PMQs live blog
Peter Hoskin 11:47amStay tuned for live coverage from 1200.
1201: And here we go. Brown starts with condolences for fallen troops, and also for the late Labour MP Ashok Kumar and his family. For the first question, Tony Baldry takes on Brown over his claim that defence expendintue has risen in real terms under Labour. A note from the House of Commons library has since shown this to be "incorrect". Brown says that he is already writing to Chilcot to correct this. Brown: "I do accept that, in one or two years, defence expenditure did not rise in real terms" - but it did rise in cash terms. Not a good start for the PM.
1203: The Tories are up in arms about Brown's jibe, in response to the second question, that they'd cut SureStart centres.
1205: Cameron now. After condolences, he leads by sarcastically thanking Brown for his answer to Tony Baldry. Cameron exclaims that he's never before heard Brown apologise for or retract one of his misleading claims before.
1207: Unsuprisingly, Cameron's first question is about the trouble at BA. Brown's response is to paint this as Tory politicking. He says that he would have hoped for "cross-party support" in finding a resolution. Plenty of sanctimoniousness about "looking out for ordinary families."
1208: Cameron rightly says that Brown's response was "weak". He adds that "it's like a return to the 1970s". His question: "Will you join me in urging Unite members to cross the picket line?"
1210: Brown's dodging a response. One of his "answers" makes a mockery of this entire exercise - he simply reads a Telegraph story from last year, saying that the Tories are meeting with the unions. The Speaker should intervene, I think. But he doesn't.
1212: Cameron keeps asking the same question - and Brown keeps responding with claims that the Tories are being "partisan" and that he wants a "resolution" to the situation. It's grim stuff, but it's holding off the killing blow, so far.
1213: Cameron turns up the heat, saying that Labour are "a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Unite union". Brown gets in his prepared gag: "No wonder he uses no notes - he's got nothing to say."
1215: It's Nick Clegg now, and he leads off by claiming that "Charlie Whelan and Lord Ashcroft are exactly the same". The backbenches roar, and there are plenty of shout of "Michael Brown".
1215: Brown's response is to say that Labour have tried to reform party funding - but the Tories "blocked" that. Hm. He aslo gets in a dig at Ashcroft.
1218: We're into backbench questions now.
1221: Questions about the Budget, regional development and Dover port. John Redwood asks Brown about RBS loans.
1224: Brown claims that unemployment "would rise" under the Tories.
1227: Anthony Steen pushes Brown on whether anything will be done to prevent diplomats "exploiting" domestics, who are barred from other work because of the domestic work permit.
1230: Planted, finger-wagging question from Chris Ruane about interest rates. Brown uses the opportunity to attack the Tory record on small businesses, unemployment and pretty much every other metric in the 1980s.
1232: Gerald Howarth highlights Charlie Whelan's role as one of the "forces of Hell" - and asks, simply, why he is involved with the Downing St operation. Brown gets all self-righteous again - saying that the Tories are trying to turn an "industrial action into a political football." Weird, that, because I didn't hear mention of BA. Brown then adds that the Tories "should be ashamed of themselves". So, shameless stuff from Brown, then.
1232: And that's it. Verdict shortly.
VERDICT: To my eyes, that was one of those PMQs where Cameron didn't really land a killing blow on Brown – but didn't actually need to in order to emerge triumphant. The main story coming out of it will be how Brown repeatedly dodged the question over whether he would encourage Unite members to cross the picket lines – which, given the increased airplay that Brown's links with Charlie Whelan are getting, isn't going to play well for the PM. Throw in Brown's embarrassment over those defence spending figures, and it starts looking even worse for him. One to cheer Tory hearts, even if I feel they need to move on from Unite fairly soon.
Previous
Titus Aduxas
March 17th, 2010 12:27pm Report this comment"Brown gets in his prepared gag: "No wonder he uses no notes - he's got nothing to say."
Brown uses notes - and still has nothing to say.
Sunlituplands
March 17th, 2010 12:30pm Report this commentQuoting a 3-month old Telegraph article in response to a question about looming industrial action is one of the most pathetic answers I have seen at PMQ's. I sense a desperation this week that has been mainly missing since the Autumn.
Richard
March 17th, 2010 12:39pm Report this commentShameron in full flight....partisan and opportunist. Does he think the electorate are stupid?
He is digging a big hole....keep digging!
Brown is perfectly right to say that the opposition should be looking to get a resolution to the strike threat not adding fuel to the fire.
PMQ's was a farce not one tory question that would support their constituency.
Inflaming issues for party political advantage at the risk of making things worse for the general public is not patriotic it's the opposite.
teledu
March 17th, 2010 12:44pm Report this commentIs Gordon Brown incapable of saying "constituencies" ? He seems to miss the second "t" out.
statechaos
March 17th, 2010 12:44pm Report this commentBrown is always telling us what the Tories will do. Seems he knows more about Conservative policies than he does about Labour policies. Only a few months ago he was telling us that the Tories would 'do nothing'.
General Zod
March 17th, 2010 12:51pm Report this commentShall we write Lloyd's piece for him?
Let's see now:
"Cameron fails to land any blows on Brown in relation to Unite. Brown turns the situation back on the Tories, saying htey are being partisan and Cameron is left floundering."
johnfaganwilliams
March 17th, 2010 1:01pm Report this commentfair enough move on from Unite story - until you read the standard story www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23816132-senior-no-10-official-paid-entirely-by-unite-trade-union.do - which shows just how deep these guys have their claws into No 10. The have a fully paid staffer actually working alongside the PM! Think this needs rachetting up not down!
Mark
March 17th, 2010 1:09pm Report this commentIs Richard not up yet? Everytime I see Brown bodge another question and blame anyone else I feel utterly depressed that this moron is, apparently, running the country
The only saving grace is that when I read the insane ramblings of Richard I realise my life could be much worse...
djw2009
March 17th, 2010 1:10pm Report this commentsubsiduary??
do you mean "subsidiary"?
Bert
March 17th, 2010 1:14pm Report this commentWhat did Brown mean when he accused Cameron of dealing with matters after the dispute is resolved?
Is it a done deal already? Has the whole thing been driven to make Brown look like a strong leader?
Given the closeness and track record of Whelan and Brown it seems almost likely.
Paul Hawkins
March 17th, 2010 1:19pm Report this comment'Partisan and opportunist' Pot kettle black.
Pete Hoskin
March 17th, 2010 1:29pm Report this commentdjw2009: thanks for the spot - fixed now.
davidke
March 17th, 2010 1:30pm Report this commentCameron partisan ? Ye Gods. What has politics descended to ?
EyeSee
March 17th, 2010 1:35pm Report this commentBrown seems to believe and has done for a while, that it is a stroke of genius to lambast the Tories for anything that happened in the Eighties. When we had a Conservative government. Brown has always acted as if he is the Leader of the Opposition and it continues as he goes into Election mode. Just when you think you have a grip on how stupid the man is, he manages to prove you still have the bar set too high......
Swiss Bob
March 17th, 2010 1:55pm Report this commentI can't tell whether Brown or Cameron is winning but I get the feeling that the rest of us are losing.
Via YouTube: PMQs 17th March.
Nicholas
March 17th, 2010 2:17pm Report this commentI'm afraid that poor Richard's comments are becoming increasingly formulaic and reveal that his masters require an anti-Tory soundbite in each thread.
Incapable of debate, full-on dogma, same old war cries. Oh, dear. Really quite sad to think people like him are out there wanting to have control over our lives.
Are there any Labour minions capable of rational thought, reasoned debate and taking a long hard, realistic view of their atrocious party or is it all just propaganda?
Martyn Rowe
March 17th, 2010 2:35pm Report this commentI shouldn't encourage Richard by responding to his Stasi-controlled mutterings, but I'll say this:
Learn to thing for yourself.
I only enjoy blogs whereby praise and criticism are dished out in equal measure, to whichever party or whichever MP deserves it. This blog is definitely no cheerleader for Cameron or Conservatism and neither am I.
The trouble is with you and your fellow left-wing ostriches is that your heads are so deep in the sand you are unable to even consider thinking for yourselves. Through fear? Or lack of intelligence. Or are you merely blinded by prejudice? Whatever the reasons, you embarrass yourself with the desperate obviousness of your trolling.
Brown was awful today. Awful. No leadership, no direction, no guts, no will to stand up for what is right. Awful. He never had the qualities required for PM (I, and I'm in a minority here, believe Blair did) and his mumbling gutlessness and the pathetic hypocrisy of his calls for bi-partisanship were hugely revealing of his shortcomings.
He is very poor and I'm afraid the spineless Labour machine that allowed him and his mafia-clan to obtain the leadership deserve the electoral mauling heading his way.
Jane Holmes
March 17th, 2010 2:37pm Report this commentHave just watched the whole sorry debacle on iPlayer. Brown is a complete and utter waste of space. Can't and won't answer any of the real (ie, non-plant) questions. Good on Cameron for making his point. I suggest Brown should wait until Cameron is PM- not long now- before asking him the questions during PMQs. "Weak" doesn't even begin to describe Brown.
Thought Richard had crawled back under his stone for good, but sadly not. At least his parents named him right!!
Martyn Rowe
March 17th, 2010 2:40pm Report this commentOne more thing for Richard.
If Brown is such an intellectual colossus, unbidden by the opportunism or shams of which you accuse Cameron, then why did he do away with the 10p tax-band during his last budget as Chancellor?
Was it a schoolboy error? Or a calculated sop to middle-earners at the expense of the poor in a bid to shore up middle-class votes before calling an early election? Going directly against the ideology of helping the poor; something he had always apparently stood for.
It had to be one or the other. Which was it?
AngloWelshDragon
March 17th, 2010 2:54pm Report this commentAll we need now is for Llodd Evans to declare today's session a victory for Brown and I will be confirmed in my belief that he is in fact, dead in the water (Brown, that is, not Evans!)
Richard
March 17th, 2010 3:02pm Report this comment@Martyn Rowe,
Blimey don't get many like you in here; Are you sure you are in the right place?
Free thinking, non partisan reader...blimey!
You do however have some good points...just a shame you forgot to put them in your post.
Happy posting and don't forget to buy a lottery ticket...it could be YOU!
TrevorsDen
March 17th, 2010 3:20pm Report this commentWhy not answer the question Mr Richard? As I understand it there are still a million of the poorest in Britain worse off thanks to Browns self serving shambles
Chuck Unsworth
March 17th, 2010 3:37pm Report this comment'It could be you'
Well, Richard, one thing's for certain and that is as a full time loser it sure as hell won't be you.
Richard
March 17th, 2010 3:42pm Report this comment@TrevorsDen,
Worse off than what?
How are the policies of Shameron going to eradicate the poor?
It seems to me he only has policies to enrichen his mates in Knightsbridge and Belize.
Keith D
March 17th, 2010 4:44pm Report this comment@Richard
"How are the policies of Shameron going to eradicate the poor?"
Couldn't let that pass.
The poor working class are in the throes of final eradication by your 10% tax abolition.
By your replacement of it by third world immigrants who dominate the queues for Health treatment and Housing.
Shame on you.
TrevorsDen
March 17th, 2010 4:57pm Report this commentIt seems one Clare Moody (3rd 2005 GE, 17.5%; Salisbury --- and national officer at UNITE) is employed at No.10, but paid for by UNITE. She deals with policy development and government relations
So a fully paid trade union official (of a union which has donated 25% of labours donations) is charged with formulating govt policy; I would call this buying influence. What does Richard say?
Martyn Rowe
March 17th, 2010 5:02pm Report this commentRichard is either too childish, too embarrassed or too thick to answer a simple question.
Perhaps he should apply for a job working at No.10, where he'll never be encouraged to think for himself, or ever be required to give a straight answer.
TrevorsDen
March 17th, 2010 5:07pm Report this commentPollster ARS is calling it
39-26-21
with
SNP = 2
PC = 1
UKIP = 5
Green = 2
BNP = 4
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