PMQs as-it-happened
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11:00 – One hour until our coverage begins. The end of PMQs will be followed by Bob Ainsworth’s statement to the House on the defence green paper, out today, which is expected to call for a firmer relationship between Britain and France. The major political fireworks this week came from the Iraq inquiry, but with David Cameron having supported the war, the Tory leader may be reticent in leading with an attack on the war, no matter which juicy titbits Clare Short emitted during her evidence session yesterday.
11:57 – Northern Ireland questions are just coming to a close now. As Brian Binley asks a question on fermenting violence through social networking sites, most of the Cabinet creeps in and sits on the front bench.
11:58 – Douglas Alexander is having a cheerful chat with the chancellor as Gordon Brown slides past them to his seat. Darling perches at the end of a bench while Bill Wiggin asks a question about smuggling. Alan Johnson wraps his arms around himself in a patent attempt at security.
12:00 – And we’re off. Brown pays tribute to those killed in Afghanistan this week. David Evennett, Tory, joins him. He says all MPs’ constituents are concerned with transparency. Why didn’t he declare the fund for his headquarters? “I know nothing about what he’s talking about,” Brown replies. Lots of noise. Jacqui Smith is asking a question (planted) on Tory crime statistics but most of us are still intrigued by Evennett’s question.
12:03 – Cameron’s up. Isn’t it becoming clear from Chilcot that the government in general and the PM in particular, made some bad choices which meant our troops were not properly equipped? Brown says funding has gone up and it’s “not in the interests of this House” to claim that they weren’t equipped when funding was given. Cameron says Brown’s comments are at odds with what we’ve heard. He reels off the damning evidence. Brown: “They don’t even know what their policy is for 2010 on spending, on anything.” He says he always took proper funding for defence seriously. He reminds Cameron he called for defence cuts last election.
12:06 – Cameron quotes more military chiefs. He reminds Brown about Tebbit’s evidence today, that his budget was subject to “arbitrary cuts”. Cameron says the evidence is mounting that Brown ignored the welfare of our armed forces until it was politically inconvenient. Brown again says the Tory party called for defence cuts last election. He says everything was available. Brown is losing this – for the first time in months. “He cannot portray a picture of defence cuts when defence expenditure is rising.” Jamie Reed stands to ask a question, MPs make a lot of noise, John Bercow shouts: “Order. I’m sure government backbenchers want to hear Jamie Reed.”
12:09 – In response, Brown says: “It’s eight minutes past twelve and I think the current Tory policy…” Huge laughs from Labour benches. Clegg stands up and focuses on defence spending. The green paper is coming up, but the PM already excluded Trident. How can we take the review seriously? Brown says the government takes a multilateralist attitude to defence and the future of Trident can be reduced as part of multilateral talks. “In a very unsafe world, it would be better for us to be part of multilateral discussion to reduce nuclear weapons around the world,” Brown says. Clegg cites the damaged defence funding, and argues it’s mad to keep a Cold War weapon in that context. Brown says something interesting. “I give him the credit of being consistent in his policies, something I couldn’t say for the opposition.” That comment and moves towards electoral reform, is this the week Labour made its overtures to the Lib Dems? Brown insists troops are properly equipped, almost as an afterthought.
12:14 – Cameron gets back up. Thirteen years into government, and days from a general election – what was it that attracted him to changing the voting system? Smart. Brown says the Tories don’t understand the way the politics of the last year changed parliament forever. If the Tories want to postpone reform of the House of Lords and escape the alternative vote they don’t understand the British people. We are for the alternative vote, they are for the hereditary vote. Cameron mocks him: “What a lot of rubbish. I wonder if he pulled the secretary out the chair before he came up with that one. He must think the whole country is stupid.”
12:16 – Cameron destroys Brown with a quote from Paddy Ashdown, whose chats on the subject with Tony Blair included Blair saying he agreed on reform, but couldn’t get it past “Gordon”. Cameron can barely contain himself. He’s interrupting himself by laughing. Brown is visibly angry. He insists the Tories are the party of “no change”.
12:18– Sir Stuart Bell, Labour, asks if tomorrow’s Legg report will let us put the sorry expenses episode behind us. Brown says we need more. “We must change the way we govern ourselves in this place and the House of Lords. If they [Tories] are not prepared to face up to major change in the constitution” then the public will see them for what they are. Brown is asked why defence chiefs threatened to quit if what he says about defence spending is true. Brown repeats his previous line.
12:22 – John Hemming says National Express cancelled a bus in Birmingham without consultation. MPs mock him openly. “I’m sure I should call an emergency Cabinet to look at the situation of the 41 bus,” Brown jokes. Not as funny as he thinks. He is asked what he regrets most in his premiership. He answers in a doublespeak sort of way – the fact the opposition didn’t support us doing X etc.
12:25 – In the 1998 defence review Brown tried to cut £1 billion from the Tory expenditure plans. How is it distinguished servicemen and civil servants who gave evidence to Chilcot are all wrong, and he is right? Brown cites his figures again and says only the opposition are having trouble with figures today. Lembit Opik gets up to discuss jobs in Wales.
12:26 – Brown is asked about inheritance tax cuts, the Tory policy. Could it only be secured with schools and hospitals losing out? It’s a friendly question. Brown says at least this policy didn’t fluctuate. He says it could come at the expense of schools, the health service or defence. “We are for the many, they are for the few,” he says for the first time this year. Won’t be the last time you hear it.
12:34 – Brian Jenkins, Labour, asks Brown to promise stop any suggestion of the married couples couples’ tax allowance. Brown says the policy would discriminate against widows and those left by their partners. And with that, the questions start to wind down. Clear victory to Cameron this week. It was only a matter of time until the words spoken down the road in the Chilcot inquiry made their way into the Commons, even if our early assumption about Cameron’s hesitancy on the subject didn’t stop him driving the point home, along with several other backbench Tory MPs. On alternative vote, Cameron won, hands down. He should make sure he doesn’t look like he’s enjoying it so much next time though.
