blocked vital aid, turned off water supplies and denied access to food.

“Israel have killed thousands upon thousands of innocent civilians, as the world watches, trampling all over international humanitarian law. No other country would be allowed to act with such impunity.

“So can the Prime Minister tell me why he allows Israel to get away with it unchallenged? And why he continues to act as a bystander to such horror?”

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak replied: “I do support Israel’s right to defend itself and remove the threat that Hamas, the terrorist organisation, poses to its people. But I am also deeply concerned about the growing humanitarian crisis in Gaza and I’ve consistently made that point at this despatch box, and to Prime Minister Netanyahu, we must see further action to ensure more aid gets to people who desperately need it.

“The Rafah and the Kerem Shalom crossing must be open to allow more aid in, we’re doing everything we can, trebling our investment, trying to get aid in by land, air and sea and currently working with allies to build a temporary pier.”

Labour leader Keir Starmer asked the prime minister: “Doesn’t he think that rather than confiscating lanyards like some jumped-up milk monitor he should stop issuing ‘get out of jail free cards’ to prisoners considered a risk to children?”

He also pointed to a recent report into Lewes prison, which warned of high-risk prisoners being released “at short notice without sufficient planning”.

One was defined as a “risk to children,” he added.

Here is the report on Lewes prison:

Downing Street has denied Rishi Sunak misled MPs when he rejected the idea dangerous prisoners were being released from prison early.

The prime minister insisted no-one deemed a threat to public safety would be eligible for the temporary scheme, designed to deal with an overcrowding crisis.

No 10 said the government was “clear and categorical” that the worst offenders should be locked away for “as long as it takes to protect the public.”

Asked if they rejected the idea the PM had misled the Commons, his official spokesperson said “yes”.

At PMQs Mr Sunak said: “There are strict eligibility criteria in place, with exclusions based on public safety and no-one will be put on the scheme if they were deemed a threat to public safety.”

Ministers trigger emergency measures to tackle prison overcrowding.

The government is resorting to new plans to ease the strain on English prisons.

The so-called Operation Early Dawn will keep defendants in police custody instead of being transferred to magistrates courts.

According to Sky News, the desperate measures will be trialled in London and the North East.

Sir Keir Starmer has urged Rishi Sunak to stop issuing “get out of jail free cards” to criminals.

Mocking the PM for launching a “version 7.0” of himself, he said: “Does the early release of stalkers, domestic abusers and those considered a risk to children sound like the work of someone who is making the country more secure?”

But the Government has insisted the early release measure would only allow “low-level offenders” out of prison up to 18 days early under strict supervision.

To which, Mr Sunak replied: “No-one should be put on this scheme if they are a threat to the public.

“And let me be crystal clear, it does not apply to anyone serving a life sentence, anyone convicted of a serious violent offence, anyone convicted of terrorism, anyone convicted of a sex offence and, crucially, in contrast to the system Labour put in place, governors in the prison service have an absolute lock so that no-one is put on the scheme who shouldn’t be.”

Following the PMQs, the Commons is holding an urgent question on Ukraine and Georgia.

It comes as people took to the streets in Tbilisi in protest of a ‘Russian law’ that requires media and non-governmental organisations to register as “pursuing the interests of a foreign power” if they receive more than 20% of their funding from abroad.

Minister for the Armed Forces Leo Doherty says: “The UK is a close friend of Georgia, and as such we call for calm and restraint on all sides.

“We hope to continue to work with Georgia, with whom we have a deep and longstanding partnership, and support the legitimate aspirations of the Georgian people as they pursue a free, sovereign and democratic future.”