PMQs: Rishi Sunak mocks SNP's Stephen Flynn over Nicola Sturgeon flowers as Boris Johnson's honours' list dominates Prime Minister's Questions

Instead, while Sir Keir Starmer landed some blows over the honours system, the Prime Minister had strong retorts over Labour’s own history of questionable appointments.

SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn mocked Mr Sunak over mortgage rate rises, only to be questioned himself about the flowers sent to Nicola Sturgeon.

Rishi Sunak

Mr Sunak was challenged over signing off Boris Johnson’s honours list, with Sir Keir claiming it included those who partied at Downing Street the night before the late Queen Elizabet II attended her husband’s funeral.

Well aware the story is Mr Johnson’s scandal, not this, Mr Sunak easily deflected, insisting the Government followed “due process and convention”. He added: “Prime ministers of both parties have always upheld the convention of non-interference on political honours.”

As a result, Labour’s attacks did not really land, with not caving to Mr Johnson being what started the spat in the first place.

There was also space for a dig at Labour’s appointment, Mr Sunak saying his “predecessors may not have agreed with Labour’s choices of Tom Watson or Shami Chakrabarti, but the same precedent stood then as it does now”. “And I’d expect a knight like him to understand that,” he added.

Sir Keir Starmer

The Labour leader seemed to be trying to pin the Prime Minister down on the concept of the honours system, insisting it should be for “public service, not Tory cronies”, when it has always been about decorating both.

He said: “He was too weak to block Johnson’s list, and that also means that those who spent their time helping cover up Johnson’s law-breaking are rewarded by becoming lawmakers for the rest of their lives.”

Sir Keir was far stronger on the economy, an issue directly impacting real people who now face paying thousands more for their mortgages. It also represents a strong proportion of the Tory vote.

The Labour leader said: “The Tory economic crash means that millions of mortgage holders will pay thousands of pounds more next year and the blame lies squarely at the door of a Government more focused on the internal wars of the Tory Party than the needs of the country.

“Does he not think that those responsible should hang their heads in shame?”.

Stephen Flynn

The SNP Westminster leader cleverly used Mr Sunak’s words against him, pointing out the PM had previously “warned of the perils of mortgage rate rises”.

He said: “During his ill-fated leadership bid late last summer, the Prime Minister warned of the perils of mortgage rate rises. Indeed he stated – and I quote – ‘it’s going to tip millions of people into misery and it’s going to mean we have absolutely no chance of winning the next election’.

“Given that mortgage rates continue to rise, does he still agree with his own electoral analysis?”

Mr Flynn also told Mr Sunak to "grow up" and raised the issues caused by Brexit, a question met with a soundbite from Mr Sunak.

The Prime Minister said: “While his party leader calls Nicola Sturgeon the most impressive politician in Europe, we are getting on delivering for the people of Scotland.”