MPs sum up May’s legacy in penultimate PMQs

By Pa
July 18, 2019

LONDON: MPs have delivered their verdicts on Theresa May’s legacy during her penultimate Prime Minister’s Questions. Tory Sir Roger Gale (North Thanet) backed the Prime Minister’s record in office and claimed the history books would be “kinder” about her legacy than that of her opponents.

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He said: “My right honourable friend is one of only three prime ministers upon whose watch a world cup has been brought home.

“She and her husband were lucky enough to be able to watch that wonderful team effort. He questioned whether May would “allow herself the luxury of considering that history is likely to treat her captaincy rather more kindly than it will treat those who have campaigned against her”.

May said: “Can I thank my honourable friend and thank him for the support that he has shown me and the government in the work that we have been putting forward.

“I was very pleased to be able to be there for the whole of the World Cup final on Sunday. It was nerve-wracking, it was nail-biting, but our team brought it home and many congratulations once again to them.”

Labour MP Sharon Hodgson (Washington and Sunderland West) said despite the Prime Minister’s ambition to tackle inequality, nothing has changed. She said: “When the Prime Minister made her first speech in Downing Street she said she would fight against the burning injustices of inequality. Three years on, nothing has changed”.

Hodgson urged the Prime Minister to use her final days in office to offer children entitled to free school meals access to food during the school holidays as a “lasting legacy”. Responding, May said: “Around 50,000 disadvantaged children in 11 local authority areas will be offered free meals and activities over the summer holidays.

“That is going to be funded by £9 million from the Department for Education.”

SNP MP Kirstie Blackman (Aberdeen North) said the Prime Minister should be ashamed of her legacy on people who have been trafficked to the UK. She said: “The Prime Minister claims to care about people’s lives who have been destroyed by law and slavery. She claims her work in this area will be part of her legacy - it is a legacy to be ashamed of.”

Blackman quoted a Buzzfeed investigation that showed “only 16 of 326 child victims of modern slavery had their discretionary leave visas approved in the 20 months to December 2018.” She added: “This cruel and callous hostile environment is the Prime Minister’s legacy. Will she apologise or hang her head in shame?”

The Prime Minister said: “We do of course constantly look at how we can improve our response to modern slavery. I have to say to the honourable lady I make no apology for introducing the Modern Slavery Act.

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