Politics latest: Starmer comes under attack over 'convicted fraudster' ex-minister (2025)

Loveday Ryder, chief executive of the DVSA, which runs driving tests, tells MPs most verbal and physical assaults on driving examiners take place at the end of the test, during the debrief.

This is when people are told if they have passed or not.

Transport minister Lillian Greenwood suggests results could be provided over email after the test finishes to solve this issues, but admits this might not be popular.

Ms Ryder tells the Transport Select Committee in parliament there was a spike in assaults during COVID, largely because they chose to end tests as soon as people failed and learners felt frustrated they had paid for the whole 40 minutes.

Ms Ryder says assaults fell when they stopped doing that but there are too many assaults.

She says call centre staff are frequently verbally assaulted over the phone due to people being frustrated because of long waiting times for tests, which we earlier reported are at 24 weeks for most areas.

Earlier in the session, the PCS civil servants' union industrial officer told MPs examiners are regularly being assaulted.

She said one examiner was left in hospital, while a female examiner had a person accompanying the learner masturbating in the back of the car during the test.

The government remains committed to making Britain the fastest-growing G7 economy, Downing Street has said.

Asked about the "mission", the prime minister's spokesman said it is the "number one priority of this government".

He said: "You have heard the PM repeatedly say that the growth mission is the number one priority of this government and its obviously welcome news that today the OECD has upgraded the UK growth forecasts, which means the UK economy is forecast to grow faster than Germany, France, Italy and Japan over the next three years.

"And the reason that's important is because it is growth that drives living standards and the government's been clear that we want to see the benefits of growth to be felt by working people across the country."

Asked to repeat the prime minister's previous pledge to make the UK the fastest-growing economy in the G7, the spokesman said: "We remain committed to that mission."

Victoria Atkins, the shadow environment secretary, is now on her feet in the House of Commons, kicking off a debate on the divisive farming inheritance tax.

There were significant protests in Westminster against the policy last month. It would see farmers have to pay tax on inherited agricultural assets worth more than £1m.

You can watch the debate here - and we'll bring you any major updates.

Scottish Nationalist MPs Pete Wishart and Kirsty Blackman zeroed in some of the tension between the priorities of Labour in Westminster and the priorities of Labour in Scotland at PMQs.

It emerged last month that Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar would bring back universal winter fuel payments in Scotland if he becomes First Minister at Holyrood after the next elections there in 2026.

They were axed by Rachel Reeves just weeks after the election, but are a devolved issue in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

This all puts Scottish Labour MPs in a tight spot, given the difference in the Scottish party position and the Westminster government position.

There may be more of this in the coming months, owing to the mismatch between the UK and Scottish election cycles.

Sir Keir Starmer plans to get the bad news and tough decisions out of the way in the next year or two, clearing the way for more positive announcements in the run-up to the next general election in 2029.

That won't work for Scottish Labour though, who are fighting for Holyrood seats in May 2026.

Expect the SNP - who are on the backfoot electorally - to pick up on every piece of bad news emanating from Westminster and try to pin it to Labour representatives north of the border.

Lola McEvoy, the Labour MP, notes concerns about the future of the UK's rail industry - and asks for assurances that trains will get back on track.

Today, the government committed to bring three rail operators under public control in 2025.

Sir Keir Starmer says: "We are delivering on our commitment to bring our railways back under public ownership, putting passengers first."

He notes that South Western Railways will be the first to be nationalised.

This will "turn the page on decades of delay, fragmentation and failure."

That brings today's Prime Minister's Questions to an end.

Shockat Adam, who represents Leicester South, says pensioners in his constituency are "scared" during the winter, something he says is made worse by Labour's cut to the fuel allowance.

"As he knows the number one job of this government was to get our finances back in order after the mess the last government made... we had to take tough choices," Sir Keir Starmer says.

He says in the long run, pensioners will be better off under his administration.

"Because we are stabilising the economy, we can commit to the triple lock. That's a £460 uplift in the pension next year, so every pensioner will be better off under a Labour government."

As predicted, Kemi Badenoch moves on from the more acutely political topics of the week to ones of policy.

Her line of questioning is around a pledge made by Labour to turn Britain into the fastest growing economy in the G7.

There have been rumblings this ambitious target could be watered down, with Sir Keir Starmer due to give a big speech tomorrow.

The attack from the Tory leader doesn't quite have the impact she'd have hoped for, though.

Labour has an easy out on issues like this, given the catastrophic economic impact of Liz Truss's brief premiership.

That said, with many businesses lining up against tax changes in October's budget - it's not a straight forward topic for the government.

Questions around what's to come may have proved more productive for Ms Badenoch, given the mixed messages coming out from the Treasury on the potential for more tax rises during the rest of this parliament.

Pete Wishart, for the SNP, points out that the Scottish budget will be delivered today.

He says Scottish Labour is now in favour of winter fuel payments, after the Labour government opted to scrap them for millions of pensioners.

"What's his advice to Labour MSPs - is it to vote for the budget... or is it to stick with his view and vote that budget down?"

Sir Keir Starmer says: "We have given them the biggest settlement to Scotland this year under our budget.

"They now have powers, they have the resources, they have no more excuses for the failure to deliver."

Next up to ask a question is MP for Scarborough and Whitby Alison Hume, who brings up the Gregg Wallace scandal.

"Given that a significant number of members in this place are, regardless of class, women of a certain age," she begins, referring to a video the MasterChef presenter posted on social media on Sunday about his accusers.

"Would the prime minister agree with me that when a woman of a certain age, or indeed any woman of any age [and] from any background, says they have experienced sexual harassment or inappropriate behaviour, they should be listened to, supported, and the perpetrator dealt with?"

Sir Keir Starmer says he "certainly agrees" with her.

"One of the greatest barriers that women face when coming forward and reporting unacceptable behaviour in the workplace is having confidence that they will be taken seriously," he says.

"And that requires all of us to put in place mechanisms and arrangements to make that possible.

"Everybody should be treated with dignity and respect, and I'm proud of the fact that the employment rights bill that we're passing will strengthen protections from sexual harassment at work."

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey is next up.

He says it is crucial to reform the electoral system to make it "fairer and more proportionate".

Sir Ed asks if the prime minister will find government time to consider a bill on electoral reform.

Sir Keir Starmer replies: "He didn't do too badly on the system as it is."

Sir Ed comes back, turning to the matter of NHS waiting lists.

He says this is the "worst, most appalling legacy" of the last Conservative government.

The Liberal Democrat leader asks for a timetable of when people will be able to see a GP within seven days - or 24 hours if it's urgent.

Sir Keir says work has begun to get waiting lists down.

"Of course that includes making sure there's better access to GPs and other measures that need to be taken."