Today’s Prime Minister’s Questions comes after a poll gave the Conservatives a 16-point lead over Labour – up one point from a mid-October survey. Theresa May, it appears, is still enjoying the significant lead over Jeremy Corbyn she has maintained since her ascent to Downing Street in July.

Ukip’s share of the potential vote increased by one point and now stands at 12 per cent, potentially signalling that the group's leadership turmoil is not dissuading voters. The Liberal Democrats were unchanged on 8 per cent and the Green Party were down from 6 to 5 per cent.

During the session today Mr Corbyn could press the Prime Minister on the admission from the Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt that his claim of an extra £10 billion for the NHS involves “painful” cuts in other health budgets.

The Health Secretary was forced to make the concession after five senior MPs – including two Conservatives – accused him of misleading the public about the extra funding being put in.

Led by the Dr Sarah Wollaston, the Conservative chairman of the Commons health select committee, the five wrote to the Chancellor, urging ministers to abandon the “incorrect” £10 billion claim.

They say the figure has been fiddled by excluding money for recruiting and training NHS staff and – in particular – deep cuts to spending on improving public health.

In the Commons, Labour said the only way to discredit the £10 billion figure further would be if Mr Hunt put it “on the side of a bus and got the Foreign Secretary to drive it”