Scottish questions and PMQs as-it-happened
All the details of a historic Scottish questions and the first PMQs of 2012 with politics.co.uk's live blog.
By Ian Dunt Follow @IanDunt
10:48 – Good morning and welcome to 2012. We've got the end of Great Britain on the menu, shortly followed by the standard predictions of financial apocalypse with which you're now so familiar. Side orders of fratricidal Labour leadership speculation and a snooty out-of-touch Etonian government. We don't usually tune in for Scottish questions because it's impeccably tedious, but today's should be a lively affair. Scottish secretary Michael Moore will receive support in the Commons chamber but he's frontline in an unpredictable constitutional battle with Scottish first minister Alex Salmond. For more on that read this. The great debate on whether Scotland and Britain are better off together or apart will inevitably be reduced to snide attacks on the subject of timetables and wording rather than, well, the great debate on whether Scotland and Britain are better off together or apart. The first example of that will be today's sessions. After that, it's PMQs, Ed Miliband's first since his relaunch-that-wasn't yesterday. Terrible reviews for that of course. Read this for more on that. Kick off is at 11:30 GMT and we'll be with you until PMQs wraps up at 12:30 GMT, when we'll bring you news and sketch from the Commons Chamber. The usual caveat: typos abound. Be generous in your grammatical appraisal. We'll clean it up afterwards.
11:27 – We'll be off in a few minutes. The press lobby is currently ongoing in parliament. The PM's spokesman is using the 'nice cop' approach, saying: ""We don't want to be prescriptive. We want to listen to what people have to say."
11:33 – Lots of talk in the politics.co.uk offices about who should lead the pro-unionist front during referendum debates. Can't be Tory, must be Scottish. Er… Gordon Brown? Not actually that bad an idea when you think about it. OK, we're off.
11:35 – Eilidh Whiteford (SNP, Dick Tracey) hasn't read the memo and asks about something that isn't the referendum. Moore is his usual mixture of suave tedium, like George Clooney as a bank manager.
11:37 – A question on child tax credits and the autumn statement leads to dribble about fiscal mandates. John Robertson (Lab, engorged) wants the secretary of state to "stand up for the children of Scotland". David Mundell parliamentary under-secretary, shields his boss. Lot's of distressingly non-referendum questions. At least Anas Sarwar (Lab, promising but a little limp) mentions it before asking a question about child poverty. I mean, child poverty? Surely we should be concentrating on the serious issues.
11:40 – Alun Cairns (Con, teenager) says the independence debate doesn't help attract inward investment to Scotland. The government agrees, predictably, and says that's why the referendum should happen sooner. Angus Robertson (SNP Westminster leader, caricature of himself) doesn't like this and reads a list of companies which have invested since the SNP won its majority. Unfortunately, he can't pronounce some of the Japanese names.
11:42 – Mundell says uncertainty over Scotland's position in the EU and questions over which currency it will use will hinder inward investment. I'm not convinced that argument will swing it in the long run, but then the last referendum we had on Europe was decided on the basis of a pint of milk, so what do I know.
11:44 – Jo Swinson (Lib Dem, permanently eager) wants young people to have more oppourtunities. Moore used the word scourge in response. Marvellous word. Willie Bain, shadow Scottish minister, says Moore doesn't grasp the crisis austerity has created. He recites something akin to Ed Ball's five point plan, as if a cut on VAT will change anything. Moore makes the usual point that he'll take no lessons from a party that… you know the rest.
11:47 – In the standfirst above I described this as a historic session, but if it is it's an astonishingly boring historic session. Jimmy Hood (Lab, I've literally never seen him before) is making a dog's breakfast of his question. Something about executives running away with money. There is a question on the referendum by the way. It's number seven. This is such a crawl, and my ability to stay awake during it so weak, that we may not get there.
11:49 – Tom Greatex asked a question. I ignored it but worth mentioning simply because he has such a marvellous name. Here we go.
11:51 – Moore reminds the House of the progress on the referendum and Westminster's views. That was it. Very matter of fact. Added nothing. Now Ian Stewart tells Alex Salmond to "stop playing politics and get on with it" – citing the Quebec (Canada) example. Fiona Bruce (Con, lovely) asks if it's true a referendum requires Westminster consent. Moore says the Scottish executive needs Westminster approval and he wants to work with them to do it "for the people of Scotland".
11:53 – Moore is asked how it would affect Britain's relationship with Europe? He says it's a good question. He calls Britain the most successful multi-national state "in the history of the world". True, I suppose. Moore says everyone in the country gets the chance to participate in the state of the question in the referendum. This has to be about "defence, welfare and the state of the economy". Cameron is in the chamber. Pete Wishart (SNP, skinny) makes a boo-boo by saying the referendum will take place in 1914. David Cameron is now in the chamber. Wishart saves himself by pointing at the PM and calling him "the best recruiting sergeant for the SNP". Probably accurate. Moore, it suddenly strikes me, is rather like the teacher in The Inbetweeners.
11:56 – Margaret Curran (Lab, shadow Scottish secretary) wants to know the current state of discussion, especially on currency etc. Moore makes the same old point about Scotland being better served in the UK. He then makes an interesting point: The union allows the benefit system to be more generous. That will play well. Curran asks about discussions on separation of welfare spending given that it's three times greater in Scotland than oil revenues (or it was in 2010, anyway). Moore says sharing resources across all the UK makes welfare more generous. Gordon Henderson (Con, sounds Labour) says all Scots should be able to vote in the referendum, regardless of whether they live in Scotland or not.
11:58 – We're now on youth unemployment in Scotland. Cameron is looking through his notes, little yellow post-its placed neatly all over it. Clegg and Cameroon are chatting behind Moore, who then sits between them.
12:01 – And PMQs is off. Cameron pays tribute to the servicemen who have been killed over the festive break. He lists four names. Graham Stewart (Con, posh Julian Assange) congratulates a country foods firm in some facility it's made. He says the food standards agency is blocking it from exporting to the far east. Cameron joins the congratulations and says he wants more emphasis on exports. Boring! He says he'll try to resolve the situation. Miliband is up. Big cheer from the Tory benches – you can imagine. He shuts them up with a tribute to the servicemen.
12:04 – The chancellor said train fairs would only rise by 1% above inflation, so why are they rising by up to 11%, Miliband asks. Cameron says Labour gave them that power. No, Miliband says, fighting the noise. "The prime minister is wrong. The last Labour government stopped them doing that and this PM reversed that policy."
12:05 – Cameron says Miliband has had a "tough start to the year but he's got this wrong". I'm afraid I can't tell you who is right on this. Cameron says the important thing is rail investment -Crossrail, electrification, HS2 etc. Miliband: "I'm afraid the prime minister is just wrong about the facts." He says Labour stopped the firms ripping off consumers. "He came to office and brought the power back." He says the National Audit Office says this money is for profits, not consumers. He wants a reversal on the policy. RPI plus 3% was the first coalition policy, Cameron says. The autumn statement saw that fall to 1%. Cameron seems evasive, but again – I'm not sure of the details. "Credibility – time to have some I think," he tells Miliband.
12:08 – "Instead of his prepared lines" he should come clean, Miliband says. The PM said he wanted to take action against crony capitalism, but he's "failed at the first hurdle". Cameron retreats – he says Labour only changed the rule for one week. Bit of a victory there for Miliband. Cameron wobbling. It's rather dull I'm afraid, and very relaxed, but so far it is Cameron retreating. Cameron then says: "He's right to raise the issue of executive pay." He insists the government will act while Labour didn't. Miliband saves three questions for later.
12:10 – Miliband scans his notes. He's won a victory so far, although in the context of the most boring PMQs for a long time. Luciana Berger (Lab, eligible) wants Cameron to adopt Labour policy on energy companies, reciting Miliband's policy from his speech yesterday. Nice attempt at a job there. Cameron says the coalition is keeping Labour's winter fuel allowance policy. Sarah Newton (Con, excessive gestures) asks about nursing and how hard a job they do. All very boring I'm afraid. Miliband again on Scotland this time.
12:13 – Miliband says this is about shared interests and shared values. Cameron said this is an area where they are both in "100% agreement". He says he's sad we're even having this debate. "We have to respect the fact Scotland voted for a separatist party". First they must make the legal position clear. "I look forward to having the debate because there have been too many who are happy to talk about the process, they don't want to talk about the substance. Let's have the debate and lets keep our country together. "
12:15 – Miliband says he agrees. He wants immediate cross-party talks in Scotland on the Electoral Commission and timing. He wants an end to the process talk and more on a "serious, thoughtful and inclusive debate". He adds: "The people of our country deserve nothing less." Isn't this nice. They both agree. It doesn't quite work for the leader of the opposition, in my opinion, because it gives the sense of following rather than leading. Cameron attacks an SNP MP (I Guess Robertson) saying "he can't seem to keep quiet".
12:17 – Well, you've got to hand it to Miliband, that one, simply because Cameron seemed to back down on their central disagreement. So it's Miliband: 2 Cameron: 1. But that was so subdued and tedious, it hardly amounted to a ringing endorsement of his leadership. No change since this morning. He continues to do enough to stay in the job but not enough to end the whispers against him.
12:20 – Robertson says the SNP was elected with a mandate for a referendum in the second half of the parliament term. By contrast the Tories have less MPs than pandas in Scotland. Why is Cameron doing a Thatcher? Cameron says he wants to give the Scottish people a say. Every line of Robertson's question was torn from Alex Salmond.
12:22 – Sir George Young looks like he has finally tired of all this. Theresa Coffey (Con, gazes up at substandard) asks about someone who worked in a post office his whole life in Suffolk. So that's one vote, Theresa. Congrats. David Simpson (DUP, round) says Clegg believes we will one day sign up to that EU treaty. Someone whispers – "you didn't believe him did you?" Cameron is somewhat dismissive towards Clegg in his response. "What coalition partners want to put in their election manifestos is entirely up to them," he says.
12:26 – Mike Crockhart (Lib Dem, poised) says this should be the last year the "despicable" Guantanamo Bay is open (it's the tenth anniversary). Cameron says the foreign secretary is doing what he can. Glegg McClymont (Lab, squeaky) asks about the 50p top tax rate. Cameron says "it's very important we look at how it works in practise". Dum dum daaaaaaa. Ken Clarke slipping fast. Which will come first, the end of the session or his afternoon nap?
12:28 – Cameron makes a strong pitch for curbing executive pay especially after failure – he says Labour had 13 years to deal with it. He then answers a question on housing benefit. He says this and executive pay are two sides of the same coin. He really is blatantly stealing Miliband's agenda here, not that anyone noticed.
12:30 – Sir Bob Russell (Lib Dem, pomposity increasing daily) starts by saying ethnic cleansing is evil. Very controversial. he says Israel is forcing evictions of Arabs. "Isn't it time we treated Israel as we did apartheid South Africa?" Cameron says Israel is a democracy and it has a right to exist, but says the government is against Israeli settlements. "This government will continue to act and vote on the issue of illegal settlements," he insists. Big chants when Sir Bob stood up, by the way, over his new knighthood. One Labour MP shouted "satire is dead", rather winningly.
12:34 – Bercow is still calling them up to contribute to what must surely be the most tedious PMQs of recent years. Dame Joan Ruddock, another new years honours lister (Lab, talks like she's explaining Pythagoras to primary school children) stands. Cameron says he profoundly disagrees with her views, especially nuclear disarmament, but no-one can accuse… he's interrupted and answers the question. He was wise not to say that he used the honours list to reward friends, because there are plenty of people who believe that is precisely what he did.
12:36 – Finally, mercifully, Bercow closes the session down. That was a bit of a grind frankly. Let's hope it improves next week. See you then.
