Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn cited a Yarmouth school’s foodbank as an example of “what is going wrong in modern Britain” in a parliamentary clash over inequality and austerity.

His comments were part of a fiery exchange with Theresa May during prime minister's questions on Wednesday, May 15.

As the two squared up to each other he warned more food banks are opening, and said: "In Great Yarmouth, one has just been opened for pupils at a school, and last week the department of business established a food bank for its own staff in the building on Victoria Street.

"Can the Prime Minister tell us what is going wrong in modern Britain that a Government office in the centre of London has a food bank for some of its very low-paid staff to get something to eat?"

It emerged in December last year that North Denes Primary School had set up a food bank to help children who had nothing to eat because of delays in Universal Credit.The PM sidestepped the question as she opted to defend the Government's record on the economy, before noting: "The way (Mr Corbyn) talks you would think that inequality started in 2010."

Great Yarmouth Mercury: Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn in Great Yarmouth. Pictured with PC's Andy Andy Hunt and Nigel Robinson.Picture: ANTONY KELLYLabour leader Jeremy Corbyn in Great Yarmouth. Pictured with PC's Andy Andy Hunt and Nigel Robinson.Picture: ANTONY KELLY (Image: Archant Norfolk 2018)

She went on to highlight criticism by Mr Corbyn of the last Labour government's record on dealing with inequality.

Mr Corbyn later urged Mrs May to restore the link between inflation and social security to "try to reduce the disgraceful levels of child poverty" in the country.

In his concluding remarks, the Labour leader said: "When the wealth of the richest 1,000 people in Britain has increased by £50bn in one year but there's not enough money to properly feed our children or pay workers a decent wage, then we have failed as a society.

"This country is seeing the rich get richer while the poor get poorer, while the Government is in the pockets of a super-rich elite.

"More children in poverty, more pensioners in poverty, more people struggling to make ends meet - when is she and her Government going to reverse the tax giveaways to the super-rich and make sure they pay their fair share of taxes so we can end the scandal of inequality in modern Britain?"

Mrs May reiterated the top 1pc are paying more in income tax than they did under a Labour government, adding: "The Labour Party has a plan for a system where everybody in this country would get benefits.

"That means handouts to hedge fund managers paid for by tax hikes on working people. Labour's policy: money for the rich paid by taxes on the poor."