PMQs live blog

Vulture

There was a flash of real anger from Dave - and my God it was welcome. We need more of that sort of passion.

Lord Monkington-Smythe

Brown looked like he was going to cry after that defence drubbing. The tractor stats and lies couldn't save him.

Richard

There was very nearly an attempt at balance in that reporting, but you managed to avoid it at the end. Well done.

luke

Odd performance from Cameron today. Suspect the base/ natural supporters will love it, but that your average man in the street (do any of them actually watch this?) will think he looked like he was playing politics with the armed services at a time of war.

The claim the tories won the cold war was surely a gaffe

Idiot Watch

Will there be a more absurd statement published this year anywhere than, "Brown lays a Brownie that Defence budgets have risen year on year - the cut in the essential helicopter budget says otherwise"? Can anyone, using very small words indeed, volunteer to explain to our sketchwriter how, 'a global figure can rise, while within it, some figures fall'? I don't have the reserves of patience and goodwill to do it myself, but there must be some retired, special needs nursery teacher who could step up?

DB

12:32: Norman Baker wants the railways to waive their RPI =1 fare arrangement. Good point. As the railways have never carried as many passengers and freight, surely they could reduce their fares.

Erm no. The railways receive a massive subsidy from central government, because they are uneconomical to run despite the current volume of traffic. Cut the subsidy before cutting fares. And do some research.

Richard

A sad and sorry looking bunch of opposition shadow ministers. Spellman depressed and frowning, Hauge white pale and bricking it, May didn't laugh once in her Ted Heath shoulder shaking way.
George playing the finger pointing oik and Cameron really looking the most ragged I have ever seen him.
Wasted questions, the public want a fight not hair pulling.....report card Cameron not at his best and yet to reach the low levels of IDS who was a much better leader.
Oh how the Tories must wish David Davis was leader now.

TrevorsDen

"Brown is right though, the carriers are probably essential if Britain is to project power and defend its interests, " -- no we do not.

These carriers are even now slated to cost 5 billion - wait or the cost overruns - but the aircraft to fly off them will cost another 10 billion. At least. Furthermore we cannot afford the ships to escort these carriers ships which even now are entering service without the missile air defence system which is the whole point of their existence.

Its typical of this govt that to afford the carriers they need to protect jobs in their own heartlands they cancel ships from the programme that is supposed to escort them.

If now even now at a time when our army is overstreched we can manage without aircraft carriers and harrier jets - then why do we need them in future?

How can we afford to spend money on carriers and planes we do not need at a time when we cannot afford enough helicopters and air and land transports for the army?

Total rubbish to say we need these carriers.

Brown cannot even summon the courage to be seen to slap Dennis Skinner down

RKing

Troops are dying through lack of equipment and underfunding and Brown's reply is Ashcroft!

Just about sums him up really.

John Adlington

We the tories alongside our American cousins did win the cold war in the teeth of scathing opposition from the patriotically dubious Labour opposition and I'm glad Cameron reminded us of the fact. And now it's obvious to everyone that the Labour benches regard the armed forces as an essentially tory institution which perhaps explains the alacrity with which they continue to put up with atrition rates in the army that are up there with World War 2.

David Blackburn

DB,

Absolutely, but RPI+1 seems a little excessive against a taxpayer subsidy, especially if your extortionate ticket doesn't even get you seat because of overcrowding... Baker is right. State sponsored RPI+1 is pernicious. Get real.

gary smith

Richard.Are you really that prick Draper?

Chris lancashire

They really ought to be renamed PM's non-answers. Brown looking pasty and exhausted clings to his pre-set lines: Army LandRovers? "Ashcroft", Helicopter Budget? "Ashcroft"
He really is a pathetic excuse for a PM.

Chris, Birmingham

Trevorsden - Exactly right - Whats the point in trying to portray something in the world that we are not - we are now a busted flush.

Idiot Watch - time to look in the mirror I think. As we heard at Chilcot the MOD had screwed up their funding with massive cost overruns, which the increase in budget didnt cover. THerefore savings had to be made at a time we were facing two wars which were not anticipated in initial spending as the defence review did not envisage any wars at all.

Fairly straight forward - Brown prioritises schools and hospitals because he thinks there are more votes in that - and there are immediately. It is only when his negligent budgeting as chancellor comes to light years later - when he happens to be prime minister - that the down side to his defence spending decisions comes to light. To be fair to him he made the decision to spend it on other areas - lots of them in fact - now he should admit it.

Nicholas

Richard: "A sad and sorry looking bunch of opposition shadow ministers. Spellman depressed and frowning, Hauge white pale and bricking it, May didn't laugh once in her Ted Heath shoulder shaking way. George playing the finger pointing oik and Cameron really looking the most ragged I have ever seen him.
Wasted questions, the public want a fight not hair pulling.....report card Cameron not at his best and yet to reach the low levels of IDS who was a much better leader.
Oh how the Tories must wish David Davis was leader now."

In the interests of balance in reporting can we now have your assessment of the government front bench?

Colin

As I've written in posts passim, brown really comes over badly when challenged on his main vulnerability - PERSONAL INTEGRITY. He looked like he was going to keel over at one point. Exposing the brown we all loath and hate should be a top priority for at least some in CCHQ.

It should be pointed out from here until polling day that he refused the opportunity to distance himself from the smears.

Paul Hawkins

Richard,

I note you had nothing positive to say about Brown's performance - that bad eh.

Paddy

What a disgraceful performance from the Government.

Dave was fantastic when he lost his temper. He spoke with real conviction.

Lets see more of these flashes of passion before the election.

Richard: get a job!

Chris

Cameron, BRILLIANT - articulate, to the point and right! Say's what the country are thinking, and knows what we all think - Brown is a pathetic excuse for a Prime Minister with no talent on his front bench, Kate Hoey for next leader, someone from Labour who actually answers questions.

Dorothy Wilson

Gary Smith: Perhaps Richard is Charles E Hardwige, who used to post on the BBC's blogs and who also seemed to have a close association with Draper.

As far the comments about the opposition front bench are concerned, Richard obviously failed to see the expressions on the faces of those on the government front bench who were out of the immediate range of the camera when it was on Brown. There were one or two glimpses of them and they looked as though they were at a funeral.

General Zod

Paul, no need for Richard to praise Brown when the Spectator has Lloyd Evans to do it.

John David Barnett

The Tories here together with the Republicans in America DID win the Cold War.

Richard

Your leader is unstable please get him some medication quickly. He knows only too well the damage that having a temper can do to a politician.
If I was Sam I would not let him take the kids out either watch him like a hawk.
It's going to be hard on him when the chickens come home to roost ...the party wont forgive him and his Bullingdon pals will make him do a forfeit.
Suicide watch peeps support your leader he needs YOU!

TrevorsDen

"the Cold War jibe was chirlish." --- no it bollocking well was not you illiterate oaf.

As others say the conservative party won the cold war in the teeth of labour opposition.

And when in the aftermath we were able to reduce the defence budget I guess if you look back we will see labour probably calling for bigger reductions.

Browns comments about reducing the defence budget was despicable and disingenuous and Cameron was totally right to point out the circumstances - his CND badge jibe was spot on.

JohnT

"interesting that they will be built in part in his constituency though."
Did he declare the constituency interest to the H o C, as he should? Otherwise he's in breach of the rules of the House.

AngloWelshDragon

Richard @ 3.55pm

What a vile post. You are a true product of the McBride school of charm. Shame on YOU.

Dorothy Wilson

Richard: Brown's personality profile:

"He will follow his ideas …… inwards and not outwards. Intensity is his aim, not extensity.

In the pursuit of his ideas he is generally stubborn, headstrong, and quite unamenable to influence.

However clear to him the inner structure of his thoughts, he is not the least clear how they link up to the world of reality.

In his personal relations he is taciturn or else throws himself on people who cannot understand him, and for him this is one more proof of the abysmal stupidity of man.

The counterbalancing functions of feeling, intuition and sensation are comparatively unconscious and inferior."

In most people, as they move towards maturity, those counterbalancing influences are supposed to develop. Unfortunately, that seems to not to have happened with Brown.

gary smith

Richard.Found out who you are at last.Peter Chapman (smelly keyboard, dead giveaway!)

Anan

Well done to Cameron for taking my hint and finally referring to the Comrades - with his CND comment. About time, sissy!