PMQs As-It-Happened
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10:55 – One hour until the session begins. No prizes for predicting the main topic for today’s questions. With the latest unemployment figures out today putting us at 1997 levels and Mervyn King, the governor of the Bank of England, basically announcing a recession this morning, MPs will be hard pushed to find something else to talk about. That goes doubly for David Cameron, who will presumably pounce on today’s events for his line of attack. The question is how? Will he opt for the ‘you said there’d be no more boom-and-bust and now you look silly’ angle he’s employed to limited effect over the last few sessions? It’s unlikely. That horse is now thoroughly flogged. More likely, Cameron may approach the issue on the basis of tax cuts. The Tories laid out their plans for tax cuts yesterday morning, with Nick Clegg reiterating the Liberal’s strategy in the evening. Gordon Brown continued to hint at tax cuts in the pre-budget report, which could be out as early as this week. Cameron could make some mileage out of this drip-feed of speculation. Whatever he does, expect to hear the words ‘borrowing’, ‘unacceptable’ and ‘levels’ more than you would wish to.
11:56 – MPs have now filled up the chamber, and the prime minister is expected shortly.
12:01 – And we’re off. The first question is from a Tory making fun of the fact Labour governments always leave office with the country in recession. Brown states how much more employment Labour has created. All very run-of-the-mill. “People are beginning to understand around the world we’re dealing with a new situation,” Brown says, before professing the amount of global support for his economic plan.
12:04 – “Only this prime minister could be quite so smug on the day thousands of people lost their job,” Cameron begins. He then goes on to the case of Baby P. Cameron does a good impression of being livid. Brown says the House shares the nation’s concern. He gives a long, detailed answer, indicating he was planning on using PMQs to make his statement on the matter. As for Haringey itself, where it took place, the full report was received by the children’s secretary this morning. “National review, local action,” he says.
12:06 – Cameron leaps on it again. When some Labour MPs mutter he says: “They should worry about this,” and says something about how important it is. That’s pretty cheap. Labour and Tory MPs always murmur. He’s using what he knew would happen to paint himself as Generally More Concerned than anyone else. Brown says a decision is forthcoming once the report is gone over by government.
12:07 – Mr Cameron says his questions are not being answered. Labour complaints. The speaker calls on everyone to shut up. There’s some complaint about that too and Martin gets a little irate. He even stresses his authority, which he hasn’t done for a while. Cameron says its disgraceful to try to shout down someone who is asking reasonable questions. The House is in a spectacularly bad mood today. Very edgy. Cameron wants people replaced over the issue. “I do regret making a party political issue out of this,” Brown replies. The shouts in the House are intense. The speaker calls for order, rather desperately.
12:10 – “I think what the prime minister said just now is frankly cheap,” Cameron says. He calls on Brown to take back to point about it being party political. Brown doesn’t. He makes a vaguely worded answer out of nothing. You can’t overstate the bad sentiment here. It’s the worst I’ve seen for a long time. The speaker intervenes again. “If the leader of the House wants to do her job, then I can do my job,” he barks at Harriet Harman.
12:12 – Cameron again asks Brown to retract the ‘playing party politics statement. “The whole House can find unity around three things,” Brown says. Firstly that its investigated. Secondly, that the review is the right mechanism. Thirdly, that today’s report is properly analysed. “Obviously the prime minister won’t answer the central point,” Cameron replies. He reverts back to questioning the structure in which the independent report is conducted, especially the notion someone can judge themselves. He has a strong point. Brown again talks about the independence of the report. Cameron mentions at the start that he wanted to talk about the issue before moving onto unemployment, but he now appears to have run out of questions following the conflict over Brown’s statement.
12:15 – Nick Clegg stands up. Why should anyone believe Brown will cut taxes in a useful way? “When it comes to cutting taxes, he may pretend he’s Robin Hood, but he’s really a big pickpocket.” Classy. Brown gives the same answer he always gives to Clegg, a variation on misrepresenting his tax policies. I’m growing seriously tired of him doing that. So is Nick Clegg: “He can misrepresent me all he likes,” the Lib Dem leader says before calling on the PM to close tax loopholes. Brown says he’s doing everything he can to close the loopholes.
12:18 – Apparently it’s diabetes day soon. Someone asks if the PM will help children with diabetes in school He gives a standard answer – the government is doing all it can to help etc etc. I lost concentration after that.
12:21 – Jack Straw hasn’t moved for so long, he looks like a gargoyle. An SNP MP asks when we’re going to get an Iraq inquiry. Brown gives a massively unconvincing answer about how well Iraq is doing.
12:22 – Someone mentions the firefighters’ lobby of parliament today. Will Brown meet them to discuss their concerns? Brown says the whole House has a debt to the firefighters, and ministerial colleagues will be happy to meet the delegation. Not quite what he asked for but you don’t kick a ministerial colleague in the face.
12:23 – Bewilderingly little mention of unemployment, even if most questions begin with the phrase “In this economic downturn…” Geoff Hoon seems outrageously happy, his beaming face peering round at everyone in the chamber. His happiness makes me feel slightly wary. What terrible thoughts are filling his mind, I wonder?
12:25 – “At times of financial pressure, it’s the poor who pay the highest price,” a Labour MP says. He wants interest rates capped at three per cent in negotiations with credit unions. Brown is very supportive. He’s rather getting a kick out of berating credit card companies nowadays. You only remember how thoroughly odd all this is if you try to imagine him saying this sort of fluffy Leninist stuff a year ago.
12:27 – A question on Heathrow gets us nowhere. Brown says nothing remotely interesting. Someone who once was on Haringey council calls for an independent public inquiry as well as the report. Brown says he’s grateful for the way she presented the issues. The executive summary of the report has already pointed at weaknesses, and the children’s secretary will act as quickly as necessary, the PM continues.
12:30 – Brown enjoys mocking Tory plans for vehicle and fuel duty. “Oh yes Mr Speaker,” Brown stutters, “that’s the Tory policy.” He stops laughing when a Tory asks him what the economic theory is behind defeating boon-and-bust.
12:31 – And the session ends, with the House moving on to an introduction of new members. That means Lindsay Roy, the Labour victor in Glenrothes, is about to get sworn in. So who won this week? Absolutely no-one. The scene during the Baby P section was appalling. The session simply never recovered from it. See you next week.
