IT was the first post-recess PMQs. Expectations were high. Loins were girded and chests puffed out. MPs were Brexit-ready.
First up, Tory Remainer Anna Soubry, who calmly spoke about how Conservative chums had concerns about the “means, not the ends” of the Repeal Bill and asked the head girl if she could ensure it did not become an unnecessary power-grab. The comrades nodded in agreement.
The PM insisted she would listen very carefully to MPs and was even “happy” to have a quiet chat with her colleague about it.
Next up was Jezza. After the embarrassing leak on Brexit and immigration, the goal was opening up before him. But the chief comrade decided to kick the ball at the corner flag and ask about corporate greed and the McDonald’s strikers.
The Labour chief railed about how the boss of McDonald’s was said to have earned £11.8 million last year while some of his staff got by on £4.75 an hour.
When Thezza said it was a matter for McDonald’s, there was a barrage of anger from the Labour benches. She insisted the Opposition had done nothing in its 13 years in power to help the workers over zero hours contracts while the Tories had “put workers first” and banned such exclusive contracts.
Jezza persisted. He noted how the Tory manifesto had said the party wanted to make shareholder votes on corporate pay “not just advisory but binding”. Had the pledge been dumped?
After the PM responded, the Labour leader said he noted how she had “used the word ‘advisory,” claiming she had broken her word. But Thezza stood up and pointed out to Tory cheers, er, she hadn’t.
“May I suggest in future he listens to my answer and does not just read out the statement before him,” she snipped.
After Jezza then moved on to urge the head girl to "see sense" and scrap the public sector pay cap, it was left to the SNP’s champion Ian Blackford to get as close a response to the leaked document on immigration from the big T as anyone.
Mr B, who decried the Government’s “disgraceful” treatment of migrants, asked if she thought immigration was essential to the economy.
Mother Theresa said overall immigration had been good for the country but that people wanted it brought down to sustainable levels, “particularly given the impact it has on people at the lower end of the income scale in depressing their wages”. And that was that.
Later, Labour’s Phil Wilson reminded her that she had promised to guarantee in law the existing rights of workers “’as long as I am Prime Minister.’” How long would that be then, he asked to laughter.
Mrs M rose slowly and replied: “It is something that I will continue to do as Prime Minister.” 18 months tops, then.
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