Key points
The Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn, questioned the prime minister on what he and the chancellor, George Osborne, were doing to reassure businesses that might be considering relocating, on the increase in hate crimes since the referendum and whether inequality had led to the result.
Considering the political heat around both leaders in the wake of last week’s vote, it was an oddly low key but quietly revealing debate. There was one new policy announcement and a memorable line when David Cameron called on Corbyn to follow his lead and resign.
Corbyn asked the prime minister about monitoring hate crimes. Cameron responded by revealing plans for a new action plan, which will be published soon to help police forces and local communities tackle hate crimes. He said he had reassured the Polish, Romanian and Czech prime ministers at the EU summit that his government was dealing with this.
Snap verdict
It was one of Corbyn’s best PMQs performances for some time. There was some irony in hearing Corbyn ask about the economic damage caused by the Brexit vote – because during the campaign he suggested that George Osborne’s warnings about the economic impact of Brexit were exaggerated and implausible – but he asked direct, pertinent questions and obtained relatively informative, interesting replies.
It was only towards the end that Corbyn broadened it out, and asked two questions attacking Cameron’s record more generally. At this point Cameron’s real feelings started to show. He criticised Corbyn for not doing enough to campaign for a remain vote (echoing a point made by many in the Labour party) and then he let rip at the end with a soundbite with vague echoes of Leo Amery in the Norway debate that led to the resignation of Neville Chamberlain (quoting Oliver Cromwell’s speech dissolving the Rump parliament): “You have sat too long here for any good you have been doing. Depart, I say, and let us have done with you. In the name of God, go.” (That was Amery, of course; Cameron’s was a diluted version.)
In light of the fact that Corbyn was better than usual today, this pre-cooked barb was a little undeserved, but that won’t stop it sounding effective when he appears on the TV news.
Memorable lines
Cameron to Corbyn:
For heaven’s sake man, go.
