Sunak and Starmer clash over immigration after Suella Braverman dodges speeding fine probe
Rishi Sunak has faced MPs at Prime Minister’s Questions with Suella Braverman at his side, following confirmation the Home Secretary will not be investigated over a speeding fine row.
Ms Braverman has been accused of breaching ministerial code by asking taxpayer-funded civil servants to help her with the private matter of trying to dodge a group speeding-awareness course, after being caught speeding last summer.
She eventually paid a fine and took penalty points on her driving licence after admitting to speeding.
Ms Braverman insists she did “nothing untoward”, and Downing Street confirmed on Wednesday she will not face an investigation over the row.
Mr Sunak said a “better course of action could have been taken” but that he had decided the incident did not amount to a breach of the ministerial code.
Facing the Prime Minister on Wednesday, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer asked why Ms Braverman has a problem “coping with points-based systems”.
He told the Commons: “The Prime Minister stood on three Tory manifestos, each one promised to reduce immigration. Each promise broken. They (Conservative backbenchers) all stood on those manifestos as well.
“Why does he think his Home Secretary seems to have such a problem coping with points-based systems?”
Mr Sunak said: “Just this week we announced the biggest every single measure to tackle legal migration, removing the right for international students to bring dependents, toughening the rules on post-study work, and reviewing maintenance requirements.
“But what is (Sir Keir’s) contribution? There are absolutely no idea.”
Rishi Sunak’s letter to Suella Braverman in full
11:23 , Lydia Chantler-Hicks
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has confirmed Home Secretary Suella Braverman will not be investigated for asking officials whether she could have a private speed awareness course – but he criticised her handling of the situation.
Mr Sunak is due to face MPs in the House of Commons at lunchtime.
We’ll be bringing you everything you need to know throughout the afternoon.
Lib Dems accuse ‘weak’ PM of a ‘cowardly cop-out’
11:33 , Lydia Chantler-Hicks
The Prime Minister’s decision not to order a formal investigation into Ms Braverman’s handling of her speeding ticket amounts to a “cowardly cop-out,” the Liberal Democrats have said.
The party’s chief whip Wendy Chamberlain said: “With every scandal, we see the Prime Minister dither, delay and flip-flop, never taking decisive action. This is not the leadership the country needs during such a severe cost-of-living crisis. Sunak is too weak to even order an investigation, let alone sack his Home Secretary.
“Sunak had the chance to do the right thing but instead he’s once again chosen to be ruled by his own hardline backbenchers. He may be in office but he is barely in power.”
PMQs begins
12:02 , Lydia Chantler-Hicks
PMQs has begun in the House of Commons, with Home Secretary Suella Braverman seated as usual beside Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
Keir Starmer questions PM on work visas
12:07 , Lydia Chantler-Hicks
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has stood to probe the PM on work visas, and the Conservatives’ pledge to reduce immigration.
He asked: “How many work visas were issued to foreign nationals last year?”
Rishi Sunak responded by saying new statistics are due out later this week, adding: “The most recent statistics we have as the ONS said at the time included a unique set of circumsartances, includnig welcomeing many people here for humanitarian reasons.”
Responding to his own question, Sir Keir said: “The figures are out. A quarter of a million work visas were issued last year. [The Prime Minister] knows the answer - he just doesn’t want to give it. And the new numbers tomorrow are expected to be even higher.”
Tory MP Paul Bristow thrown out of PMQs
12:11 , Lydia Chantler-Hicks
Conservative MP Paul Bristow (Peterborough) has been ordered to leave Prime Minister’s Questions by Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle..
Starmer takes swipe at Braverman, saying PM ‘needs a reality check'
12:17 , Lydia Chantler-Hicks
Sir Keir Starmer has taken a swipe at Home Secretary Suella Braverman and the controversy surrounding the way she handled her speeding fine.
The Labour leader told the Commons the Conservatives’ policies are ‘holding working people back”.
“But fear not because speeding into the void left by the Prime Minister comes the Home Secretary, not with a plan for skills, growth or wages no her big idea is for British workers to become fruit pickers,” he said. “Does the Prime Miniser support this ‘let them pick fruit’ ambition or does he wish he had the strength to give her a career change of her own?”
“The Home Secretary may need a speed awareness course. He needs a reality check,” he added, gesturing towards the Prime Minister.
Starmer calls for Conservatives to take action on immigration figures
12:19 , Lydia Chantler-Hicks
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer asked why Suella Braverman has a problem “coping with points-based systems”.
He told the Commons: “The Prime Minister stood on three Tory manifestos, each one promised to reduce immigration. Each promise broken. They (Conservative backbenchers) all stood on those manifestos as well.
“Why does he think his Home Secretary seems to have such a problem coping with points-based systems?”
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “Just this week we announced the biggest every single measure to tackle legal migration, removing the right for international students to bring dependents, toughening the rules on post-study work, and reviewing maintenance requirements.
“But what is (Sir Keir’s) contribution? There are absolutely no ideas… absolutely no semblance that there would be any control. Why? Because he believes in an open-door migration policy.”
PM: We’re doing everything we can to help people cope with cost-of-living crisis
12:22 , Lydia Chantler-Hicks
Probed on the cost-of-living crisis and sky-high food inflation by SNP members, the Prime Minister was jeered as he said: “We’re doing everything we can to help consumers manage the challenges of the cost-of-living.”
Starmer suggests immigration policy encouraging businesses to hire from overseas
12:24 , Lydia Chantler-Hicks
Sir Keir Starmer has asked Rishi Sunak if he thinks his policy is encouraging businesses to train people “here or hire from abroad”.
The Labour leader said: “If anyone wants to see what uncontrolled immigration looks like, all they have got to do is wake up tomorrow morning, listen to the headlines and see what this Government…”
Sir Keir was interrupted by Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle, who ordered Conservative MP Paul Bristow (Peterborough) to leave PMQs after he seemed to be heckling.
Skill shortage and low wages are behind high immigration figures - Starmer
12:25 , Lydia Chantler-Hicks
The Labour leader continued: “The reason [the Government is] issuing so many visas is labour and skill shortages.
“And the reason there are shortages is the low-wage Tory economy. Under his Government’s rules, businesses in IT, engineering, healthcare, architecture, welding can pay foreign workers 20 per cent less than British workers for years and years on end. Does he think his policy is encouraging businesses to train people here or hire from abroad?”
The Prime Minister replied: “He talks about immigration but we know his position because it turns out that Labour would actually like to see even more people coming to the UK, increasing the numbers.
“It’s not just my view, those are the words of his own frontbencher who said ‘having a target is insensible and that the numbers might have to go up’.”
Starmer says PM has ‘lost control’ of economy and immigration
12:31 , Lydia Chantler-Hicks
Sir Keir Starmer has said Rishi Sunak should get “serious” about wages in Britain if he was serious about “weaning his Government off the immigration lever”.
The Labour leader told the Commons: “They have lost control of the economy, they have lost control of public services and now they have lost control of immigration. And if he was serious about weaning his Government off the immigration lever, he would get serious about wages in Britain and get serious about skills and training.”
Sir Keir said the “apprenticeship levy is not working” and that Labour would give businesses more flexibility so they can “train up their staff”, adding: “Why won’t he?”
The Prime Minister replied: “It’s right that we are talking about education and skills. What he failed mentioned, it’s just in the past week what did we discover? Thanks to the reforms of the Conservative Government, our young people are now the best readers in the Western world.”
Rishi Sunak also pointed to the latest International Monetary Fund (IMF) forecast, which “raised our growth forecast by one of the highest they have ever done”.
PM accused of receiving funding from large energy firms
12:39 , Lydia Chantler-Hicks
The Prime Minister said he hoped energy bills would soon be coming down, as he faced accusations he received funding from large energy companies.
Labour MP Anna McMorrin (Cardiff North) told the Commons: “While the Prime Minister...hands oil and gas companies the likes of BP and Shell £11.4 billion in tax breaks, he scraps the energy price guarantee scheme, plunging record numbers of people into poverty.
“Is it just a coincidence that these same energy giants funded the Prime Minister’s leadership campaign? Or is he simply out of touch?”
Rishi Sunak replied: “What we are doing is taxing the windfall profits of energy companies, and using that money to help pay around half of a typical household’s energy bill.
“That support is worth £1,500. It was extended in the Budget by the Chancellor, and we all look forward to energy bills coming down, which hopefully will be happening very soon.”
WATCH: Sir Keir Starmer probes Prime Minister over Suella Braverman row
12:41 , Lydia Chantler-Hicks
The row over high-level immigration figures explained
12:56 , Lydia Chantler-Hicks
Sir Keir Starmer’s interrogration for the Prime Minister over high immigration comes as new figures due to be released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) tomorrow, showing legal migration reached at least 700,000 in the 12 months to December 2022.
UK Home Office data shows that, as of May 15, 174,200 migrants have arrived in the UK as part of the Government’s Ukraine Scheme, which was set up in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Meanwhile, 105,200 migrants arrived from Hong Kong between January 31, 2021, and the end of December 2022, following the Government’s decision to open new immigration routes in response to China’s passing of its National Security Law.
Other factors affecting net migration may include the end of Covid-19 travel restrictions, the resettlement of Afghan refugees and students arriving from outside the European Union.
The Conservatives have previously promised to bring net migration below 100,000 a year, but ditched the target ahead of the 2019 election after repeatedly failing to meet it.
The Prime Minister on Tuesday announced plans to ban overseas students, apart from postgraduates on research programmes, from bringing dependants to the UK from January 2024 in a bid to curb net migration.
Rishi Sunak told his Cabinet that around 136,000 visas were granted to dependants in 2022 - an eightfold increase from 16,000 in 2019.
Suella Braverman said the student visa curbs will have a “tangible impact” on net migration, but Professor Brian Bell - a senior Government adviser on immigration - disagreed.
Speaking to Times Radio, the chairman of the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) said: “If you want to get net migration down to the tens of thousands, this won’t get you there
“If you look at the figures, the reason that net migration is rising this year in particular, is because of deliberate government policy.”
As stressed by Sir Keir at PMQs, Prof Bell also suggested low wages are a major obstacle to tackling net migration and said paying vocational and unskilled workers “properly” would help immigration to “naturally fall”.
WATCH: Tory MP gets thrown out of PMQs for heckling
12:59 , Lydia Chantler-Hicks
Video shows the moment Conservative MP Paul Bristow was ordered to leave Prime Minister’s Questions after being accused of repeated heckling by Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle.
The Peterborough MP was made to leave the Commons chamber after fewer than five minutes of the weekly clash between Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer.
Mr Bristow told the PA news agency afterwards: “I got a little over-excited.”
He had been among those heard shouting in response, as Sir Keir criticised the Government for allowing “uncontrolled migration”.
Sir Lindsay intervened to say: “Mr Bristow, I think you’re going to be leaving. I am asking you to leave now because otherwise I’ll name you.”
‘Naming of a member’ is a term used to describe the disciplining of an MP for breaking the rules of the Commons.
Sir Lindsay did not enact the formal disciplinary procedure but told Mr Bristow: “I’m not having it and I’ve warned you before. It’s the same people.”
Mr Bristow left the chamber to cheers and shouts of “bye” from those on the opposition
PM asked why more ‘promising businesses’ leaving UK
13:42 , Miriam Burrell
Lib Dem MP Sarah Olney challenged Rishi Sunak as to “why he thinks more and more promising businesses are choosing to leave the UK?”
A photovoltaics company, Oxford PV, a product of Oxford University, said that they would be looking to list in either New York or Hong Kong as the UK was the ‘least attractive’ market.
Former business secretaries have criticised the Government for their lack of a defined industrial strategy.
The last strategy was scrapped by Mr Sunak, then Chancellor, in March 2021 with a replacement yet to be announced.
Ms Olney said: “For too long, British businesses have been constrained by red-tape. Rather than ideological rhetoric, we need to see the introduction of a clear industrial strategy to get the British economy growing again.”
Live coverage ends here
14:44 , Lydia Chantler-Hicks
Our live coverage of PMQs ends here. Thanks for following along.
For a full look at today’s politics stories, click here.
