PMQ: The Reopening of Schools and a leadership Divide

Key topics addressed today were those of how the government plans to respond the Windrush scandal and the mistreatment of BAME Britons, brief questions about how the UK will respond to China’s “overt rejection of the rules of international fair play,” and finally, how the UK plans to reopen schools and protect its children. 

Opposition leader, Keir Starmer, began by addressing the oppression of BAME Britons, asking that the PM “turbocharge” response to the Windrush Scandal. Johnson was vague in his response but emphasised that his priority is to “keep our streets safe and back our police,” a timely but controversial statement considering the Black Lives Matter protests in and around London and calls for police reform in the US. 

Starmer moved into addressing government policy on Covid-19, remarking that since the last PMQ on June 3rd, total British lives lost to Covid-19 had surpassed 40,000. Johnson responded defensively, stating that Starmer was “repeatedly” and prematurely bringing up the UK’s death toll week after week. Johnson also “strongly disagree[d]” with Starmer, claiming that the UK’s response, specifically that of the NHS, was “astonishing.” 

Starmer then asked the PM about his response to setting up a national taskforce to organise the return of British children to school. Johnson deflected, rather answering with an attack on Starmer’s position and stating that “since he’s so fond of international comparisons,” he should recognise that there are some EU nations who have not sent children back to school. Johnson did not give an explicit answer as to when or how Britons would return to school, nor did he address the increasing inequality that COVID-19 has created in education. 

Finally, Starmer claimed that it was time for the PM to “take responsibility for his own failures”on the handling of reopening the nation. Overall, the conversation between Starmer and Johnson was marred by largely personal attacks between them, a cacophonous House of Commons, and little actual progress made on any government policy issue. 

Johnson’s closing remarks to Starmer drove a deeper wedge between them and their party lines, with the PM stating that “We’re sticking to our plan of May the 11th, [...] it’s a plan that’s working and will continue to work, Mr. Speaker, with or without the assistance of the right Honourable Gentleman opposite me.” 

The PMQ then moved into general questions from MPs around the nation.