'Labour wrong, wrong, wrong' Theresa May SAVAGES Corbyn after claims he'd be PM by Xmas
THERESA May and Jeremy Corbyn have gone head-to-head for the last time in 2017 this afternoon hours after Michel Barnier revealed the Brexit transition will end by December 2020.
"You said you'd be PM by Christmas" May tells Corbyn in PMQs
The House of Commons will be sitting tomorrow before MPs adjourn for the last time this year but today is the last day with a full parliamentary schedule.
And with Christmas just around the corner, they are likely to give a full theatrical display as they practice their boos and cheers for pantomime season.
Topics expected to be debated include plans for a Brexit end-game and Theresa May’s insistence she will achieve a bespoke deal.
Donald Trump may also get a mention, after the White House has said it will announce details "soon" of the president's proposed visit to the UK.
Today’s debate also comes as a damning report by the cross-party Public Accounts Committee (PAC) said ministerial attempts to solve the “national homelessness crisis” had ended in “abject failure”.
Mrs May will also make appearance at the Liaison Committee today - the only Commons committee able to compel the Prime Minister to attend.
Today’s debate comes during the last day of the EU withdrawal bill’s committee stage debate.
Votes are expected at around 5pm and then further votes at 9pm.
Express.co.uk will be bringing you live updates from PMQs this afternoon. See below.
12.50pm: And that's it for the year! The final pantomime of 2017 is over as the last PMQs of the year concludes.
The huge final debate of the year lasted a whopping 50 minutes with a lot of MPs leaving the chamber before it finished.
12.47pm: She was asked again to repeat her assurance on the end date.
She said: "If it were the case to be used, it would be for the shortest possible time. We are not talking about extensions."
Bercow has to step in amid shouts from the crowd, telling May to face her audience.
12.46pm: Julian Lewis asks May to confirm that the Oliver Letwin amendment to the EU withdrawal bill, allowing the government to change the Brexit date, would only be used in exceptional circumstances.
She said: "We will be leaving on 29 March 2019.
"The bill going through does not determine when UK leaves the EU and its important we have the same position legally as the EU."
12.44pm: Asked what her position is on the SNP looking to raise taxes on "hard working Scots", Mrs May said what the party is proposing is 1.2 million people earning more than £26,000 paying "more tax than people in England".
She said: "If the SNP government got its own house in order it could not put that extra tax burden on people."
12.42pm: Asked about the tratment of small businesses by the Royal Bank of Scotland, Mrs May said this issue is being looked into but she recognised the concerns.
12.40pm: Geoffrey Clifton-Brown asks about the City of London's bespoke Brexit deal and Brexit, and Michel Barnier’s comments.
Mrs May says Barnier has made a number of comments and the government is sure it wants the City to maintain its position as a global centre of excellence.
12.38pm: "In the season of goodwill", she was asked if she can fix the free school meals being lost.
But she said under Tory plans, more children will have access to meals.
And speaking about her Brexit plans, Mrs May says: “We want to see a free trade agreement negotiated with the EU. We also want free trade agreements with other countries around the world.
"We’re believers in free trade, we believe it brings security and economic prosperity to the country."
12.37pm: The government was again attacked with one MP saying "social mobility is getting worse not better".
She replied: "The SM action plan will play an important role to help people get on in life. That’s what the Sutton Trust have said.
"It is a good plan, it will make a real difference to young people’s lives."
12.34pm: Suella Fernandes asked about a local college in her constituency - which May congratulated.
12.32pm: Labour's Laura Pidcock attacks May over school funding.
Being asked not to stand up and say there is more money going into education, May joked: "She has asked me to say this but there is more money going into our schools, that's the reality.
"We’ve protected the public premium to protect those who need it most. Parents are looking for the quality of education that is provided.”
12.28pm: Having been suggested she name her stuffed Christmas goose either Michael or Boris, she said: "I think I'll be having to resist the temptation to call the goose Jeremy."
12.27pm: Mrs May was then asked about female health issues, asked if she could assure MPs woman do not feel they are "left behnd or forgotten"
She rpelied: "These are important issues that have had a really impact on women's lives, where women want answers and I can assure you we will continue to listen and see what we can do so we don't see women suffering.
"We will keep that focus."
Speaker John Bercow also made an aside, as he said he was looking forward to attending wedding of Conservative MPs Jack Lopresti and Andrea Jenkyns at the weekend.
The PM echoed his sentiment but said she won't be able to make it.
12.24pm: Sir Geoffrey Donaldson asks the PM to commit not to entering into an agreement with the EU that excludes Gibraltar from elements of the withdrawal - such as the transition period.
Mrs May said Gibraltar will not be excluded from Brexit transition period saying: “We’re not going to exclude Gibraltar from our negotiations, either in the transition period or after. I can give you that assurance.”
She then moved on to discuss dairy in schools, as she comended the work of Britain's dairy farmers.
12.22pm: Next up, Mrs May said defence was the first responsibility of government as she again committed to her NATO pledge.
12.19pm: The SNP's Westminster leader Ian Blackford calls on the Prime Minister to "show some leadership," and stop RBS bank closures in Scotland.
Ian Blackford urged Theresa May to bring RBS chief executive Ross McEwan into 10 Downing Street and "tell him that you're going to stand up for the national interest".
Mrs May hit back stating that the decision on individual bank branches was "of course" an operational decision for the bank.
She argued it was a "bit rich" of the SNP to speak of standing up for communities when the Scottish Government was "going to increase taxes for 1.2 million Scots".
12.18pm: Lashing out at Corbyn after extensive sabre-rattling over the NHS, Mrs May said: "Not that long ago he said he would be PM by Christmas. He was wrong, I am and the Tories are in Government. Not that long ago he said we wouldn’t deliver on phase one of Brexit but he was wrong - we are moving on.
"And not that long ago he predicted the budget would be a failure but it is delivering more money for our NHS.
"Labour: Wrong wrong wrong. The Conservatives are delivering a Britain fit for the future."
PMQs: May SLAMS Corbyn for complaining about NHS funding
12.13pm: Hitting out at Mr Corbyn over the struggling NHS service in Wales, led by a Labour national sssembly, she said: "We are seeing more training places for our GPs. The standard on A&E in Wales was last met in 2008… Let me think, which party is in Government in Wales? Is it the Conservative Party? No, it’s Labour.
"He should look at what the labour party are delivering before he comes here and complains."
12.06pm: Jeremy Corbyn took his moment in the spotlight to wish everyone a Happy Christmas also, as he paid tribute to our "very hard working NHS staff who wont get a break this Christmas".
He asked if Mrs May was satisifed the NHS had resources it needs over Christmas this year.
She replied: "The health services has prepared more extensively then ever before to ensure timely care for patients."
Corbyn lashed back saying 50,000 were left waiting on hospital corridors last month alone, as 12,000 patients were kept waiting in the back of an ambualnce with no room in A&E.
He asked the question about reosurces again.
Mrs May said: "NHS funding is at record levels and in the Autumn budget we put some extra funding in this winter.
"Time after time he comes to this houses and complains about the health service. Can I just say to him what is happening, we see now 7million more diagnsotic tests than 7 years ago, 2.2million more people getting operations and cancer survival rates at the highest level.
"It means more people getting the treatement they need."
Prime Minister Theresa May heads to the @HouseofCommons from Number 10 for the last #PMQs of 2017 pic.twitter.com/5VPPYu97Uk
— UK Prime Minister (@Number10gov) December 20, 2017
12.05pm: Her second quetsion comes about the green belt, and Guildford Council's plan to build on such protected land.
Mrs May said he was right to raise the issue, saying a local authority may only impeach on the green belt boundary under exceptional circumstances.
12.02pm: Theresa May began by wishing a Happy Christmas to MPs and all Britain's armed forces overseas.
In the first question, the PM was quizzed on the "tragedy of children falling into the poverty line" with more than 2,500 children waking up on Christmas Day homleess.
The PM said "this government has lifted thousands out of absolute poverty". And she said it was important to be clear that families with children who are accepted as homeless will be provided with accomodation.
12.01pm: PMQs is about to kick off now... get ready for our live coverage of the debate.
11.50am: Theresa May has left No 10 for PMQs for the last time in 2017 as Parliament prepares to adjourn before Christmas.
Downing Street has issued a striking photo of the prime minster as she heads from her home to the House of Commons to face Jeremy Corbyn in the last PMqs of the year.
Traditionally, the Christmas PMQs tends to be a slightly more light-hearted affair - with a few terrible jokes worthy of a Christmas cracker liekly to be thrown in for good measure.
However with the Brexit bill debate coming up this evening, Corbyn could take his chance to sink a jibe into May before the festive break.