PMQs live blog
Peter Hoskin 11:49amStay tuned for PMQs coverage from 1200.
1200: And here's Brown, fresh from his meeting with Obama. He welcomes the US President on "behalf of the people of the UK". And then: "I'm proud that we're hosting the G20 meeting".
1202: Brown bats off a question about Lord Myners by effectively saying that the matter of Fred Goodwin's pension is in the hands of the UKFI.
1203: Good start from Cameron. "Before getting on to the G20, I'd like to bring up the matter of MPs' expenses. MPs may groan, but I'm fed up with politics being dragged through the mud." Cameron calls for quicker reforms and a meeting between the party leaders. This is encouraging stuff.
1205: Brown says he's happy to meet the other party leaders, but that they'll still have to wait for the end of of the inquiry nonetheless.
1206: Cameron pushes the issue harder. "We don't need another review". And then points out, rightly, that the last review was largely ignored by Brown. Brown replies similarly to his last answer. Clever from Cameron: despite Brown's claim that he'll meet with Cameron and Clegg, this still makes it look as though Brown doesn't have the political will to act swiftly and decisively.
1207: Now onto the G20. Cameron asks for assurances that barriers won't be put up to free trade.
1209: Brown just waffles on for a couple of minutes about why this G20 meeting is so "important".
1211: Cameron calls for progress towards a complete Doha agreements. Brown: "We will push forward on trade and on other measures ... there is no-one coming to London who has a policy of do-nothing." Groan.
1212: Cameron plays his trump card: "There's a person already in London saying that you can't spend any more money, and that's the Governor of the Bank of England." Brown says that the Tories "don't understand" and launches, again, into a "do nothing" diatribe.
1214: Cameron's got all the right responses today. He tears into the "do nothing" attack, saying that "it's not working ... since the PM started saying it, we've gone up and he's gone down." And then: "It's all about creating another political dividing line".
1215: Brown's response is unedifying. He claims that Cameron's only concerned with "politics" and hasn't mentioned "people," before launching into a diatribe about how the Tories would cut child benefits, pensions etc. etc. Erm, wasn't Cameron's point - rightly - that Brown is being too political? The Tory benches are in uproar. This is getting quite heated.
1217: Clegg now, and he's in fiery form - saying that Brown must "practise what he preaches" on the global stage. Brown responds by bringing in back to the "do nothing" Tories.
1218: Clegg has Brown looking flustered, as he pushes this "practise what you preach" attack. Like Vince Cable last week, he says that the VAT cut was a waste.
1223: Backbench questions. David Winnick calls for a better "system of allowances". More on Icelandic banks and carbon capture.
1225: David Heathcoat-Amory lays into Brown for selling our gold reserves, and calls for an apology in light of the fact that gold prices are now 4 times higher. Brown stutters that "many countries were diversifying at the time ... and we invested in Euros, which have gone up in value!" Hm.
1229: Questions on unemployment, community policing and cancer care. Brown says that a programme to tackle unemployment will be announced soon - looking ahead to the Budget, methinks.
1231: That's it. Verdict shortly.
VERDICT: While Cameron didn't deliver any killing blows, I think he came out comfortably on top - mainly by positioning his party on the right side of the expenses dividing line. Besides, it was good to hear him say what quite a few Labour people think about the "do nothing" attack.
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TrevorsDen
April 1st, 2009 12:21pm Report this commentThe general uselessness of PMQs is illustrated by Cameron's question on Doha. Brown mumbles a couple of words and then just launches a propaganda diatribe.
Perhaps we should see just what happens about Doha.
Henry Rogers
April 1st, 2009 12:38pm Report this commentSpot on TD, it's a bit of a con. Never-the-less Brown always looks cr*p for the good reason that he is cr*p. Would be nice to have answers instead of off-topic rants but we can't have everything. And now we have Creepy Nick Robinson in 'The Daily Politics'defending parliamentary inertia on expenses. Oh dear!
Hawkeye
April 1st, 2009 12:47pm Report this comment"The general uselessness of PMQs is illustrated by Cameron's question on Doha. Brown mumbles a couple of words and then just launches a propaganda diatribe."
I disagree - they show Brown up as a talentless, knee-jerking robot and helps to demoralise Labour MPs. PMQs does not make Brown look statesman-like. OTOH, Cameron and his front bench need to stop enjoying so openly and look a bit more "gravely concerned" and serious.
That's a lot of use as far as I'm concerned.
Robert Williams
April 1st, 2009 12:49pm Report this commentWhat's the betting on a snap General election? Brown basks in the sunshine of proximity to Obama , unemployment not yet fed through, Budget deficit not a tangible matter.
Bert
April 1st, 2009 12:57pm Report this commentI thought Brown was only moderately bad to start with but he really lost the plot after Daves last question. He is a frightening loon
cuffleyburgers
April 1st, 2009 1:00pm Report this commentRe EUR has gone up (12.25) - thanks to Brown's stewardship of the economy, EVERYTHING has gone up against the pound...
Seb2
April 1st, 2009 1:10pm Report this commentWhatever he may claim, the "do nothing" attack must be hurting cameron. He takes it on every week.
Thought he was off form today. Missed the big occassion by going on expenses and then seemed to think the G20 was about trade, when I dont think countries even have their trade representatives in london?
TrevorsDen
April 1st, 2009 1:29pm Report this commentCreepy Nick, I like that.
But Robinson has previously come under attack from MPs with requests from them (and Guido) for publication of his own expenses.
Seems like that line has worked. I wonder what his expenses are?
Now now Hawkeye - we would not want the Opposition 'talking down the economy' now, would we?
David
April 1st, 2009 2:38pm Report this commentGood that expenses were questioned. Can't see why it should take a year for review and Brown really does not seem to have the will to address. Public should be allowed same expenses or MP's should be told to live on their already above average salary. After all they are public servants and if they want relected then then better listen to public opinion. In my eyes theses expenses are just as insulting as a bankers bonus which technically are legal but morally wrong. Lets hope Harman & Co remember there should be no reward for failure when they seek their own pay offs and review their own guaranteed pensions. They can't have it both ways and need to operate open, honest and transparent accountability to the public.
Henry Rogers
April 1st, 2009 3:36pm Report this commentSeb2,
I think the calculation would be that drawing attention to Brown's boasts about action reminds people why the consequences of hyperactivity are likely to be uncomfortable. I think that's probably right.
As to expenses, I don't think the general public have any particular faith in the value of the G20 meeting. For many of us it is just an expensive photo opportunity for vain politicians which may well produce no useful results.
On the other hand we are very cross about MP's expenses. So the topic was probably a good choice.
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