Boris Johnson on the defensive: Labour MPs have regained their voice and their confidence

Keir Starmer had some fun at the expense of the prime minister’s claim to lead a tax-cutting party, writes John Rentoul

It has been a long time that Labour MPs have enjoyed themselves so much in the chamber (UK Parliament)

Something has changed in the House of Commons. The noise is different. This is not just MPs finding their voice after two years of masks and social distancing; not just a return to the theatre of yah-boo. The noise is coming from the other side.

The Conservative whips have always been the Phil Spectors of parliament, marshalling their wall of sound in support of the prime minister and in intimidation of the leader of the opposition. But it is largely an artificial construction: there is a difference between mere shouting and the deep roar of a party that feels that politics is going its way. Today, that roar came repeatedly from the Labour side.

Keir Starmer’s opening question was simple: “Does the prime minister still think that he and the chancellor are tax-cutting Conservatives?”