May hints at stepping down as Corbyn pushes her on customs union but this was a subdued event

Key points

Jeremy Corbyn starts by saying May’s chaotic and incompetent government has driven Britain into crisis. Both unions and businesses are calling for a compromise. Will she say what her plan B is?

May says she has a deal that would deliver Brexit for the British people. Other options do not do that.

Corbyn replies that the problem with her deal is that it has twice been defeated. He says a former Tory prime minister believes a customs union would get Brexit over the line. Does she agree?

May says her deal already delivers the benefits of a customs union, but would allow the UK to strike its own trade deals.

Corbyn says the TUC and CBI back a customs union as part of a deal and that it is strange for a Conservative PM to reject the needs of business. Why won’t she consider a customs union?

May says Corbyn isn’t listening to her responses. He used to say he wanted the UK to negotiate its own trade deals, now he wants a referendum too. She asks whatever happened to straight-talking honest politics?

Corbyn says many of May’s colleagues want a race to the bottom. Quoting the words of Richard Harrington when he resigned as business minister, he asks why she is pressing ahead with her deal. May says she does not support a race to the bottom. She says the government has enhanced workers’ rights. As Labour MPs jeer, she says Labour can never stand it when told the Tories stand up for workers.

Corbyn says May would not guarantee dynamic alignment on workers’ standards. He also asks whether she would accept the outcome of the indicative votes as the basis for new negotiations. May responds that every MP’s objective should be to deliver Brexit. She insists she has been clear on non-regression for workers rights. And instead of accepting what the EU says about workers’ rights, parliament will get a say.

Corbyn says May did not answer the question about the indicative vote results, and added she is unable to compromise, unite the country and govern. He says she should change course, or go.

May says she answered the question on accepting the result of any MPs’ decision in the Commons on Monday. She says the shadow Brexit secretary, Keir Starmer, also refused to commit to what MPs decided. She says Labour would give the UK capital flight, a run on the pound and a drop in living standards and calls Corbyn the biggest threat to living standards.

Snap verdict

PMQs used to be one of the political highlights of the week. Increasingly that has become less and less true (partly because May and Corbyn are both relatively uninspiring performers in this arena), but today it felt like a particularly diminished event, which did not shed much light on the crisis facing the country or even resonate with much drama. With the exception of Scottish questions, it may be the most boring half hour in the Commons today.

Corbyn devoted all his questions to Brexit, and he started by challenging May to explain what was wrong with a customs union – a pertinent question given that is where the indicative votes process may lead. But May rebutted his question without much difficulty, and his attack on the government over its unwillingness to commit to accepting the result of the indicative votes process did not get very far because May was able to reply, correctly, that Labour’s position is much the same.

The most awkward question for May on Brexit came from her own colleague Andrew Bridgen, who declared that she had now forfeited the trust of his constituents. But even that did not discomfort May much, and some observers were left speculating that perhaps a private decision to stand down soon has lightened her mood.

Kate McCann (@KateEMcCann) PM joking in the chamber and at other moments being more forthright than usual. Could this be a sign that Theresa May has made a decision about her future in office? Weight lifted? Notably didn’t deny SNP Q about her departure.

May’s response to the SNP leader at Westminster, Ian Blackford, also fuelled speculation that she is not planning to stay in office for long.

Tom Newton Dunn (@tnewtondunn) Intriguing response to @IanBlackfordMP’s pre-accusation May about to abandon ship. She insisted “my sense of duty means I have kept working...”. No future tense in her response #PMQs

Robert Peston (@Peston) Crikey. @theresa_may does not knock back @IanBlackfordMP suggestion she will be stepping down soon

For the record, this is what Blackford asked:

It is becoming increasingly clear that the cost the prime minister will pay to force her disastrous deal through is the price of her departure. Yet again another Tory prime minister is willing to ride off into the sunset and saddle us with a crisis in the UK and an extreme right-wing Brexiteer coming into Downing Street. Does the prime minister feel no sense of responsibility for what she is about to do?

May replied:

It is my sense of responsibility and duty that has meant I have kept working to ensure Brexit is delivered.

It is the sort of answer you might expect from someone who thinks their days as PM are numbered.