Brown finally wins a round
Fraser Nelson 12:54pm
I normally review PMQs from the chamber, and conclude Brown has bombed. So I tried a TV view for a bit of balance. Labour does looks better from this vantage point. In the gallery, you can compare the volume of roars (Tories far better) and see every face (Labour glum, Tories exuberant). But on TV you can just see a broad panorama of the chamber, and only the faces in the camera “donut” – who look lively, under instruction from the whips. For the first time, Brown came armed with figures, attack lines and put downs and knew when to use them. I’d actually say that Brown won.
It is simply outrageous that Brown is using the Hayden Philips party funding inquiry to defend himself from Labour’s failure to obey the current campaigning law. But Brown got away with it. “If the Conservative Party want to play their party in sorting our politics for the future they should adopt the policies we are putting forward,” he told Greg Hands (who brilliantly asked if the police investigations were what Brown had in mind when he called himself a ‘conviction politician’).
Faced with so many potential lines of attack, Cameron chose none of them. Brown batted him away, even if his facts weren’t true. He satisfied himself with his TV soundbite comparing Brown to the “man in the canoe he hasn’t been around for the last five years.” A poor excuse for the kicking Brown deserved.
Brown claimed violent crime is down by 31%. Really? I looked up the data. In 1996/97 there were 331,000 recorded incidents of violent crime. In 2005/06 it was 1.05 million. So where’s the drop? The way the data was conveniently changed in 2002/03, but then on the new series there were 845,000 incidents (spreadsheet here).
Hilarious to see Sandra Osborne, a Labour MP in Scotland, vent outrage against hospital cuts. That’s one benefit of being out of power. Her party would never do a nasty think like that, of course.
Poor Vince Cable fell flat of the stellar performance we’ve come to expect. “He’s better at the jokes that he is at economics,” chirped Brown.
Two observations from the Daily Politics. I noticed David Ruffley saying it was a “fair question” to inquire about Lord Ashcroft’s tax status. Something tells me it’s a question his party won’t be providing an answer to. And it is simply appalling for Hazel Blears to say that “our kids play spend more time on computer games than anyone else in Europe” as an explanation for dismal education results. Gameboy was released in 1989. Millions of Tetris high scores later, English teenagers managed to be eighth on the OECD world maths tables in 2000 and seventh for English. They hurtled to 24th and 17th by 2006. To hear Blears (and Balls) blame parents for this is simply beneath contempt.
UPDATE: Three Line Whip also jumps on Mr Ruffleys' comments about Ashcroft. Might this ball have started rolling?
Previous
Comments
Nicholas Millman
December 5th, 2007 1:51pmWhen Brown hectored the Conservatives in PMQs about supporting proposed changes to funding, David Cameron missed the opportunity for a rejoinder that since Labour cannot obey existing laws why should anyone trust them to follow new ones. David Cameron's questions were scatter gun in delivery but again Brown responded with anger and without humour, aggressively pointing and yet again attacking alleged Conservative policies rather than defending his own. Responding to questions with questions was a point of order challenged only once by the speaker. Brown's mess of notes with multiple post it notes and tags was telling. He was still lumpish but the opposition parties need to sharpen their attacks and devise questions that are not so easily deflected. I got the impression that someone has been schooling the Labour front bench to look more animated - reminded me of the exaggerated mannerisms of a chorus on stage. Sideshow Brown anyone?
Tiberius
December 5th, 2007 2:32pmDidn't anyone tell Hazel Blears that New Labour ministers talk more drivel than anyone else in Europe? No doubt she would have had a patsy ready to blame for that too, though.
RW
December 5th, 2007 2:32pmA Brown win? Times Online a>: "At Prime Minister's Question Time today, Mr Brown struggled to defend himself against a savage attack from David Cameron" and points out that despite Government assurances the Abrahams money has not been repaid. Brown will never be the equal of Cameron at PMQs, IMHO.
David Davis
December 5th, 2007 2:50pmI am quite prepared to believe that, now, after ten years of Nulab and at least five of "New-Education", our children DO spend more time on computer games than anyone else. This is becuase the (nationalised) Curriculum has by now been almost emptied of any content worth concentrating on whatsoever. You have only to look at the "new" science "syllabus". I'm not surprised that our children, not being any thicker than those of any other nation, have cllectively come to the conculsion that school and what you "learn" there is a waste of good computing hours. My boy is in the "top set" for most stuff and he says the same thing; all his "mates" agree when I catechise them. I don't think they're spinning a line they think I want to hear. I sympathise. For backup, ask any recently (retired) teacher (who has nowt to lose by speaking the truth.)
The Laughing Cavalier
December 5th, 2007 3:14pmYou call reeling off a list of fiddled and decidely dodgy statistics on crime a win?
ChrisD
December 5th, 2007 3:42pmBrown didn't win, he didn't bomb and put in a workmanlike performance no more.
None of the leaders shone today, in fact the whole thing was bit of a damp squid. I do sometimes notice that if Cameron doesn't produce a cracking performance he is deemed to have therefore performed badly and gets marked down even lower, if Brown doesn't bomb his performance is over promoted. This is a trap the media have fallen into with Brown for years and the hype and myth that flourished around his general performance in the first weeks of his premiership should still cause some in the media to blush.
Margaret Welsh
December 5th, 2007 3:43pmFRASER David Cameron could have gone on lots of issues today and scored a hit, but on the wider picture does he really want to get rid of the great leader, keeping Brown as Prime Minister is more important a softer approach is the right thing FROM SCOTLAND
Steve
December 5th, 2007 3:56pmYep I reckon this one went narrowly to Gordon, dare I say it but he does seem to be getting better at PMQs since the shaking hands time. i am reminded (only a little to be fair) of Blair v Hague, Hague floored Blair in the early PMQs, but Blair slowly gained the upperhand. I am just starting to wonder...
Oscar Miller
December 5th, 2007 4:37pmThe Sun's verdict - 'Cam slams PMs defence record'. George Pascoe Watson says DC was at his 'barnstorming best'.
Caroline
December 5th, 2007 6:15pmOscar Millar - you're a bit picky with the red tops. When the Mirror publishes a true story pertaining to Cameron's arrogant poshness, you don't like it - but you take comfort in the Sun alleging a win for Cameron, when most of us that watched it saw he was flat. He started this treadmill of spiraling up aggressive performances, so loved by his supporters - he's got to keep on with it now or he'll be seen as an ineffectual loser. When he's already reached his most base point; by telling a man with sight in only one eye to 'look me in the eye' it's interesting to consider what he'll end up saying next.
David Lindsay
December 5th, 2007 6:17pmEveryone used to know that the unions funded Labour, and no one used to have a clue who funded the Tories. Are things any better now that the laws relating to these matters have been changed? And are they really more "transparent"? The Tories' funding is at least as opaque as ever. And now Labour's is at least as bad. So don't expect any further tinkering by the Political Class to improve matters. Why on earth would they want that?
Sally C
December 5th, 2007 10:33pmYou can only think Brown won PMQs if you have become so used to him doing so badly that coming out of the encounter with his dignity still in tact means he's won. A non-political relative watched it with me today and was shocked at how bad the PM was and how much he stuttered and was equally surprised at how self assured Cameron was. I think this is a case of people who sse PMQs alot lowering the bar of expectation for Brown and raising it for Cameron. I'm telling you you can't see the wood for the trees Frazier.
Tiberius
December 5th, 2007 11:46pmMr Nelson takes part in new "Thriller with the Gorilla in Manila" shock.
Oscar Miller
December 6th, 2007 10:11pmCaroline - actually I only quoted the Sun in the interests of providing feedback on how PMQs was being reported. The Sun weren't alone in giving DC a favourable review. Simon Hoggart in the Guardian slammed (or rather pitied) Brown as did the Times and even the BBC online sketch. Although I agree with Sally C I didn't actually think DC was at his best or that Brown was at his worst on Wednesday. But I am amused to see you think the Mirror story was 'true'. Surely that really is a case of believing what you want to believe.
Frank Leader
December 8th, 2007 7:36amIf crime is falling a Brown says, why is it necessary to build new prisions?
Oscar Miller
December 10th, 2007 5:18pmFrank - apparently it's because although crime is falling we're catching more criminals. That is the nulab spin anyway. Does anyone believe it? No.