PMQs - as it happened: Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn clash over NHS winter crisis warnings

All the latest updates from Westminster, as they happened

Jeremy Corbyn attacks Theresa May over private healthcare in PMQs

Theresa May was accused of being "too weak" to sack her Health Secretary as warnings over the NHS winter crisis dominated the first Prime Minister's Questions of the year.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn focused all six of his questions on challenges in the health service, after hospitals were told to defer around 55,000 routine operations and potentially millions of outpatient appointments to free up capacity for the sickest patients.

He also mocked Ms May for failing to get rid of Jeremy Hunt, the Health Secretary, who was widely thought to be in line for a move during the reshuffle but kept his job, and expanded his remit, after reportedly refusing to budge.

The two-day reshuffle - aimed at ridding her top team of its “pale, male and stale” image - saw a raft of new MPs promoted to junior ministerial positions. However Ms May’s efforts to shake up the top tier stalled when senior ministers, including Mr Hunt and Justine Greening, until then the Education Secretary, declined other jobs.

MPs also debated opposition day motions on the NHS and the railways, while Labour’s motion demanding that the Government releases extra cash to combat the crisis passed in the Commons without a vote.

See below for live updates

Key Points

• Theresa May accused of being 'too weak' to sack Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt during PMQs clash
• ...then has to apologise for attacking Labour frontbencher for her absence - as she is receiving medical treatment
• Labour wins a symbolic vote demanding extra NHS funding for 'appalling winter crisis'
• Government helped make UK's biggest rail franchise the 'worst', major report finds
• EU told to avoid 'unnecessary barriers' to trade with the UK after Brexit

[10 January 2018 08:51 · Lizzy Buchan]

Welcome to The Independent's politics liveblog, where we will be bringing you all the latest updates from Westminster throughout the day.

[10 January 2018 08:54 · Lizzy Buchan]

Theresa May will face Jeremy Corbyn in the first Prime Minister's Questions clash since her chaotic reshuffle, where several senior minister refused to move jobs.

She has faced a backlash from more conservative colleagues for her efforts to increase diversity in her top team.

But research from the Sutton Trust showed 34 per cent of the 29 ministers attending cabinet went to private schools, compared with 30 per cent of her first cabinet last year.

The figures are still lower than under David Cameron, who appointed a cabinet in 2010 in which 62 per cent of its members were privately educated, and 50 per cent in 2015.

Full story here:

[10 January 2018 09:01 · Lizzy Buchan]

Labour will force a symbolic vote in the Commons later, where it will demand the Government provides extra cash to tackle on the NHS winter crisis.

More here:

[10 January 2018 09:15 · Lizzy Buchan]

Another story driving the day is a damning report from the National Audit Office into Britain's largest rail franchise, which has been dubbed the "worst" performing due to a combination of poor Whitehall planning and industrial action.

[10 January 2018 09:19 · Lizzy Buchan]

Transport Secretary Chris Grayling has dismissed suggestions he was angry over being wrongly announced as Conservative Party chairman during the chaotic Cabinet reshuffle.

The Prime Minister's shake-up of her ministerial team got off to a bad start on Monday when Mr Grayling was incorrectly declared party chairman by the Conservatives' official Twitter account - before the job went to Brandon Lewis.

Mr Grayling declared "nothing's changed" as he sought to defend the reshuffle, bringing to mind Mrs May's mantra as she U-turned on plans for a so-called "dementia tax" during her botched snap election last year.

"Reshuffles - there's always endless speculation," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

"I think over the last two weeks I've been going to be sacked, I've been going to become deputy prime minister, I've been going to become party chairman; actually I'm the Transport Secretary who's always wanted to be Transport Secretary, who's very happy doing it.

"Nothing's changed. Lots of media speculation and a mistaken tweet and that happens quite often these days."

[10 January 2018 09:38 · Lizzy Buchan]

David Davis, the Brexit Secretary, and Chancellor Philip Hammond have made a pitch to German businesses in a joint editorial in the newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine.

Both Cabinet ministers are in Germany today on separate visits, as they seek to bolster the prospect of an ambitious trade deal after Brexit.

Their joint piece told the EU to avoid creating “unnecessary barriers” to trade with the UK after Brexit.

Story here: 

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[10 January 2018 09:55 · Lizzy Buchan]

Theresa May will make a major speech tomorrow, where she will out her 25-year environment plan.

An eye-catching detail briefed overnight was plans to extend the 5p plastic bag tax to all small retailers. 

[10 January 2018 10:10 · Lizzy Buchan]

Sketchwriter Tom Peck was less than impressed by the Prime Minister's two-day reshuffle.

He writes: "Big Reshuffle Day One didn’t go quite as planned for Theresa May, what with the words “disastrous,” “shambolic” and “embarrassing” scrawled in various sizes on the fronts of all the newspapers."

[10 January 2018 10:20 · Lizzy Buchan]

[10 January 2018 10:35 · Lizzy Buchan]

Ministers face tougher rules to stamp out “inappropriate, bullying or harassing behaviour” after the scandals that led to three rapid-fire Cabinet dismissals.​