PMQs: As-it-happened
This event has now finished, but you can see how it developed below.
12:00 We’re just moments away from the start of PMQs and its a very lively atmosphere.
12:00 And we’re off; Gordon Brown give his usual introduction.
12:01 Brown gets a question about his discussions with Lord Myners about RBS.
12:02 Slightly barbed comment from Brown, stating how the backbencher has risen to the occasion of asking the first question for PMQs.
12:03 David Cameron is up and joins the PM in welcoming president Obama to the UK. And he’s off on to MPs expenses, saying MPs may moan but he is sick of British politics being dragged through the mud. Asks whether we should have a solution to “sort this out once and for all”.
12:04 Gordon Brown responds by saying he’s called for another review and for it to be sped up.
12:06 David Cameron accuses the prime minister of setting up a previous review, agreeing to that review’s proposals – and then failing to vote for it.
12:07 Brown tells Cameron he has written his question before he’s heard his answer to it.
b>12:08 Cameron makes a comment about how the issue is being kicked into the long grass but give up the point and moves on to the G20.
Brown starts to talk about what he hopes to achieve but is heckled and the speaker has to interrupt. The G20 will resolve much, he claims.
Cameron says the naming and shaming process has been agreed months ago. The World Bank has release details of 17 countries which have implemented nationalist stratgies, he argues, making the point that the Doha iniative needs to be agreed.
Brown replies that he agrees trade is important but accuses the Conservatives of being out of step as always. There is no one coming to London who has a policy of doing nothing, he says.
Cameron retorts that the governor of the Bank of England has said another fiscal stimulus will not work and that he cut up the prime minister’s credit card last week. Doesn’t he agree with him that confidence needs to be restored first.
12:12 No one is taking the advice of the Conservative party. It’s a weak point by Brown and Cameron pulls him up on his use of the “do nothing party” phrase. Everyone wants agreement on tax havens, the IMF and so on, but Britain will still be in an apalling mess. Haven’t we learned an important lesson that we should never leave Britain in this appaling mess again.
12:14 Brown retaliates by saying the Conservatives would cut child benefit and cut public spending and do nothing to help working families because they don’t back an economic stimulus package.
12:15 A question now about Russia and the UK’s relationship with it. Brown says work has to be done to improve the relationship with the former Soviet Union.
12:16 Nick Clegg is up attacking the prime minister for not practising what he preaches at home. Of course everyone wants the G20 proposals to work but Brown presided over years of poeple hiding in tax havens.
12:7 Brown says he is determined to stop the use of tax havens and bring about a more carbon neutral environment as well.
Clegg responds by saying that Brown should make annoucements more relavant to Britain and environmental issues. He challenges him to annouce that he will back track on the VAT cut.
Brown responds by telling the House that he is doing more than anyone to help the environment and that no one else would be taking the action he is taking. Then reels off a list of benefits of the Labour government – bit of a dull usual answer really.
12:20 Backbench question about freedom of information in the House of Commons. It’s a question that is always going to get a bland answer from the PM.
Another backbench question about the Christie Hospital losing money to an Icelandic bank. Brown says he has visited the hospital and met the staff and that he will do what he can to help the charity to reclaim the money it has lost but the bank is not regulated in the UK.
12:23 A backbench question from the Conservatives reqarding the prime minister’s sale of gold reserves when he was chancellor years ago and whether that is reflective of his judgment given the price of gold today. Brown responds by saying that he was not alone in making the sale as plenty of governments were doing so at the time because they wanted to diversify and that knowing how much the MP “likes Europe” he inveseted in euros and they’ve gone up in value.
12:25 A backbencher asks about one of her elderly constituents who is facing court over mortgage arrears of £300. Brown promises to look into the matter.
12:27 A friendly question from his own backbenches sees the prime minister able to talk about how Labour are helping people to get jobs and deal with the recession. Another backbencher asks why the money so readily available to Labour MP constituents isn’t available to his own and when his own may get it. Brown responds that they are but that he is surprised to be asked for more from a Conservative MP when his party wants to do less.
12:31 A civilised society needs a minimum wage and Gordon Brown is determined to keep it. With that, PMQs is over.
