At PMQ, Rishi Sunak Hits Back After MPs' Questions Over Suella Braverman & COP27; WATCH

Rishi Sunak faced the second Prime Minister Questions session (PMQ) in the House of Commons, where he swiftly shot back with answers relating to tax rises, COP27, and the asylum system. In a rather smart move, Sunak exhibited political acuity and preventatively dodged criticism from the Parliament members when he confirmed that he will attend the COP27 climate summit in Egypt next week. While the confirmation of attending the UN Climate Summit was rather simple, it was the time that Sunak chose to do it - just hours before he was set to face the Tories and Opposition. 

“There is no long-term prosperity without action on climate change. There is no energy security without investing in renewables. That is why I will attend @COP27P next week: to deliver on Glasgow's legacy of building a secure and sustainable future,” he wrote on Twitter earlier during the day. This took the majority of the sting out of the attacks by the Opposition leaders, who were now left with questions on issues other than the summit.

During the PMQ, Conservative Party politician Vicky Ford said that she is glad Sunak will attend the Cop27 and asked if the government will keep the promises it made in Glasgow. To this, Sunak said there is no long-term prosperity without action on climate change.

When asked by MP Tommy Sheppard if the UK government is still focused on prosecuting perpetrators involved in committing war crimes in Ukraine, Sunak asserted that he is committed to the agenda. The PM also faced questions on Home Secretary Suella Braverman, who has faced strong criticism due to an alleged breach of ministerial code over sending government documents to her personal email account on six different occasions. 

Sunak takes questions from MPs

However, Sunak strongly defended the Home Secretary by striking back that Braverman has acknowledged her mistake, and is already on the route to redemption with all that she has done so far. She is "now getting on with the job, cracking down on crime, defending our borders, something I know the party opposite (Labour) has no interest in supporting,” the PM said. 

Sunak’s compassion for ordinary people shined bright when he was asked about illegal migration in the UK by MP Scott Benton. Benton had questioned Sunak about when will the plan that he revealed during his Tory leadership contest earlier this year will finally come to fruition. 

The MP said that almost 40,000 migrants have crossed the English Channel illegally this year, which has landed “taxpayers with a hotel bill of £5.6m per day to accommodate them".  "Is it any wonder that millions of people in this country are furious about the situation?" Benton asked. Sunak then said that he realises that tackling the issue is a key priority for the people of Britain, however, he will make sure that “there is fairness and compassion in our system,” which will inevitably help in the restoration of trust.