After his best performance as leader at PMQs last week, Jeremy Corbyn was back to his lacklustre self today. He again went on academies. But after having got Cameron to say that there would be a bill to make all schools academies in the Queen’s Speech, he failed to press on. By the end of Corbyn’s six questions, Cameron was visibly relaxed. Though, it was telling how the Tory benches go rather quiet when this subject comes up.
Labour had a glimpse of what they could have had when Yvette Cooper questioned Cameron on child refugees. Cooper argued, passionately, that these unaccompanied child refugees in Europe are not safe and that Cameron’s position on the issue shames the Commons and the country. Now, you couldn’t hear Cameron’s response because of the roars and applause from the Labour and SNP benches. But the government’s argument that anything which encourages more people to put themselves, and especially their children, in the hands of people smugglers is not a good idea deserves more consideration than it is being given.
For the most part, Cameron was in light hearted mood at today’s session. He ticked Chris Bryant off for interrupting so much, saying he won’t be elected speaker if he carries on like that, and mocked Nigel Farage for how he pronounces his name. But there was a change of tone when the comments of the Labour MP Naz Shah about deporting all Israelis to America came up. Cameron made clear that he thoughts the remarks were anti-Semitic and that she should lose the Labour whip and never get it back. As Cameron made this point, the Labour front bench looked beyond glum.
Afterwards, Corbyn’s spokesman said that Shah’s remarks had been anti-Semitic but that she was not herself anti-Semitic. But if Shah does continue as a Labour MP, it will be impossible not to conclude that under Jeremy Corbyn making an anti-Semitic remark does not result in the Labour whip being withdrawn.
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