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When the Prime Minister has just suffered three historic defeats in the Commons, has lost control of Brexit and is clinging on to office by her fingernails you might have expected Jeremy Corbyn to make hay at Theresa May’s expense.

Instead he decided to focus on the rise of poverty in the UK and the flaws in the welfare system.

Mr Corbyn probably reasoned that, given we are on the second of a five day debate on Brexit and have had three statements on the issue in the last ten days, that the appetite for more discussion on the issue was sated.

It is also the case that too many issues, from benefits to Windrush to education to transport, are being overlooked because of the all-consuming nature of our exit.

The Labour leader began by raising the UN rapporteur’s report on poverty in the UK which painted a devastating picture of destitution in the country and the Government’s denial of the problem.

(Image: AFP/Getty Images)

Mrs May had only one line of defence which was cite the number of people in work and the success of her government’s “balanced” approach to the economy, whatever that may mean.

Mr Corbyn then pressed the PM on the universal credit.

This is Mrs May’s reply: “what we have done during the roll out of the universal credit is we are making changes as we have gone through those changes.”

Not even GCHQ could decipher this meaningless sentence.

Mr Corbyn then asked about a Trussell Trust report which said the five week delay to payments was driving more people to foodbanks.

“A foodbank is not just a photo opportunity for Conservative MPs,” he said, pointedly.

In response, the Prime Minister claimed “no one has to wait for money if they need it.”

This is untrue and Mr Corbyn rightly pointed out that if they did receive help it was in the form of a loan.

You could tell the Labour leader’s questions were cutting through because Mrs May was forced to resort on the final defence of any Conservative in trouble which is the 2010 “there’s no money left” letter by Liam Byrne.

Mr Corbyn picked up on the fact that Prime Minister and her frontbench colleagues were laughing at one point - never a good look when discussing benefits.

“The Prime Minister might laugh at this. It’s reality, it’s people’s lives,” he snapped.

The Tories cheered their leader at the end which could lead some to conclude Mr Corbyn might have been better punching the Brexit bruise.

But he cares deeply about the issue of welfare injustice and that shone through while Mrs May only managed to reinforce the perception she is unsympathetic to those on the breadline.

Score: Jeremy Corbyn 2 Theresa May 1