PMQs live: Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer to clash as police say Angela Rayner facing ‘multiple’ allegations

UK inflation slowed less than expected in March, leading economists and traders to be cautious about possible interest rate cuts in the summer.

The figures released by the ONS on Wednesday morning showed that inflation was 3.2 per cent in March, slightly higher than the 3.1 per cent predicted by economists.

Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer are set to clash at the first session of PMQs since MPs returned to parliament following the Easter break.

The prime minister and Labour leader face off after the government’s smoking ban for those born after 2009 cleared its first hurdle and as the Rwanda bill returns to the Commons.

We’ll bring you live updates from the session – you’ll also be able to watch it live on our YouTube channel (link to follow).

Labour’s deputy leader is northern, working class and a strong woman – so obviously Tories and the Conservative press are out to bring her down ahead of a general election where she will be a major asset on the doorstep, says John Rentoul.

Read John’s piece in full here.

Ministers are confident deportation flights to Rwanda will take off this spring, despite the legislation underpinning the plan remaining in parliamentary deadlock.

Treasury minister Laura Trott said there were “many definitions of spring” when pressed about a timeline for getting planes off the runway.

Ms Trott told Sky News: “We will be ready for flights to take off in the spring when the legislation passes.”

She added: “I think there are lots of definitions of spring but we are hoping to get them up and running as quickly as possible.”

Nigel Farage said he is going to make a big political decision within the “next few weeks” after he was quizzed on whether he would join the Conservative Party.

Mr Farage was quizzed on his political future after Liz Truss said she would like to see him “join the party”.

He said: “In terms of what i may or may not do, I simply haven’t decided, but I notice Reform is getting stronger.

“I’m going to make a big decision about this within the next few weeks.”

Jacob Rees-Mogg has criticised the government’s “absurd” smoking ban, saying it will do nothing to help his party’s prospects at the general election.

The former business secretary was one of 165 Tory MPs who either abstained or voted against the ban last night in the House of Commons.

“The Conservative Party has an electoral mountain to climb. If we want to overturn the Labour lead in the opinion polls, we need to start pursuing conservative policies and show a sense of proportion,” he told GB News.

“How many voters will switch back to the Tories because of this complex and impractical ban, aggressively pushed by the people who gave us endless lockdowns?”

The parliamentary “ping-pong” over prime minister Rishi Sunak’s Rwanda scheme will continue on Wednesday after peers gave the controversial policy a fresh beating.

Despite MPs overturning previous changes by the House of Lords, the unelected chamber on Tuesday again pressed demands for revisions to the Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill, prolonging the parliamentary wrangling.

However, the bill is still expected to become law by the end of the week – potentially being cleared in the Commons tonight

Police investigating Angela Rayner have suggested there are multiple allegations which may extend beyond her housing arrangements.