PMQs – live: Angela Rayner says Tories ‘obsessed’ with her council house row in fiery battle with Dowden

Deputy prime Minister Oliver Dowden has been asked who he believes caused instability in the UK economy.

During PMQs, Labour MP Jeff Smith (Manchester, Withington) said: “Earlier on in the session (Mr Dowden) said that when the prime minister and chancellor took office they restored stability to the UK economy, who does he think caused the instability?”

Deputy prime minister Oliver Dowden replied: “They might want to forget it but I remember the day the Conservatives came into office in 2010 and what was the note left on the desk of the chief secretary – ‘there is no money left’.

“That is the challenge that we have addressed through the prime minister and chancellor successively.”

Ministers were urged to condemn reports of mass graves at bombed out hospitals in Gaza as war crimes.

Mhairi Black, the SNP’s deputy Westminster leader, told the Commons: “Two years ago when mass graves were discovered in Ukraine, this House united in condemnation and rightly treated this graves as evidence of war crimes, which Russia must be made to answer for.

“Yesterday, Palestinian officials uncovered two mass graves outside the bombed hospitals in Gaza. These graves also constitute as war crimes don’t they?”

Deputy prime Minister Oliver Dowden replied: “Well of course we would expect the democratic government of Israel to investigate any allegations of misconduct and that is exactly what they do, and it is exactly what the Foreign Secretary and the Prime Minister urge them to do.

“But I find it quite extraordinary that she seeks to draw parallels between the legitimate war of self defence of Israel and the conduct of Russia.”

Watch the exchange below:

A Labour MP has shared a photoshopped image of Rishi Sunak next to one of his very tall colleagues after Angela Rayner called the prime minister “pint-sized”.

Christian Wakeford, who defected to Labour in 2022, shared on X an image of the PM next to Daniel Kawczynski MP , altered to exaggerate the height difference between the two.

Mr Kawczynski is 6ft 9 in while the PM is 5ft 6in.

Labour’s deputy leader Angela Rayner has accused the government of delaying justice for those being served no-fault evictions.

During Deputy Prime Minister’s Questions, Ms Rayner said: “He clearly thought he could spend all week obsessing over my living arrangements and didn’t even bother to read-up on his own government’s Bill this afternoon.

“The reality is, he caved into vested interests on his backbenches and delayed justice for people like Natalie. This week the housing minister said there is no solid date for banning no fault evictions, the housing secretary (Michael Gove) now says it won’t happen before an election, so if he can give us a date, can he name it now?”

Deputy prime minister Oliver Dowden replied: “I can name the date for (Ms Rayner), today. It’s today that this house will be voting on it. And I’m confident that in line with our manifesto we will deliver on that commitment.”

Rayner claims Tories have replaced their best-ever election winner with a “pint-sized loser”.

She also accused deputy prime minister Oliver Dowden of stabbing Boris Johnson in the back.

She says that after 14 years the Tories have failed renters, failed lease-holders and failed mortgage-holders.

Rayner claims Dowden has spent all week reading about her living arrangements but failed to get up to speed on no fault evictions.

Labour deputy claims her opposite number and his colleagues have “caved” to vested interests.

Dowden replies saying it is a pleasure to have another exchange with Rayner.

He notes it is one of several between the two deputies and jokes that if there are any more she might claim the Commons chamber as her residence.

On the issue of no fault evictions, he adds, MPs will be voting on the matter later today and insists the government is taking action.

Rayner uses her first question to tackle Dowden on the government’s housing record.

She says that Natalie from Brighton has been served with two no fault eviction notices in 18 months.

Rayner asks Dowden when the Tories will start tackling the issue instead of focusing on her living arrangements.