DAVID Cameron has ridiculed Jeremy Corbyn's continued leadership of Labour by quoting lyrics from songs by The Smiths.

Mr Corbyn has been rocked by resignations from his shadow cabinet in recent days but has insisted he will remain in post.

But having urged Mr Corbyn to quit at PMQs, Mr Cameron could not resist poking fun at Labour's turmoil as he answered questions from MPs during his statement on the meeting of the European Council.

Labour's Chris Bryant, who resigned as shadow Commons leader, accused Mr Cameron of adopting a "lame duck attitude" as he urged him to "take control" of post-Brexit Britain.

Mr Cameron replied: "I think, frankly, you and your colleagues have got something they need to take control of and it's your party."

Mr Bryant then prompted laughter across the House as he shouted from the back benches "I'm doing my best!" as Mr Corbyn sat on the front bench.

A smiling Mr Cameron then said: "It is a topsy turvy world. I've never felt greater support from my party and I'm leaving and I've never seen an Opposition leader with less support and he is staying.

"As someone about to enter the political graveyard perhaps I could misquote my favourite band and say let's meet at the cemetery gates."

Mr Cameron's lyrics-based jabs towards Mr Corbyn did not stop with the reference to The Smiths' song Cemetry Gates.

Labour's Kerry McCarthy, who resigned from her position as shadow environment secretary, continued the theme.

She said: "If the Prime Minister is going to dig out his copy of The Queen is Dead album he might want to depress himself even further by listening to my favourite track I Know It's Over, although as far as the Labour Party is concerned it's There is a light and it never goes out."

Mr Cameron replied, prompting more laughter: "I was interested that the Labour Party's favourite Smiths' song is There Is A Light That Never Goes Out because it actually involves a double suicide.

"I think the lyrics are 'if a double decker bus crashes into us there's no finer way than by your side' - I think I'm right in saying.

"I'm not sure that's wholly reassuring to the front bench. In fact I think the next verse is 'if a ten tonne truck crashes into us'.

"You've tried resignations. You've tried one after the other. You obviously have got to look for inspiration elsewhere."

Johnny Marr, a founding member of the The Smiths, famously told Mr Cameron in 2010 to stop saying he was a fan of the band.

Speaker John Bercow has taken expert advice over whether the embattled Labour Party continues to meet its responsibilities as the official opposition party.

It came after the SNP used a point of order to take a swipe at Labour, insisting they should be replaced on the shadow benches.

After quoting the author of a book on parliamentary practice which sets out the responsibilities of the opposition party, Pete Wishart said: "The current official opposition has lost two-thirds of its shadow cabinet, its leader in what remains of the front bench no longer commands the support of the overwhelming majority of his back bench.

"It can no longer provide shadows for large departments of state. It is clearly in no shape to assume power and unable to meet its key responsibilities and obligations ... "

The Perth and North Perthshire MP added: "Given these quite obvious failings, what steps would now need to be taken to have this official opposition replaced with one that can meet the responsibilities that are very clearly set out in Erskine May?"

Mr Bercow said the Labour Party continues to legally constitute the official opposition.

He added: "I do give and have given thought to the matter and I have also benefited from expert advice. These matters are not broached lightly."