Independent Media | Campaigning Journalism
After a night of historic humiliation, Theresa May makes a fatal error at prime minister’s questions
After a night of historic humiliation, Theresa May made a fatal error at Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs) on 5 December. Jeremy Corbyn slammed the prime minister after she openly laughed at insecurity and poverty in Britain. May’s widely condemned behaviour came the day after MPs found her government in contempt of parliament.
Corbyn is right to be angry at Theresa May for laughing as he talks of a decade of wage stagnation during #PMQs.
there's nothing funny about a decade of job insecurity and people struggling (more here https://t.co/wKI343dTn9) pic.twitter.com/uGRNQOwxbI
— Michael Segalov (@MikeSegalov) December 5, 2018
“The reality of people’s lives”
Corbyn said:
The chief economist at the Bank of England describes the last decade as a ‘lost decade’ for wages…
And then, noticing May’s reaction, he added angrily:
Well the prime minister might laugh at this. It’s the reality of people’s lives.
From the financial crash in 2007 until 2015, real wages (accounting for inflation) in the UK fell by 10.4%. And it hasn’t improved. Real wages continue to fall as Britain dwells rock bottom in the wage growth league.
Still, May seems to think austerity and falling wages are something to laugh at. Corresponding to the drop in living standards, life expectancy in Britain stalled in 2018 for the first time since records began.
And the night before May’s shocker in the Commons, the government made yet more history. May’s administration became the first to be found in contempt of parliament, after trying to ignore a binding vote from MPs to publish legal advice on Brexit.
On social media, few were impressed:
Not a good look when Theresa May is accused of laughing at claims there has been no wage growth for a decade #PMQs
— Shehab Khan (@ShehabKhan) December 5, 2018
During #PMQs Theresa May laughed and jeered with her cronies when Jeremy Corbyn mentioned poverty. The Prime Minister, the supposed leader of the UK, is laughing at poverty. How is this not being utterly condemned by the media? How is this not a BBC news headline?
— Jack Turner 🌹| #GTTO 🚮 (@JacketPotato97) December 5, 2018
.@theresa_may Laughing at the plight of Disabled People at #pmqs.
How can anyone vote for that. #GTTO ✊🌹
— Labour_now_uk #GTTO (@labour_now_uk) December 5, 2018
Watching the Tory frontbench jeering and laughing at #PMQs as @jeremycorbyn speaks about people struggling on Universal Credit and forced to rely on foodbanks is sickening.
This is the reality for many of the people I represent, and it is no laughing matter. https://t.co/C4NLYTdLws
— Dan Carden MP (@DanCardenMP) December 5, 2018
The Cabinet laughing at those struggling on Universal Credit and using foodbanks is really not a good look #PMQs
— Paula Sherriff MP (@paulasherriff) December 5, 2018
One day, the prime minister is holding parliament in contempt; the next, she’s holding working people in contempt – people who are facing hardships she can’t even imagine.
Let’s bin May and the Tories. Now.
Featured image via YouTube – ITV News
We need your help ...
The coronavirus pandemic is changing our world, fast. And we will do all we can to keep bringing you news and analysis throughout. But we are worried about maintaining enough income to pay our staff and minimal overheads.
Now, more than ever, we need a vibrant, independent media that holds the government to account and calls it out when it puts vested economic interests above human lives. We need a media that shows solidarity with the people most affected by the crisis – and one that can help to build a world based on collaboration and compassion.
We have been fighting against an establishment that is trying to shut us down. And like most independent media, we don’t have the deep pockets of investors to call on to bail us out.
Can you help by chipping in a few pounds each month?
Support us -
Show Comments
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to leave a comment.Join the conversationPlease read our comment moderation policy here.
This woman is beneath contempt so are the Tory MPs who laughed and jeered with her. What can I say about the people who voted her in? There are no words that express my disgust.