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Keir Starmer has accused Boris Johnson of repeatedly giving “dodgy answers” after the prime minister was found to have for made “false” claims about child poverty.
The Labour leader demanded on Wednesday that Johnson do the “decent thing” and correct the record.
Speaking during PMQs last week, Johnson said both relative and absolute child poverty had fallen under the Conservative government.
He also said there were “400,000 fewer families living in poverty now than there were in 2010”.
“The two rebuttals offered by the prime minister are not borne out by the government’s own figures,” it said.
Johnson made the claims after Starmer challenged him over a report that showed 600,000 children are now living in relative poverty compared with 2012.
The Labour leader also asked why the total number of children in poverty was projected to rise to 5.2 million by 2022.
The commissioner ruled Starmer’s claims were “correct descriptions” based on the government’s own figures and the best available data.
Starmer told Johnson at PMQs today: “He’s been found out. He either dodges the question or he gives dodgy answers.
“No more witnesses, I rest my case,” the former director of public prosecutions added.
“Will the prime minister do the decent thing and correct the record in relation to child poverty?”
Johnson said he was “happy to point out” that “actually there are 100,000 fewer children in absolute poverty and 500,000 falling below the thresholds of low income and material deprivation”.
Johnson defended his record and said the government was investing “massively” in the Universal Credit benefit system to help the “poorest and neediest”.