The lesson from today's PMQs? Unemployment makes Cameron uncomfortable
Lloyd Evans 4:06pm
What’s the point of Ed Miliband? Does the Opposition leader have any purpose in
life other than to provide ritual entertainment for the Tory wrecking crew at PMQs?
Having spent the New Year listening to lethal attacks from his dearest supporters, Mr Miliband has now seen his leadership shrivel to a pair of policy statements which rival each other in desperation and barminess.
The first, outlined by Liam Byrne this morning, is a fantasy tax on banking, ‘to create 100,000 jobs’. The second is Labour’s new position on the government’s austerity programme. This would baffle the dippiest and trippiest resident of Alice in Wonderland. We hate the cuts. We back the cuts. We oppose the cuts. We endorse the cuts. We accept the cuts. We reject the cuts. They’re appalling and divisive but they’re OK by us. So support Labour at the next election and you’ll be able to keep this hateful Tory package. Got that everyone?
Happily Mr Miliband had a stroke of luck today. He was spared the ordeal of submitting his mashed-up plans to parliamentary scrutiny because — oh joy! — the unemployment figures were released moments before the session began. And the figures were great, (for Ed). And dreadful (for Dave.)
Miliband loves joblessness. It speaks to him at a deep level. Able-bodied adults whose best years are being wasted in idleness and futility. He can respond to that emotionally. Don’t ask me why.
Miliband exudes calm, shrewdness and confidence when he takes his seat in the House. There’s something about him. He’s trim, well-scrubbed, nicely brushed and faintly inscrutable. He looks like Action Man’s deputy about to go to the Palace to accept the OBE on his boss’s behalf. But then he has to stand up and ask questions.
And as soon as he assumes the vertical position he’s hit by a barrage of Tory catcalls. ‘Hurray!’ they whoop. ‘Hooraah! Yippeeeee!’ The jeers of ironic welcome go on and on, until a grimace begins to form on Mr Miliband’s mournful face. Then he sighs with fatigue and glances imploringly at the Speaker. But on it goes. The jeering of the backbench banshees. Hurray! Hooraah! Yippeeeee! And finally, when Miliband can bear it no more, a look of to-hell-with-you disdain flickers across his hooded eyes. And finally, as the noise fades, he starts to speak his lines. And his expression morphs into one of exhausted saintliness and relief. It’s a physiological routine that’s repeated every week without fail. And, without fail, the Tories love it. They adore it. For obvious reasons. Pulling a face that says, ‘I want to be somewhere else,’ is not a good look in a chamber you aspire to lead.
Miliband picked out an old Cameron promise today and flung it back in his face. ‘The prime minister said unemployment would fall in each year of this parliament. It rose today for the sixth month in a row.’ The PM admitted that the figures were disappointing. ‘Unemployment,’ he said, ‘is a tragedy for the person becoming unemployed.’ A strange choice of words which emphasised his clear discomfort with the topic. Miliband accused him of allowing youth unemployment to soar by 102 per cent. Cameron denied this and said it had risen by just 7 per cent, ‘but even that is too high.’
There followed a tumultuous and entirely baffling exchange in which both pugilists tried to whack each other’s block off while simultaneously refereeing the bout. Each fighter called the other’s figures into question. Nothing emerged but rising noise levels and falling standards of clarity.
For Miliband, the great thing about joblessness is that he can cut the cake any way he wants and the section always looks bad for Cameron.
Total unemployment: embarrassing. Youth unemployment: shocking. Women’s unemployment: catastrophic. He used all these aspects of the horror-picture today. By cherry-picking the figures,
Cameron was able to point to a miniscule drop in the numbers of unemployed youngsters who’ve been on the dole over 12 months. This didn’t bother Miliband. He simply swivelled the
platter around and showed us yet another miserable angle. He told us there are 30 people chasing every job in London (which is slightly fewer than are chasing his job in the Labour party).
An easy ride for Miliband today. He looked robust and combative while Cameron seemed uncomfortable slicing and dicing the figures to make them fit his recovery story. As the jobless total continues to soar Cameron will have to raise his game to meet it.
Getting out his a microscope and asking us to gaze at a teeny corner of the graph that happens to flatter his administration isn’t a credible move. Government is about direction. Not distraction.
Previous
David Ossitt
January 18th, 2012 4:31pm Report this comment“An easy ride for Miliband today. He looked robust and combative while Cameron seemed uncomfortable slicing and dicing the figures to make them fit his recovery story. As the jobless total continues to soar Cameron will have to raise his game to meet it.”
This is so easily avoided, all that Cameron has to do when faced with unemployment figures like this, is to smile and to agree with them, to smile and say that the figures are correct, and then to smile and say that they are the direct result of his government having to put right the dreadful financial mess left to him by the previous government.
jebediah
January 18th, 2012 4:36pm Report this commentThe economy will not recover until our largest trading partner (the Eurozone 17) stops killing global confidence. Everybody knows that we're not immune from the self-inflicted disaster on the continent. To claim it's a British or coalition caused problem is nonsense.
roger
January 18th, 2012 4:42pm Report this commentDavid Ossit. Don't forget the uncontrolled imigration. How big an affect has that had?
Kristonabike
January 18th, 2012 4:44pm Report this commentAnd mass immigration has got nothing to with unemployment. Oh no.
And laying off 18000 soldiers into that maelstrom is going to help. Oh yes.
As is giving the money to DFID that should have paid for those soldiers so that instead taxpayers can help India and Pakistan free up money to upgrade their combat aircraft. Nothing dodgy with that. Oh no.
eyesee
January 18th, 2012 4:45pm Report this commentI think you will find, as Tony Blair showed with great skill, that government is entirely about distraction. Governing however, is about direction.
Nickle
January 18th, 2012 4:47pm Report this commentBut nothing is changing. Condems as still spending hand over fist. On wards and upwards they wade into the Greek Creek.
What is needed is honesty. List how much the government owes for gilts, state pension, state second pension, civil service pensions, PFI, Nuclear decommissioning and the Guarantees (expected losses).
Then send each taxpayer an annual statement with their share.
When they get the bill, everything will hit the fan, and quite rightly.
That screws Labour completely. The demand for real cuts will be so big that their is no choice but to act.
adrianw
January 18th, 2012 5:06pm Report this commentInstead of constantly cutting back on public spending (unless you are rich then you dont care about such things because you go private for health, education and security) why not cast your eyes towards those big bosses who earn millions and are the same ones who caused this crash. While you are at it why not also look at the footballers who are also paid millions for kicking a bag of wind about. Then look to the landed gentry,many of whom are in there privaledged position because someone in their distant family past could swing a sword better than the next bloke. Ask the so called royal family to stop taking tax payers money and start paying back for the land that they OWN. Only then when all the tax dodging rich pay up their fare share only then come knocking on our doors.
dorothy wilson
January 18th, 2012 5:12pm Report this comment"What is needed is honesty. List how much the government owes for gilts, state pension, state second pension, civil service pensions, PFI, Nuclear decommissioning and the Guarantees (expected losses)."
But weren't most of those racked up under Labour?
Vettekulla
January 18th, 2012 5:29pm Report this commentDid I hear it right? Did Cameron say something to the effect that he takes full responsibility for unemployment and for the British economy? We had Supermac now we have Supercam. We know Gordon Brown felt he controlled the economy but Cameron? The only thing the PM is responsible for is pursuing government policy to mitigate the impact of years of out-of-control public expenditure.
Jeremy
January 18th, 2012 5:44pm Report this commentLloyd,
When he's speaking, or embroiled, at PMQs, have you noticed that the bridge of Ed's nose takes on a stubborn, almost pugilistic, aspect?
He may be tougher than I have hitherto been inclined to think.
Martin
January 18th, 2012 5:44pm Report this commentLet's not forget a whole tranche of middle aged people who have been thrown on the scrap heap with no realistic opportunity of finding a job! Ageism may be banned in the job market but it is definitely there still and almost impossible to prove.
cubric
January 18th, 2012 5:46pm Report this commentwhat is this simplistic drivel? do people actually believe this stuff?(apart from daily mail readers)
Cynic
January 18th, 2012 5:53pm Report this comment"What’s the point of Ed Miliband?" Answers on the head of a pin, please.
Cynic
January 18th, 2012 6:01pm Report this comment"Miliband loves joblessness. It speaks to him at a deep level. Able-bodied adults whose best years are being wasted in idleness and futility. He can respond to that emotionally. Don’t ask me why." Because it enables him to speak for Labour's client state. Of course he loves unemployment; Labour is no longer the party of the working man, it's the party of the underclass (which it systematically created over 13 years); they are turkeys who will not vote for Christmas. It's sheer hypocrisy to talk about able-bodied adults whose best years are being wasted when the government he was part of rigged the system to make it more profitable to stay at home in idleness rather than take a bottom rank job (and then imported lots of workers to fill the gap).
Jock MacSporran
January 18th, 2012 6:04pm Report this comment"So support Labour at the next election and you’ll be able to keep this hateful Tory package. Got that everyone?"
Yes, we've got it. We've decided to vote SNP.
Cynic
January 18th, 2012 6:05pm Report this comment"The jeers of ironic welcome go on and on, until a grimace begins to form on Mr Miliband’s mournful face. Then he sighs with fatigue and glances imploringly at the Speaker. But on it goes." You could not have delineated better the lack of presence Miliband E suffers from. The man is a nonentity promoted (by the Unions, lest we forget) above his ability.
Sean
January 18th, 2012 6:18pm Report this commentLabour did this. Conservatives did that. Partisan thinking and a culture of blame won't sort anything out.
First tackle the Eurozone and bring stability to the region. S+P downgrades should be ignored on the whole.Didn't they bless the companies that caused the financial crisis (subprime, mortgage backed securities etc) There timing of Frances downgrade was suspicious.
Second Osbourne MUST accept that the speed and depth of austerity should be addressed immediately. It is too much too quickly and is playing it's part in damaging what was a recovery albeit fragile. Funding must be found to create Brand Britain and get us manufacturing and exporting. Strange that Rolls Royce saw a record year in 2011 because much demand has come from the 'new' economies. There are overseas customers that value the quality of our produce, lets sell to them!
We also need to reintroduce the concept of personal responsibility in our society. Too many people are willing to take and put nothing back. That goes from the people that simply don't want to work (they do exist) to big business acting irresponsibly and sadly, dishonestly.
Ultimately, without balance and restraint the economy will continue to falter and those taking too much will in turn suffer as customer bases dwindle from an increasingly impoverished populous.
David Ossitt
January 18th, 2012 6:51pm Report this commentroger
“David Ossit.[sic] Don't forget the uncontrolled imigration.[sic] How big an affect has that had?”
Quite right roger.
Dennis Norman
January 18th, 2012 6:58pm Report this commentSo he should be he takes their jobs away
and then calls them scroungers I guess
He could only be Conservative
David Ossitt
January 18th, 2012 7:05pm Report this commentadrianw January 18th, 2012 5:06pm
Tell us adrian; at whose breast did you suckle such drivel, at whose knee did you learn such dross, and at what slagheap were you indoctrinated with the dirty nasty politics of envy, pure unadulterated invidia seeps and oozes from every word.
Sam
January 18th, 2012 7:28pm Report this commentWhat a load of drivel. the reason Cameron is uncomfortable is that he is incompetent & screwing up the economy.
why not sort that out - or is it too tough?
Hexhamgeezer
January 18th, 2012 7:47pm Report this commentadrianw
You could have added those who's snouts are in the EU trough and the kleptocrats being hosed down with DFID money.
Magnolia
January 18th, 2012 9:39pm Report this commentThese unemployed are Labours unemployed.
Imagine if Labour had built up a good sized war chest during the good times and had not let the debts run away.
If they had cared back then, about the future now, we would have had plenty of backup to suport these poor people.
Did anyone else notice that both Eds wore light blue ties rather than the usual purple or red?
Only Nick Clegg had a red tie on.
Ed and Ed were trying to look like careful tory boys!
Roy
January 19th, 2012 12:40am Report this commentIf he's uncomfortable with unemployment, why then did his government see to it that the Derby Loco Works was forced to close after a huge contract for new rolling stock went to a German firm?
cuffleyburgers
January 19th, 2012 8:05am Report this commentA good review I enjoyed that.
A for Cameron and Milliband - the unsepakable in pursuit of the inedible so far as I am concerned.
I would certainly prefer Cameron as PM over Milliband of course, but Cameron is very very far from perfect and is likely to go down in Hisotry as one of the mediocrities.
ThigArLatha
January 19th, 2012 9:19am Report this commentUnemployment makes DC uncomfortable - Good. If it didn't I would worry.
The question is if it is necessary
Julie
January 19th, 2012 9:22pm Report this commentThey were comparing different figures, hence the dispute. One was looking at 6 months and over and the other was 1 year and over. Miliband does better when he goes on something important like jobs and the economy and this is the one area Cameron is defensive over so good call. Miliband will never sound as good as Cameron at the despatch box though and that is the issue. He is Brown mark 2 although better at speaking voters language but just does not sound convincing just irritating.
Cath Mackintosh
May 16th, 2012 1:58pm Report this commentDavid Cameron announced job figures down.
This is just a joke. I have been unemployed
but due to 182 day jobs seeker allowance rule i am no longer on the unemployment figures. Still unemployed but have to be supported by by husband. When working you are taxed as an individual, but once unemployed you have to get your husband to support you.Lots more people like me middle aged unemployed but not on official stats.
middle aged and hitting hard working families again. Conservative Government support will decline rapidly if not already deceased in Scotland. Nothing for families
trying to keep house and bills paid monthly.
Conservatives and Lib Dems should be ashamed
of themselves for penalising hard working families.
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