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.

https://twitter.com/MikeSegalov/status/1070293664474243073

“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 ITV (@ShehabKhan) December 5, 2018

https://twitter.com/JacketPotato97/status/1070297049613115392

https://twitter.com/labour_now_uk/status/1070292322397638656

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 (@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 🧡🌹 (@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