PMQs: Corbyn attacks May over grammar school 'segregation'

'One of Jeremy Corbyn's best PMQs?' - scroll down for ITV News Deputy Political Editor Chris Ship's commentary.

Jeremy Corbyn accused Theresa May of pursuing an education policy of "segregation" as the pair clashed at Prime Minister's Questions over the Government's aim to introduce new grammar schools.

The Labour leader dedicated a series of questions to grammars - abandoning his usual strategy to lead with questions from the public - as he pressed Mrs May to justify a policy deeply unpopular within the teaching industry and rejected by a series of previous Labour and Conservative governments.

The Prime Minister told Mr Corbyn to "stop casting his mind back to the 1950s" while accusing her rival of trying to "pull up the ladder" after his own education at grammar school.

Mr Corbyn replied: "It's not about pulling up ladders, it's about providing a ladder for every child."

In his final PMQs appearance before the Labour leadership race is settled, Mr Corbyn accused the Government of "heading backwards to a failed segregation for the few and second-class schooling for the many".

He challenged the Prime Minister to name any education experts that back her aid to introduce more selection into schools, while quoting former prime minister David Cameron - who is thought to oppose the return of grammars - in support of his argument.

Mrs May refused to name a significant backer and instead looked to define the issue as a core difference between her party and her rival leader.

"He believes in equality of outcome. We believe in equality of opportunity," she said. "He believes in levelling down. We believe in levelling up."

Jeremy Corbyn said the Government should 'provide a ladder' for every child. Credit: PA

Mr Corbyn replied: "Equality of opportunity is not segregation at the age of 11."

Mrs May said both leaders had benefitted from the selection system. "He went to a grammar school. I went to a grammar school. It's what got us where we are today."

Mr Corbyn said he wanted the education system to offer "good education for every child".

While the debate on grammars dominated the exchanges, Mrs May turned fire on Mr Corbyn, urging him to "welcome the employment figures today" that showed unemployment had fallen by 39,000 to 1.63 million between May and July.

Mr Corbyn said he was glad to see people in work but added: "The problem is there is almost a million of them on zero hours contracts who don't know what they're going to be paid from one week to the other."

Theresa May grinned as Jeremy Corbyn referred to David Cameron's apparent opposition to her grammar school policy.

Mrs May ended their exchanges by offering a barbed tribute to the opposition leader as she noted his appearance at PMQs could be his last should Owen Smith claim an upset victory in the Labour leadership battle.

"I recognise that this may very well be the last time that he has an opportunity to face me across this dispatch box - certainly if his members of parliament have anything to do with it, " she said at Prime Minister's Questions.

"He has made his mark," she told the Commons. "He wants coal mines without mining them, submarines without sailing them and he wants to be Labour leader without leading them."

Commentary on PMQs

ITV News Deputy Political Editor Chris Ship offered commentary on Twitter during the exchanges in PMQs, which began with both leaders wishing David Cameron well as he prepares to leave the Commons.