Members back carers' allowance and pay for shortage teachers, mark Burnham down

The loudest verdict of the day belongs to carers. Members voted overwhelmingly to keep paying Carer's Allowance after state pension age, and the argument was simple: caring does not retire. The sharpest dissent was about what the money is for, not whether the work continues, and the debate turned on whether the allowance recognises a task or replaces lost earnings.

The verdicts

The day's closest result went to Andy Burnham as Prime Minister, where members decided narrowly that he is not doing a good job. Both sides leaned on the same yardstick: the best-respected Yes case conceded he looks good "only compared to Kier Starmer", while the sharpest No voice was appalled that anyone thinks otherwise.

On foreign affairs, members were blunt. They overwhelmingly rejected the idea that Donald Trump's second term has been good for the UK, though some Yes voters argued the disruption has exposed the UK's own failures more than it has cost it.

The money questions mostly went one way. Members comfortably backed paying teachers in shortage subjects like maths and physics more, on the grounds that shortage means you raise the price. They also comfortably backed replacing business rates with a tax on sales, including online sales, with one well-respected Yes voter calling the current system "clearly from a different era". Against that, members comfortably refused to freeze council tax if it means cuts to local services, reminding everyone what the bill pays for.

On letting local communities block onshore wind farms, members comfortably voted against, so communities do not get that veto. Finally, members comfortably said UK citizens born abroad should be allowed to stand as MPs, even as the argument kept circling from birthplace to who counts as British.

A fresh ballot is open today, and the verdicts are yours to write.

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