KEIR Starmer has been forced to stand down from Prime Minister’s Questions after testing positive for Covid-19.
He was replaced by former Labour leader Ed Miliband, who took on Boris Johnson in the Commons.
"I can reassure the House – it’s for one time only," he told MPs as he was greeted by ironic cheers from Tory benches.
The shadow business secretary criticised the Tory chief for his failure to combat global warming, accusing him of "undermining his own COP presidency".
Chancellor Rishi Sunak and Justice Secretary Dominic Raab were among those Conservative MPs wearing masks in the Commons chamber, although Commons Leader Jacob Rees-Mogg was not.
Mask-wearing on the Tory benches was mixed during Prime Minister's Questions.
On Tuesday, the House of Commons ordered everyone except MPs will have to wear face coverings while on the parliamentary estate due to rising Covid-19 cases.
The leader of the opposition normally responds to the Chancellor's statement in the Commons but Starmer's place at the dispatch box will be taken by shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves.
Deputy leader Angela Rayner – who would usually take his place at PMQs – is on bereavement leave.
Starmer is isolating at home.
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