“I want to be your voice” – Corbyn pledges to change PMQS

Jeremy Corbyn has pledged to change the way PMQs works by soliciting questions for David Cameron from party members.

Yesterday Corbyn was elected leader of the Labour party with 59.5% of the vote in the first round. Tom Watson was elected as the party’s deputy.

Within hours of his victory, Labour’s new leader sent an e-mail out to members asking them to send him questions for the Prime Minister on Wednesday. “So, help me be your representative. When I stand at the despatch box for Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday, I want to be your voice”, he wrote.

This is a change to the usual format, whereby the leader and their team formulate questions for the Prime Minister themselves. They usually ask a total of six questions in the half-an-hour lunchtime session before Cameron faces questions from MPs of all parties.

This will be the first time Corbyn will take to the Despatch Box and face Cameron and the Conservative benches as leader. In his e-mail to party members (the full text of which you can read below), Corbyn emphasised his desire to work with and for party members. He also signed off his e-mail with his campaign slogan, saying that he wanted to hold the government to account together “with straight-talking, honest politics”.

Prior to PMQs on Wednesday, Corbyn will face a meeting of the Parliamentary Labour Party. He also has the task of putting together a shadow cabinet that will represent all wings of the party. Already seven shadow cabinet ministers have resigned from their position, indicating that Corbyn would find a challenge in ensuring that those from the right of the party are in senior positions.

Here’s the full text of the letter:

It is a deep honour to be elected as our party’s new leader. The honour is not about holding office – it is about the opportunity to serve each and every one one of you in the fight to get a better government for our country.

I want to pay tribute to Andy, Yvette and Liz. As the last few weeks have shown, each of them cares passionately about our party and its values and has made a fantastic contribution to it.

If you voted for me, thank you for putting your faith in me. If you didn’t vote for me, I hope I will win your trust and support in the coming months. Whoever you supported, we must come together to serve the millions of people who desperately need a Labour government.

The Labour Party is the joint endeavour of each and every one of us. I want to use your talents to make us stronger, and I want to represent you.

So, help me be your representative. When I stand at the despatch box for Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday, I want to be your voice.

Let’s hold this government to account together with straight-talking, honest politics.

Thank you for your commitment to building a better future. I look forward to working with you.

Best wishes,

Jeremy Corbyn