PMQs as-it-happened
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11:30 – Half an hour until this week’s session kicks off. David Cameron returned to work for the first time since the death of his son Ivan last month. It’s somewhat distasteful to analyse that fact politically, but his return does present some interesting conundrums for Gordon Brown. It would appear a bit off to lay into him as usual given recent events. But then, Cameron isn’t returning to work to be mollycoddled. One can presume the subject of the attacks in Northern Ireland will dominate proceedings – a topic with strong consent across the House, so everything points to a far less hostile session than usual this week.
12:00 – And we’re on. Brown begins by expressing condolences to the families of the men murdered in Northern Ireland as well as the other people injured in those attacks. He praises the peace marches through Ireland today. “The peace the people of Northern Ireland are building no murderers should ever be able to destroy,” he says.
12:03 – Cameron stands up to loud cheers. He thanks the Speaker for his kind words when his son died, and even thanks the prime minister (“it came from the heart”), and mentions the number of letters and emails he has received. He mentions that he looks forward to the day he will look back happily at his son’s life, rather than with sadness at his death. It’s actually quite touching. In a rather quiet way, the Commons hasn’t seen anything like that for a while, if ever. Brown welcomes him back and says he sympathises with his grief. He talks in a soft, measured tone, unlike the angry lectures of the past.
12:07 – Brown updates Cameron on the search for the killers of the two soldiers on Saturday night. “Out of tragedy we are seeing a unity,” Brown says. We’ll see how long the unity in the Commons lasts. Cameron: “The prime minister is absolutely right about this unity and it is remarkable.” He asks the PM if he agrees that N. Ireland is not staring at the abyss, and is still progressing well. Brown agrees. “We are dealing with a small minority,” he says.
12:09 – Brown reiterates that the government will do everything in its power to track down the killers. There’s a little bit on the homecoming parade yesterday which was marred by protest and arrest. He comes down pretty hard on the demonstrators, and Cameron, predictably, agrees with him. Cameron brings up Binyam Mohamed. He implies he is not of decent character, and can’t be believed about why he was going to Afghanistan, but he casts doubt on the government’s promises not to have assisted in his interrogation and torture.
12:11 – Brown reiterates that the UK doesn’t do torture, but the matter is currently with the attorney general. Cameron: We agree that torture is unacceptable and we want to eradicate the potential stain on Britain’s reputation. But the attorney general inquiry isn’t enough. We need a brief, judge-led inquiry. Brown says he “appreciates” what he says. The intelligence community has investigated some aspects of this matter, Brown says, but then relies on the attorney general’s investigation again, saying that if he says there’s good reason, a police investigation will follow it.
12:13 – Cameron says the attorney general will only look at one case – not the system. We need to make sure our “moral authority” has been maintained. He reiterates his call for a judge-led inquiry. Brown just repeats what he said earlier, with some variation. Behind him, Harriet Harman is wearing an extraordinary frown. Brown says he hopes Cameron will wait for the investigation to take place and for the first time a hint of irritation is in his voice. That’s it for the Brown-Cameron show, and never before have we seen them so polite and respectful. Won’t last.
12:15 – Peter Hain, former Northern Ireland secretary, stands up to praise Republican leaders for their response to the murders. Brown makes several predictable points about the subject. Clegg stands. He associates himself with the comments made earlier about the families of the victims. He also welcomes Cameron back to parliament. “We sincerely hope he and his family have the time and the space to cope with the terrible loss they have suffered.”
12:17 – I’d hate to try and predict Clegg’s questions, he always comes from left-field. Does Brown welcome France’s return to Nato? he asks. Brown says he does, and uses the question to start talking about Iran, for no apparent reason at all. Clegg: “He may still miss the full opportunity available to him.” He wants the UK to work fully with our European neighbours in defence as a bargaining chip for getting them to join the fight in Afghanistan. Brown says the British army, Navy and Air Force is important and we defend our right to make our own decision as well. A quick-slap down for any mention of a European armed forces then. He needed to act rapidly. If the tabloids thought for a moment he was soft on the suggestion, they’d have his guts for garters.
12:20 – A critical comment on Royal Mail privatisation earns a full minute of Brown argument on why it’s such a wonderful idea. Next question: “Does the PM not believe he owes it to the savers, many of them pensioners, to have a full debate on government economic policies so he can honour the commitment he gave to this country to put the House of Commons at the centre of government?” Brown says, rather laughably, that he welcomes all debates “in this House”. He also says he wants to protect savers, and their greatest threat is high inflation, which he is concentrating on. Some laughs – more guffaws really – from the Tories lead him onto that often-heard argument about them wanting to cut spending.
12:23 – The MP whose constituency the murdered Constable lived in stands to tell the House his killers were “vermin” and professes his belief that Ireland will never go back to the “hell” it once went through. Brown says the whole House passes its condolences through him to the family.
12:25 – Why does the government think banks are best run in private hands? a Labour MP asks (backbench – if you hadn’t guessed). Brown: “I know he’s come to these views not in the last few months,” Brown says. That was actually rather funny, although dyed-in-wool left wingers are, of course, the ones that should be laughing, given everything they said about the private sector is increasingly coming true.
12:27 – Behind Brown, Hutton is struggling to appear remotely human. Harman remains entirely feisty. And Jack Straw is becoming more and more like a dopey gargoyle by the day. Dennis Skinner stands up, with all the noise that always entails. He makes a crudely drafted, but rather enjoyable, little speech about how wonderful Labour is. Brown relies, you guessed it: “He’s absolutely right.”
12:32 – PMQs ends, a couple of minutes later than usual. No point looking for a winner this week. The sombre tone is all-but unique, provoked by the combination of Cameron’s return and the attacks in Northern Ireland. It wasn’t a healthier example of British politics or anything – there was just as much blatant evasion and empty rhetoric as always. But it was different – and the respect evident in the chamber was actually quite refreshing. See you next week.
