Theresa May defends housing policy and attacks Jeremy Corbyn over #traingate row in first PMQs since summer recess
Labour leader tried to get the PM to admit the dream of owning a house was just that but found himself on the end of several barbs
THERESA May defended the Government’s housing policy and called Jeremy Corbyn a “laughing stock” over the #traingate row at the first PMQs since the summer recess.
The Labour leader tried to get the Prime Minister to admit the dream of owning a house was just that, and criticised the number of homes being built.
Mrs May, who was wearing a bold choice of neckware at the despatch box, responded by attacking him for leading a divided party.
She opened Prime Minister's Questions by congratulating the UK's Olympic team and adding her best wishes to the Paralympians in Rio.
But she was quickly challenged on housing by Mr Corbyn, and asked to say whether the dream of home ownership is just "a dream" for most people.
Mrs May replied that the government was helping people get on the housing ladder and said house building is up, but added that she's not complacent.
The Labour leader attacked her on that claim, saying the number of houses being built is 45,000 a year lower than under the last Labour government.
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After Mr Corbyn read out a submitted question Mrs May read out one of the replies to his request for topics to discuss at PMQs.
She said the first one is "quite good", which called on him to ask her if she knew that when asked who would make a better prime minister “don't know scored higher than Jeremy Corbyn."
It was one of a number of jokes at Mr Corbyn’s expense, including bringing up #traingate row over whether or not Mr Corbyn had been able to find a seat on a train.
She said: "The train has left the station, the leader is on the floor... Even on rolling on stock they are laughing stock."
Undeterred, the Labour leader stuck to the same policy area, saying only one in every five council houses sold under Right to Buy is replaced, short of the Government's "one-for-one" pledge.
He pressed Mrs May to commit to "one-for-one" replacement.
The Prime Minister claimed Mr Corbyn was "wrong" and the commitment has been delivered.
Former chancellor George Osborne joined Tory colleagues on the backbenches to watch PMQs, a far cry from his position close to David Cameron just a few weeks ago.
He saw Mr Corbyn continue to press on with his housing questions, as he warned the Citizens Advice Bureau believes one sixth of housing benefit goes to private sector landlords renting out "unsafe homes".
Mr Corbyn told Mrs May: "Do you think this really is a satisfactory state of affairs?"
The PM replied: "If you think housing benefit is actually such a bad thing, why was it when we changed the rules on housing benefit the Labour Party opposed those changes that took place?"
She said changes are taking place to allow councils to tackle bad landlords, among other measures.
Mrs May went on: "I recognise, as every Member of Parliament in this House will, the problems that people sometimes have when they're living in accommodation that is not up to the standard we would all wish to see people living in.
"That's why we're looking, changing the rules and ensuring the regulations are there."
Mr Corbyn noted: "Well, that's extremely interesting because only a year ago you voted against a Labour amendment to the Housing Bill which quite simply said all homes for rent in the private rented sector should be fit for human habitation."