PMQs Live Blog
David Blackburn 11:55am
Stay tuned for live coverage from 1200.
There's a lot riding on this session - the NHS, the troop surge, Iran, Copenhagen, financial regulation and the still ailing economy. It's a particularly important session for Cameron, who needs a strong performance to regain momentumk following a series of bad polls.
12:01: We're away with the Buthcer's Bill.
12:03: Labour MP Doug Naismith asks about the NHS cancer report. Brown points to independent regulators will mean that incompetent managers have no place to hide.
12:05: Here's Cameron - will the US troop surge mean that British troops can concentrate rather than extend their operations, a prelude to withdrawal no doubt. Brown doesn't answer the question directly, but says that the ANA are joining in.
12:07: Cameron responds by asking for clarfication about Obama's pledge to withdraw in 2011 and Brown's plan to begin withdrawal next year. Brown denies that he gave any such definite assurances, which to be fair is true. Advantage Brown.
12:08: Now Cameron moves onto firmer ground: the economy. Is the UK the only member of the G20 in recession? Brown repsonds masterfully: "No that isn't true... SPAIN is a member of the G20 and it is still in recession." Oh well that's cracked it, Spain isn't a member of the G20 - come on Cameron.
Now the 2 exchange blows about what they have and haven't done. Brown says that Cameron my sound like a modern PR man, but the voice is firmly in the 1930s. Cameron responds with: that must have sounded better in the bunker. Pretty raucous stuff and the backbenchers and the frontbenchers love it.
12:12: Has Brown got a credible route out of the budget nightmare we're stuck with. No.
12:13: At last, Cameron hits Brown where he should have done weeks ago. The only person who is committed to raising inheritance tax thresholds and has done so, is Brown. Brown has no answer besides a Prisoner of Zenda response that the Tory policy was dreamt up on the playing fields of Eton. Brown playing the class card more obviously this time.
12:15: Reese Witherspoon is in the House, campaigning against domestic violence. Brown praises the work of Renee Wetherspoon. Oh dear.
12:16: Nick Clegg's on his feet. Clegg praises Obama's plan, but wonders if a strategy that depends on President Karzai can work? It's this line again. Brown to be fair is on sparkling form, for a clunking fist, "I'm sure President Obama welcomes the leader of the Liberal Democrats' endorsement. Momentum is with him, no doubt.
12:18: Clegg's second question concerns local powers and local forces in Afghanistan, broadly the Dan Korski line. Brown says this is being considered.
12:20: Question to the effect why was the Lockerbie bomber released, more than 3 months has elapsed since his release. Decision of the Scottisk ya-di-ya-da-ya-da
12:22: Brown notes the Tories' doubts about AGW and hopes that he will receive cross party support at Copenhagen.
12:24: Brown says that the PBR will contain multiple clauses about funding a green future and funding for developing countries to do the same.
12:25: Tom Harris asks if MPs should pay tax in Britain. Yes, is Brown's reply. This session really could've gone better for Cameron.
12:26: Tory MP Greg Barker asks about Michel Barnier's appointment - how did the PM lose it for Britain? Brown denies that Britain will lose, despite Sarkozy's explicit comment that Britain will lose, saying that this is the advantage about being in the mainstream of the EU. Eh?
12:30: Tim Yeo asks a very peculiar question about the government's commitment to green taxes, he seems to advocate a rise on VAT on fuel specifically. Good God no. Brown deals with the question easily.
12:31: Sir Peter Tapsell asks the Prime Minister to resign. Brown thanks Tapsell for his advice, but regrettably chooses not to accept it.
VERDICT: Brown was almost garrolous and there is no doubt that momentum has shifted. This is particularly bizarre because Cameron is on top of the arguments and Brown has not enjoyed a bounce. The conclusion is that Cameron and the Tories are off colour, and Brown senses it. The word from within the bunker is that the boss is getting happier as an election draws near; he likes a fight. On the evidence of today's session that would seem true. A lot rests on Osborne's response to the PBR next week to reverse what has been a poor session for the Tories.
Previous
strapworld
December 2nd, 2009 12:18pm Report this commentWell Brown has decided it is going to be a battle on CLASS!
That said, Cameron was pathetic.
Brown 8/10, Cameron 2/10 Clegg 5/10
Paul L
December 2nd, 2009 12:23pm Report this commentAt 12.10 44 seconds, did Theresa May twice mouth the words Bull Sh**t? Looked like it from where I was sitting.
Nimble
December 2nd, 2009 12:23pm Report this commentHow on earth does Cameron manage to get beaten on the economy by Brown ? Makes me despair....
Mark
December 2nd, 2009 12:25pm Report this comment@ straponworld
Well, it can't be finance, leadership, courage, international affairs,nomoreboomandbust, labourinvestmenttorycuts, leadingtheworldoutofrecession, savingtheworld, moretractorscomrade so class is all that Brown has left.
Chris Mumby
December 2nd, 2009 12:27pm Report this commentbut Spain is not in the G20
Tradebot
December 2nd, 2009 12:34pm Report this commenti thought Brown was doing well until he started with his Eton jokes. Win for Alky Ada.
Dominic Allkins
December 2nd, 2009 12:34pm Report this commentErm... Spain is NOT in the G20.
See here - http://www.g20.org/about_what_is_g20.aspx
Does this count as Brown misleading the house?
Dominic Allkins
December 2nd, 2009 12:36pm Report this commentErm... Spain is not in the G20
See here: http://www.g20.org/about_what_is_g20.aspx
Does this count as Brown misleading the house?
DavidDP
December 2nd, 2009 12:39pm Report this commentSpain isn't in the G20.
Keith D
December 2nd, 2009 12:44pm Report this commentHow depressing. After months of failure to put this treacherous shambles of an administration on the hook my hope was CMD was keeping his powder dry. Am forced to conclude now that he has no powder.
DavidDP
December 2nd, 2009 12:46pm Report this commentZinger of an IFT line "Brown is the only one so far to raise the threashold".
Watt Tyler
December 2nd, 2009 12:51pm Report this commentSorry to go off topic, but PMQs doesn't really achieve anything, does it? Not when we are most excited about whether Parish Councillors mouth swear words or not. Still, I suppose the Spectator editorship, and Tory HQ are happy if it stays that way.
I would like to see you do a story on the defeat of the Emissions Trading Bill in the Australian Parliament. You might want to factor in Senatorial resistance to the Cap and Trade in the US. Then you might want to tell us that the Tory party cannot actually do anything in response to the non-climate change reality because it is all decided at EUSSR level. YOu might want to look into the possibility of a EU climate tax based upon this non-reality.
I dunno, I just thought I'd suggest it. I mean, it's what I would do if I were a proper journalist.
http://wattsupwiththat.com/2009/12/01/australias-emissions-trading-scheme-ets-set-to-fail-climategate-a-contributor/#more-13536
AndyinBrum
December 2nd, 2009 12:52pm Report this commentI actually thought Cameron came across quite well, every question asked was avoided and the class barbs and IHT nonsense seemed utterly pathetic and desperate.
Vulture
December 2nd, 2009 12:53pm Report this commentTold you so: when chips are down Dave is useless.
Inside Man
December 2nd, 2009 12:55pm Report this commentAs noted already Spain isn't in the G20...
Yeah what Theresa May mouthing... what on earth was Balls gesturing...
Any frackin' chance of Brown answering one of DC's questions?
teledu
December 2nd, 2009 1:02pm Report this commentThe Daily Politics show on BBC2 is fast becoming a New Labour Party Political Broadcast. Today, an avowed Lefty luvvie was allowed to make a small film warning us all about the dangers of allowing a Conservative public-school elite run the country. His class hatred was there for all to see and yet the poor old conservative in the studio hardly got a chance to reply. He was continually interrupted by the chippy black-haired woman who wanted to know why the Conservatives website didn't mention the "posh" schools that certain front-benchers went to.
Is the BBC the television equivalent of The Guardian?
denis cooper
December 2nd, 2009 1:19pm Report this commentAs I've said before, PMQ's are now a spectacle which debases Parliament and degrades our politics. So whichever combatant wins a particular gladiatorial encounter, the rest of us always lose from it.
strapworld
December 2nd, 2009 1:57pm Report this commentJust a thought- to stop Brown in his Class attack.
How many Ex Public Scholars have lost their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan!
Brown cannot have it both ways!!!
Marcher Baron
December 2nd, 2009 3:05pm Report this comment@teledu "Is the BBC the television equivalent of The Guardian?" Of course it is - the only difference being that even if we prefer to read The Spectator we still have to pay for the Guardian anyway!
Naomi Muse
December 2nd, 2009 4:52pm Report this commentPolitics Show. I thought that Brian Cox was misunderstood by both of the interviewers or that they wanted to miss the point he was trying to make.
He was establishing that he thought that politics was making a retrograde step moving toward an elite but not just because of schooling. He mentioned Anthony Eden, MacMillan and Alec Douglas Hume, and they jumped on the idea that it was only old Etonians he was beefing about. It seemed to be much more than that.
He spoke of the distance between those who had been in power during those times and that it would be retrograde to go back there.
He spoke of the times he comes back to England and observes as he travels for his work most of the time.
He observes therefore after a gap of being swamped in the UK and its day to day running.
His observations were not just that Osborne and Dave had been to the same school and were now the opposition.
He seemed sad that the same gap between the electorate and the elected had arisen, and to allude to the fact it had happened under his chosen party, Labour.
I may have read him wrong but the ball was taken out of his court by the interviewers who had found an omission on tory web sites in that public schools were not listed whereas comprehensives were in the background info on MPs.
It may be that Brian Cox was sad because his chosen party had led the country back to this situation. He had certainly expected more and that the gap between the electorate and elected would not be so wide as it has become under Labour.
Brian Cox. If you read this, have I got it right?
john miller
December 2nd, 2009 5:44pm Report this commentThis PMQs illustrates why I have largely given up commenting here.
To stand a chance of not being annihilated after one term, Cameron had to imprint in the public mind that Brown had trashed the economy and it would take decades to recover. He had to establish that neither the Tories nor anyone else could turn around our fortunes in the next five years.
This he has failed to do.
A simple and unforgiveable mistake was made by Cameron displaying his ignorance that Spain was not in the G20.
Cameron could have crucified Brown on this elementary error. He could have had headlines tomorrow along the lines of "Brown knows nothing". But Cameron betrays his own stupidity and Brown's cretinous excuse has to be given up.
Brown's plan is working. We are headed for the worst catastrophe that this country has ever experienced and it will end us as a world power. In the next few years our economy will melt down and there will be no oil to fund our recovery. But at the moment, apart from unemployment, the public are cushioned against the impending doom.
Cameron will probably be on watch when the IMF are called in and the Conservative Party will cease to exist. It will splinter into a Tory, BNP, UKIP jigsaw, in much the same way as Labour nearly fell apart in the Foot years.
Bye bye everybody.
Holly ......
December 2nd, 2009 6:17pm Report this commentPaul L
That's what Mr Holly said as well.
So Theresa may have.
She's good,She's Good,She's our theresa Goode.
NAUGHTY,NAUGHTY.
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