Boris Johnson was cut off mid sentence during Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs) by the Speaker of the House Sir Lyndsay Hoyle, for deliberately “winding up” SNP Westminster leader.
Sir Lyndsay stepped in during PMQs when the Prime Minister addressed Ian Blackford who had called his response “pathetic” over a £20 uplift for Universal Credit.
Blackford asked Johnson if he will increase the benefit to help tackle child poverty, but the Prime Minister made no comment and praised his party as they have tried to look after people.
Johnson then accused Blackford of becoming more left-wing, he said, “There is a profound philosophical difference between him and me because the SNP is morphing to ever more left-wing party that believes fundamentally that it is the duty of the taxpayer to pay for more and more and more.”
Johnson said that the Tories want to get more people into jobs, then the Speaker cut him off.
Sir Lyndsay told Johnson, “We both know you’re teasing him and trying to wind up the leader of the SNP, please let’s drop it.”
The SNP Westminster MP revealed to MPs via video link that 1.3m children under fiver are living in poverty across the UK.
Blackford said, “This is a truly shocking figure that should make this Tory Government utterly ashamed.
“The Scottish National Party has repeatedly called for a financial package to boost household incomes and reverse this Tory child poverty crisis.
Blackford added, “The Tory Government’s been stalling on this for months, will the Prime Minister finally act or will he leave millions of children out in the cold?”
Johnson said in response, “I think that the whole House and this country should be proud of the way we’ve tried to look after people, the poorest and neediest families, throughout the country, not just with Universal Credit which the party opposite would actually abolish but by helping vulnerable people with their food and their heating bills, the £170m winter grant scheme, looking after people with the free school meal vouchers.
“And as I’ve said before, we will put our arms around the people of this entire country throughout the pandemic.”
Blackford said, “Will the Prime Minister agree to meet with me and other opposition parties ahead of the Budget for an urgent summit on tackling child poverty or will he be yet another Tory prime minister who leaves a generation of children languishing in poverty?”
Johnson replied with, “I must say that I reject entirely what (Blackford) has just said because I don’t believe that any government could have done more to help the people of this country throughout this pandemic and we will continue to do so.”
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