Prime minister’s questions: a shouty, jeery, very occasionally useful advert for British politics. Here’s what you need to know from the latest session in POLITICO’s weekly run-through.

What they sparred about: Grooming gangs and immigration. It was the battle of the deputies as Keir Starmer flew back from the G7 in Canada. Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner stood in for the PM while Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp replaced Tory Leader Kemi Badenoch. Philp focused on areas in his brief that were, helpfully, front and center of the news agenda.

Inquiry inquiries: Philp led on the upcoming inquiry into grooming gangs across the U.K., after a review by Louise Casey. The crossbench peer found some local authorities feared being called racist and did not collect ethnicity data on the perpetrators of organized child sexual exploitation across the country. Would it be independently led and have statutory powers, Philp asked?

Full and frank: There was a brief consensus as Rayner confirmed the inquiry would follow both factors (though would not confirm its start date) as it was “absolutely right that we all look at what’s happened.” The measured tones quickly fell apart (as usual) when Philp said Rayner should apologize on behalf of Starmer after the PM accused some campaigners of jumping on a “far-right bandwagon” back in January.

Law and order: Rayner, who’s previously had some testy dealings with Starmer, batted hard for the PM, claiming he “acted on” issues as Britain’s chief prosecutor between 2008 and 2013. She said Starmer was referring to “Tory ministers who sat for years in the government and did absolutely nothing about this scandal” — a tad awks for Philp, who was in the Home Office for the Tories’ last two years in power.

Rocking the boat: The shadow home secretary wasn’t perturbed, stating many grooming gang perpetrators were non-U.K. nationals and raised the issue of immigrants crossing the English Channel. Would Rayner accept the “small boat crisis is a crisis of public safety?” The deputy PM, you’ve guessed it, highlighted soaring immigration levels and failures of the Rwanda scheme under the Tories.

Fire in the belly: Philp wasn’t knocked down, telling Rayner to “look to her immediate right” (where Home Secretary Yvette Cooper was sat) if she wanted to know where border control had gone wrong. The shadow home secretary had clearly had his Weetabix, saying Rayner had some “brass neck” and “a cheek” to thrust the blame across the despatch box. The deputy PM, giving as good as she got, wouldn’t take lessons from the “Johnny-come-lately.” Which made for fun popcorn viewing — but, as ever, did little to address the substance.

Further afield: Lib Dem Deputy Leader Daisy Cooper asked Rayner about the conflict between Israel and Iran, which has ratcheted up further with the prospect of U.S. involvement. Cooper urged Labour to “not blindly follow the U.S. into war again” after the 2003 Iraq war. Rayner only confirmed the U.K.’s support for the “diplomatic process” and reiterated British opposition to Iran developing nuclear weapons.

Division lobbying: Rayner was also asked if MPs would get a free vote if the U.K. deployed military support to support Israel. The deputy PM, natch, wouldn’t go into the specifics, only confirming the government would put the interests of British nationals first.

Helpful backbench intervention of the week: Reading West and Mid Berkshire MP Olivia Bailey slammed Tory inaction on providing secure housing and welcomed the government’s delivery of affordable homes. Rayner, who’s also housing secretary, repeated the “14 years of failure” line and plugged her plans for more homes. There’s nothing like free advertising.

Totally unscientific scores on the doors: Rayner 8/10. Philp 6/10. The shadow home secretary understandably raised Labour’s grooming gangs inquiry U-turn to reach the position the Conservatives called for months ago. However, Philp’s debut outing got the better of him when pivoting to immigration controls. While the figures are still high, the Tories’ failure to manage levels in office meant he lost credibility. Rayner’s expertise at PMQs, plus her withering jibes, meant she countered Philp’s criticism, securing her the win on a sticky wicket.