Did Rayner get the better of Boris?

The first PMQs of 2022 was a little different. It was Angela Rayner’s turn to step up to the dispatch box whilst Keir Starmer is isolating having tested positive for Covid.

Rayner went after Boris Johnson on inflation and the cost of living crisis looming in Britain, criticising the government for refusing to cut VAT on energy bills. Another topic that came up was the pressure on the NHS as a result of the pandemic. NHS Trusts are declaring critical incidents saying they’re not going to be able to perform certain treatments due to high staff absences.

‘The crisis in the healthcare sector is not that anybody is being overwhelmed. The crisis is coming from government policy which is requiring people to isolate when they don’t strictly speaking need to’ Fraser Nelson
For daily Covid data updates, follow The Spectator Data Hub.

Isabel Hardman speaks to Fraser Nelson and James Forsyth.

Subscribe to The Spectator‘s Evening Blend email, from Isabel Hardman and Katy Balls, for analysis of the day’s political news and a summary of the best pieces from our website. Go to www.spectator.co.uk/blend to sign up.