Has Jeremy Corbyn reinvented PMQs? The verdict from the Westminster ‘bubble’

The Conservative front bench wasted no time in mentioning the issue of the national anthem during Commons exchanges ahead of the new Labour leader’s first outing at Prime Minister’s Questions.

Introducing his new format, the veteran left-winger said: “Many told me they thought Prime Minister’s Questions was too theatrical, that Parliament was out of touch, and they wanted things done differently”.

There was no fisticuffs, no handbags at dawn, no jibes.

“What they are is poverty deniers – they’re ignoring the growing queues at food banks,” Corbyn said during his Trades Union Congress speech, adding that austerity was a political choice. “2,500 people emailed me about the housing crisis in this country”.

Mr Bryant cited policy differences with Mr Corbyn as the reason behind his decision to refuse the Defence brief.

Usually, opposing party leaders and politicians ask questions on behalf of their party, and in turn the Prime Minister answers with usually heckled and ridicule filled responses.

“But for many people, the monarchy, singing the national anthem is a way of showing that respect”.

He explained that his perceived past opposition to Europe was due to not wanting to “give David Cameron a blank cheque” – allowing him to renegotiate terms of EU membership that would negatively affect workers’ rights and environment protection.

She had submitted three questions to Mr Corbyn.

Mr Corbyn, who spoke to large crowds in Sheffield as part of his leadership campaign, was elected as the new party leader on Saturday in a landslide victory.

He welcomed the new style of questioning however, joking that no-one would be more delighted than him for a change. He revealed he had sent out thousands of emails asking people to submit their own questions, and had received 40,000 replies.

“The heroism of the Royal Air Force in the Battle of Britain is something to which we all owe an enormous debt of gratitude”, the party said in a statement. “I think we have also got to have limits on what individuals and individual families can draw down”, he said.

“As far as I am concerned, the amendments we are putting forward are to remove the whole idea of the benefit cap altogether, ” he said”.