UK Covid live: Johnson faces Starmer at PMQs as Omicron becomes dominant variant in London

Laura Farris (Con) says West Berkshire council have cut rough sleeeping in the Newbury area to zero. What is the government doing about the link between rough sleeping and drug use?

Johnson says this is an absolute priority for the government. He says rough sleeping has gone done 43% since 2017, although he admits as we come out of the pandemic that might change.

Johnson claims that the UK’s freedom from EU rules enabled it to have the fastest vaccine rollout in Europe.

Peter Aldous (Con) says the government has not fully recognised the potential of East Anglia.

Johnson says there is a massive opportunity in those coastal communities. He says new town deals will help.

Colum Eastwood (SDLP) says the PM should resign.

Johnson says he will carry on getting the country through the pandemic.

Bob Neill (Con) asks if the PM will introduce a national stroke strategy.

Johnson says wants to expand dedicated stroke networks.

Ian Blackford, the SNP leader at Westminster, says Tory MPs are in denial about public health. He says the government yesterday said there would be new money to help firms, but last night the Treasury said there would not be any new money. Which is it?

Johnson says there is new money through Barnett consequentials. And the Scottish government can raise more money if it wants to.

Blackford says that was just smoke and mirrors. There is no new money. He says the PM strugged to get measures through that Scotland has had for months. “A prime minister who can’t do what is needed to protect the public is no prime minister at all,” he says.

Johnson says Blackford will need a bigger waistcoat to contain his “synethetic indignation”. He says he is actually quite cordial with Blackford behind the scenes. The UK government will work with the Scottish government on Covid, he says.

Liam Fox asks if the government will help get his Down syndrome bill on the statute book before international Down syndrome day.

Johnson says the governmnt will try to get the bill on the statute book speedily.

Starmer says they have the worst possible prime minister at the worse possible time. As Tory MPs jeer, he asks where they were in the lobbies last night. He says Labour showed leadership last night. The PM is so weak that, without Labour votes, the measures would not have got through. As someone (Johnson) says “not true”, Starmer says they are socially distanced from the truth.

Johnson says the measure was passed with Tory votes. He lists tough decisions he says he has taken: on the ventilator scheme; on the vaccine rollout; and on lifting lockdown. He says the Tories have created jobs. And he ends with a familier riff: They vassilate, we vaccinate, they jabber, we jab.

Starmer says the PM claims he does not know what happened in his own house last Christmas. His MPs don’t believe that, and the public don’t. This Christmas people will have to isolate. Can the PM not see that he will not have the authority to tell people that?

Johnson says Simon Case is investigating. He says Starmer should explain why there are pictures of him quaffing beer. He says 45% of over-18s have now had a vaccine. He says Labour would not vote for investment in the NHS. And they are speeding things up by getting rid of the post-jab 15-minute wait.

Starmer asks why people should trust the PM.

Johnson says the evidence is there in the fastest rollout in Europe. The UK has done almost double the number of boosters than any other European country has done. That is what matters, not the “partisan trivia” that Starmer is raising.

Starmer says the government only won last night because of Labour votes. But he can understand why Tory MPs are angry with him. Only last week the government was saying plan B was not required. As with rail for the north, or taxes, the government is over-promising. Can the PM understand why his MPs don’t trust him.

Johnson says Starmer claims to be above party politics but engages in it. He says the government has delivered the fastest vaccine rollout in Europe. And it has delivered 500,000 more jobs than when the pandemic began.

Starmer say they all hope plan B will be enough. The PM has rightly ruled nothing out. He says if further measures are needed “Labour MPs will follow my leadership and put the national interest first”. Can the PM says the same?

Johnson says Labour wibble-wobbled over Covid, and under Labour we would not have had the vaccine rollout, because Labour would have remained in the EMA.

Keir Starmer also wishes everyone a merry Christmas, and he congratulates the PM and his wife on the birth of their daughter.

There were 200,000 Omicron infections on Monday, and it is doubling every two or three days. He encourages people to get their boosters. Does the PM agree that the 100 or so MPs who voted against the government last night were voting against measures to protect lives.

Johnson says the measure was passed with Tory votes. Yesterday was the second biggest day for vaccinations, he says.

Nick Smith (Lab) congratulates the PM and his wife on the birth of their daughter. Last week was crime week. “Was it a success for you, prime minister?”

Johnson claims it was. He says the Tories are putting in the resources to fight crime, and getting tough on drugs, particularly on middle class drugs use.

Boris Johnson starts by wishing all members of staff, and the Speaker, a happy Christmas. And to all MPs too, and members of the armed force, and health workers, he says.

There is loud cheering as Boris Johnson enters the chamber.

From Labour’s Chris Bryant