PMQs: Corbyn goes after May in his best performance ever
Sky News
Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn clashed over grammar schools in what was probably the under-pressure Labour leader's strongest ever Prime Minister's Questions performance.
In a rare moment of unity among Labour Party MPs, the frontbench cheered and rallied around Corbyn as he pressed the prime minister on her plans to lift a ban on new grammar schools.
Grammars are secondary schools which select pupils based on entry exams children sit at the age 11. Most evidence suggests the grammar system, which was common in Britain up until the late 20th century, failed to improve the achievements of children from less affluent backgrounds.
Last week, Sir Michael Wilshaw, the Chief Inspector of Schools in England, said a return to the grammar system would "fail" the nation.
Corbyn, who has been criticised for weak performances in PMQs, devoted all five of his questions to the issue of selective education and looked like the strong opposition leader the party has been craving for months.
In part of the back-and-forth exchange, the Labour leader said: "The two things the prime minister and I have in common is we can both remember the 1950s and we can both remember going to a grammar school."
"My point is simply this: every child should have the best possible education they could have. We don't need, and never should, to divide the children at the age of eleven - a life-changing division where the majority end up losing out."
He added: "Isn't this a case of a government heading backwards ... failed segregation for the few, second class segregation for many ... Can't we do better than this?"
"Why does the PM want to expand a system that can only let children down?"
Watch Corbyn press May on selective schools.
.@jeremycorbyn confronts @theresa_may about education experts; May "levels up" with grammar schools remarks #PMQs https://t.co/b10ZkoNE1Q
It was far from a vintage performance from May, who was outperformed by Corbyn just a week before the latter will find out if he has managed to fight off Owen Smith and retain the Labour leadership.
The prime minister did, however, manage to take another swipe at the Islington North MP's divisive leadership.
She said: "This may well be the last time he has to face me across this dispatch box - certainly if his MPs have anything to do with it. I accept he and I don't agree on everything, but, I must say that he has made his mark."
"Let's think of some of the things he's introduced. He wants mines without mining them, submarines without sailing them, Labour leadership without leading them. Whoever wins the Labour election, it will be the country that loses."
The result of the Labour leadership contest will be announced on Saturday, September 24 at the party's conference in Liverpool.
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