PMQs Live blog
David Blackburn 11:57amStay tuned for coverage from 12:00. After a torrid month of self-inflicted wounds, this is a battle Cameron has to win.
12:01: And we're off. Brown remembers the two soldiers killed in Afghanistan recently.
12:02: Question about £50,000 for the Prime Minister's office. Brown says it's the first he's heard of it.
12:03: It's Jacqui Smith with a plant about whose crime figures are less dodgy... I can't yawn because she's rather shrill.
12:04: Cameron opens with the revelations about Brown underfunding the Iraq war. Good start. Brown merely garbles on about year on year.
Cameron then lists the testimony against Brown's defence. Brown can only respond with a joke about the Tories's spending mistakes and highlights Tory cuts on Defence at the 2005 election.
Cameron says that Brown ignored the needs of soldiers until it became politcally expedient, and quotes a ream of Defence Chiefs who support him. Cameron is angry and rightly so - Brown's Defence record is shaming - but I don't think he's scored a knockout punch here - there was something lacklustre about the delivery. He'll get a second crack though.
FN: Brown’s line about 2002 Spending Review being the “best settlement for 20 years” is a classic Brownie – defence spending fell post Cold War. It was pretty much the first increase for 20 years – and by that time Blair was into his newly-discovered war-fighting mode with Sierra Leone, Kosovo etc. That Spending Review, if my memory serves, also ordered cancellation of forces families accommodation upgrades to help pay for Afghanistan. Interesting to see Brown trying to be the hard man on defence spending – as I blogged yesterday, the Tories spending plans (and their foolish pledge to protect the NHS) means they may end up transferring £4bn odd from the MoD to DFID. Brown knows how bad that will look, and is trying to turn up the pressure.
FN: Brown right to tease the Tories about changing policies. The thing is that they have changed the language and emphasis, not the substance, but it doesn’t seem that way to the public. James Forsyth has an excellent column about all this in tomorrows magazine
12:09: Here's Clegg. It's time to cut Trident - our troops are overstretched.
Brown reprises the 'don't talk Britain down' line, and repeats the phrase, 'Britain's troops are properly equipped' consistently. Wonder if the public thinks so?
12:13: Cameron back for round two. Why, after 13 years, has Brown suddenly found a fondness for PR.
Brown says that politics has changed - The Tories are for hereditary; Labour are for AV.
Cameron responds with confidence. The only person who inherited his post in this House is Brown. Darling's cackling.
FN: Amazing the power of that Mrs Merton joke “what first attracted you to the millionaire Salman Rushdie”. Its entered the language now – and at least gave Cameron a joke.
12:17: Cameron wins the exchange by referring to Paddy Ashdown's recollections of discussing AV/PR with Blair: "Paddy, I like it, I just can't it get it past Gordon". Parliament collapses. Brown is on the rack.
12:19: Edward Garnier asks why the Defence Chiefs wanted to resign over cuts. I hope Chilcot doesn't allow Brown to get away with the line about increased spending - minimal increases ignored the fact Britain was fighting two wars.
12:21: Tory John Hayes asks about the government's dreadful record on training and apprenticeships and a Labour follows up.
12:24: Crispin Blunt raises the 1998 Defence Spending review, which gave Brown a £1bn up front cut. Impressive co-ordinated attack on Defence by the Tory front and backbenches. I think Brown is at his most vulnerable here and it is a huge issue for the public.
VERDICT: After a slightly lacklustre start, Cameron won hands down and his customary punch was back. He succeeded in making Brown look shifty, opportunistic and detached from reality on Defence and Election reform. Brown is very vulnerable on Defence and the Tories delivered an extremely well co-ordinated attack - there were by my count a total of six questions on the subject and Brown's dreadful record was laid bare. Clegg's invisibility was an indication of Cameron's complete dominance. The Defence Green paper follows, Defence will not go away for Brown.
Previous
AndyinBrum
February 3rd, 2010 12:00pm Report this commentLloyd, have you stolen David's login details again ;)
AndyinBrum
February 3rd, 2010 12:09pm Report this commentWow, Cameron owned Brown on Defence.
derek
February 3rd, 2010 12:15pm Report this comment"a succour punch"? Is that a fruity, alcoholic drink served to ailing prime ministers to revive them when on the ropes?
Any Colour but Brown
February 3rd, 2010 12:19pm Report this commentCan someone tell me what a "succour punch" is, please?
Sounds like an oxymoron to me.
AndyinBrum
February 3rd, 2010 12:19pm Report this commentWow, I'm sorry to troll as I appear to be the only one on here.
Cameron has smashed Bruin in regards to the changing of the vote. I am assured you will disagree of course
wrinkled weasel
February 3rd, 2010 12:21pm Report this commentFraser, it was Debbie McGee and Paul Daniels.
You don't do pop culture do you?
Rhoda Klapp
February 3rd, 2010 12:29pm Report this commentSuccour punch? What a concept, it's better than the original cliche.
charles hercock
February 3rd, 2010 12:31pm Report this commentBrown sounded hysterical.He has to go
John Bailey
February 3rd, 2010 12:31pm Report this commentIt will be spun by the BBC and SKY that Broon 'done well at PMQ's again' when in fact Cameron made a fool of him yet again.
As for the voting system, the only reason Broon wants to change it, apart from his impending electorate doom, is that the "AV" system is the system they use in EUrope......coincidence ehhh!..hence EU agent Broon is trying to convert England completely for foreign rule from the EU.
Sunlit Uplands
February 3rd, 2010 12:32pm Report this commentBrown has been well and truly humped by Cameron today. With a poor fornight for the Tories and general criticism over their spending plans coming from both right and left news outlets, this should have been a tap-in for Brown. But Cameron had done his research, had plenty of decent funnies up his sleeves to deflect the charges of dithering. Conversely, Brown gabbled a dig about Tory muddle far too early in the piece, thus letting most of the air out of the balloon. On a day he was favourite, with plenty of decent arrows in his quiver, he has succeeded in dropping them all and splitting his trousers as he bent down to pick them up. Utterly pathetic. 4-1 Cameron.
John Bailey
February 3rd, 2010 12:34pm Report this commentBroon has NO mandate in England!, if he wants to change any voting system then he should go and try and change it in his own country Scotland in their Parliament (EU Regional assembly), i have absolutely no problem with that.
DavidDP
February 3rd, 2010 12:35pm Report this commentWorth noting that Cameron voted for an 80% elected Lords and 20% appointed, which Brown voted against.
Mr Evans may wish to reflect on that point before he writes his review.
James Murphy
February 3rd, 2010 12:37pm Report this commentCameron by a length! His was the rapier wit, Brown's the clumsy Long sword wielded in blustering anger. - If only Cameron would play to these strengths and dispense with Mr Nice Guy!
Rory the Deplorable
February 3rd, 2010 12:39pm Report this commentExcellent and essential to see Mr.Cameron back on form. On a separate issue, is this a good time to have a pop at the BBC? They could do a lot of damage to the Tory cause between now and May.....
Patrick
February 3rd, 2010 12:40pm Report this commentJust bumped into Lloyd Evans......."Cameron smashed by Gordon who showed that he never lies, never met Peter Watt, has always followed AV and showed the toffs as the muddlers. Being kind, Brown 10 Cameron 1"
David Blackburn
February 3rd, 2010 12:40pm Report this commentSorry about 'succour punch', though I rather like the concept. Typing quickly, thinking and listening - multi-tasking was never a forte.
strapworld
February 3rd, 2010 12:43pm Report this commentWithout doubt the best question was the one on the £50.000, mentioned in the book by the former Secretary of the Labour Party as kept for Brown's personal use and details ina notebook!!,
It would be good to see the press (some hope) press Brown on this and see if he is going to sue the author!
It is obviously a path to go along as I see a resignation at the end!
sinosimon
February 3rd, 2010 12:51pm Report this commentnot a point to rank alongside the great matters of state Fraser, but the original quote was 'multimillionaire Paul Daniels' not Salman....pedantry over....Brown a shambles again today...so maybe normal service is being resumed. One can only hope.
Vulture
February 3rd, 2010 12:53pm Report this commentHave to say: the boy Dave done well today.
Bruin came over as a shouty raving maniac, not answering the questions on defence and AV ( because they're unanswerable). 'We're for the many - they're for the few'. Let's hope the election proves how wrong he is on that one.
Holly ......
February 3rd, 2010 12:54pm Report this commentOooooh! Brown's face after the first question?
Mr Moody pants or what.Set up nicely.
Cameron Played a blinder again.
Brown had better watch this over and over before his Chilcot appearance,and have PROOF he did not play Mr moody pants against our troops to 'get back' at Blair.
Brown will be no good in the TV debates if he can not hold it together for one question
Maybe the stories of tantrums and assaulting secretary's have a bit of meat to their bones?
Do we really want a PM that is so unstable,eratic and short fused?
Tiberius
February 3rd, 2010 1:13pm Report this commentI shall read James' piece with some interest since the Telegraph and (I understand) the Sun are reporting Osborne's speech positively to their readership.
Martyn Rowe
February 3rd, 2010 1:13pm Report this commentCameron smoked Brown today. And he needed to after being poor the past few weeks.
Well done to him. Credit where due.
Verity
February 3rd, 2010 1:18pm Report this commentWW - thank you. How on earth did the notion of Salman Rushdie insert itself into DB's head?
AndyinBrum
February 3rd, 2010 1:20pm Report this commentI know for a fact the tantrums & nokia throwing is true, have no idea about the secretary story though
AAE
February 3rd, 2010 1:21pm Report this commentCameron should have three Shredded Wheats more often!
Bloody Bill Brock
February 3rd, 2010 1:31pm Report this commentOnce again Browns utter contempt for the intelligence of the British voter shines through. Now he snifs a hung parliament, PR(or anything to snuggle up to the LDs is on the cards). Of course apart from the superthick from northern conibations, everyone sees straight through it.
Dorothy Wilson
February 3rd, 2010 1:36pm Report this commentThe planted questions by Labour stooges are pathetic - and more than a little boring. Bercow's handling of PMQs is so bad it is even beginning to make Martin look better than the booby he was.
Austin Barry
February 3rd, 2010 1:39pm Report this commentSunlit Uplands 12.32
"Brown has been well and truly humped by Cameron today."
What a ghastly image to spring on an unsuspecting Coffee Houser mid-lunch.
Julian The Wonderhorse
February 3rd, 2010 2:02pm Report this commentWrinkled Weasel, can you please get your facts straight? It is "The Lovely Debbie McGee" to give her her full and proper title.
Victor Southern
February 3rd, 2010 2:14pm Report this commentThe £50,000 Dodgy Donor cheque was reported by Brown's office as having been "torn up".
The 2005 Tory Manifesto - easily available for all to check - promised not £1.5 billion cut in defence spending but £2.7-billion increase.
Brown's little Brownies are now becoming serious outright lies.
JONNY
February 3rd, 2010 2:14pm Report this commentAs they said in Macbeth:
'he was moidered'
Bloody Bill Brock
February 3rd, 2010 2:14pm Report this commentI am a white hetrosexual Tory, so I hav'nt got much going for me these days. However, Dave did make me laugh on PMQ. Dont give him to much credit though, with Browns record on defence matters, Fern Cotton could tear him to bits.
PAUL GILBOY
February 3rd, 2010 2:59pm Report this commentDavid Cameron picked up a rod of iron and wielded on Brown.
The British army was humiliated in Iraq simply because brown under funded the mission, fearing Blair would shuffle him out of the cabinet in the event of victory he deliberately under funded the mission so it would not succeed.
The ridiculous assertion that the Tories cut defence spending by 30% totally ignore the fact that the Tories were a peacetime government, in office after fifty years of ‘cold war’. Whilst labour has dragged the British people into continuous warfare during their tenure; the purse strings only opened to suit Mr browns his electoral advantage.
Browns cringing response to this attack and the response by labour MP’s only confirmed this to be true. Ronnie Campbell has a son in Afghanistan and as a father of so many who have served, but do not have the opportunity, he should have walked over to Brown and slapped him with a shoe across the face. There is no loyalty above your own family and people.
strapworld
February 3rd, 2010 3:21pm Report this commentIt is definately going somewhere!!!
The Prime Minister
10, Downing Street
London, SW1A 2AA
3 February 2010
Dear Mr Brown,
At Prime Minister’s Questions today, you told the House of Commons that you knew nothing about the secret fund, worth a reported £50,000, which was held by the Labour Party for your benefit. When asked why you did not declare this on the Register of Members’ Financial Interests (RMFI), you said specifically: ‘I know nothing about what he [the questioner] is talking about.’
This simply cannot be true.
It is clear from Peter Watt, the Labour Party’s former General Secretary, that you were the beneficiary of a secret fund held by the Labour Party. He has said explicitly:
‘Before becoming Prime Minister, Gordon went to some lengths to insulate himself and the Treasury from our financial troubles, setting up his own personal pot of cash at party HQ. This was money we could not dip into, since it was set aside for the Chancellor’s own pet projects. Murray Elder helped secure donations from the Chancellor’s supporters’ (Inside Out, January 2010, page 105).
He went on to claim that it may have been used to finance your ‘long-term campaign to become party leader’ (Inside Out, Peter Watt, 2010, page 105).
Mr Watt’s assertions were widely reported. Indeed, across several pages in the Mail on Sunday, Mr Watt claimed that you used ‘up to £50,000-a-year of Labour money to pay for private polling’ (Mail on Sunday, 17 January 2010).
The allegations were explicitly confirmed as truthful by a Labour official who said in the same article: ‘It [the fund] was funded through donations to the Party.’
In the light of these allegations, my colleague, Greg Hands MP, wrote to you more than two weeks ago, on 17 January, to query why you had failed to declare the fund properly the Register of Members’ Financial Interests. This letter was publicised in several newspapers on 18 January.
As you did not respond, Greg Hands submitted a complaint to John Lyon, the Parliamentary Commissioner this week. I attach a copy of this complaint for your reference. Again, this complaint was reported.
Yesterday in a speech titled ‘Transforming Politics’, you said that you would ‘do all that is necessary to restore trust’ in politics and the conduct of MPs. If you wish to restore trust in politics, you should stop treating people like fools by claiming that you were unaware of this fund when all the evidence points to the contrary.
I therefore urge you to admit to this fund’s existence, apologise for misleading the House and co-operate with any inquiries that John Lyon may wish to make.
Yours sincerely,
Eric Pickles
Chairman, The Conservative Party
Member of Parliament for Brentwood and Ongar
Tiberius
February 3rd, 2010 3:39pm Report this commentIf Brown's hands are clean over the £50k, why hasn't he replied to Greg Hands' letter?
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