Gordon Brown writes to David Davis
Peter Hoskin 1:21pm
Benedict Brogan has a copy of a letter sent by Brown to David Davis. It challenges David Cameron over his relative silence on civil liberty issues. Here's the text:
Dear DavidAs you know, Prime Ministers are available once a week at Question Time to debate all the issues of the day, and I was disappointed that you chose to step down as a Member of Parliament in advance of Question Time on Wednesday, 11 June rather than coming to the House to debate with me the issues around the use of CCTV and DNA evidence, and the measures we have taken to protect our national security.
Nevertheless, the leader of your party has the opportunity each week to ask six questions on those issues that caused you to leave his Shadow Cabinet. He has had two such opportunities to date, but he has yet to ask any such question. He has two further opportunities to raise these issues before the 'by-election' on July 10th, and I am sure that if he shares your strong feelings about them, he will not duck those opportunities.
Gordon Brown
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Comments
Tiberius
June 30th, 2008 1:45pmIn other words, "David, tell Cameron to stop asking me questions to which I have no answer".
GEOFF
June 30th, 2008 1:54pmbrilliant.
David Davis think the PM should be answering these questions? Perhaps he could get David Cameron to ask them!
Trumpeter Lanfried
June 30th, 2008 1:54pmThe man's off his rocker. He's supposed to be running the country and he finds time to write the sort of letter which goes straight in the bin alongside the latest flyer from Betterware.
JP
June 30th, 2008 2:02pmIt's a fair enough point, isn't it?
Claudius
June 30th, 2008 2:03pmGood move from Brown, pushing at the split Davis has opened up.
He's actually had the better of Cameron in the last two PMQs.
I still don't think this race is over.
Slim Jim
June 30th, 2008 2:24pmHe just can't help himself, can he? Brown has to play politics with this issue, and even if DC did ask him questions, we all know that he would never receive a straight answer. For Brown, debate is simply superficial and cosmetic. No matter how how good the debate got, he would still find time to do dirty back-stage deals to save his miserable hide. Historians will rightly finger Brown (perhaps I should rephrase) as the man who stole your freedoms. As well as your pension...
Mike, Brighton
June 30th, 2008 2:38pmClaudius. I suggest you read Kavanagh's Op-ed in the Sun today alongside looking at:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delusion
Nicholas
June 30th, 2008 2:41pmBut he never answers the questions anyway. And debate? The man doesn't know the meaning of the word. As with all things Brown this is a conniving attempt to spin the issue, no doubt a "cunning plan" by one of his propaganda kompanie spooks.
"The measures we have taken to protect our national security" sounds like a line by one of the sleazy characters in Will Smith's "Enemy of the State".
Detestable. Get rid of him before he does any more damage to this country. He is the biggest threat to our national security.
Bernard from Horsham
June 30th, 2008 2:45pmI note that he seems not to have the decency to finish the letter with "Yours sincerely"
On second thoughts he was probably correct to omit it, Gordon sincere about anything.. I don't think so.
Charles
June 30th, 2008 2:53pmAs 'Economic Competence' has gone down the swanny, 'Tough on Terror' looks set to be the new Brown motif. To be restated ad nauseam, in all possible ways, until his departure. And that is why we are reading this silly letter.
TedTedford
June 30th, 2008 2:56pmI thought Mr Davis *tried* to raise the matter at PMQs but was blocked by the Speaker.
Another Brownie?
C Powell
June 30th, 2008 3:01pmIf Gordon wanted to have a debate on this or the opportunity to answer questions, why didn't he put a Labour candidate up for H&H?
Mark
June 30th, 2008 3:05pmIn substance, another Brownie:
"Nevertheless, the leader of your party has the opportunity each week to ask six questions on those issues that caused you to leave his Shadow Cabinet. He has had two such opportunities to date, but he has yet to ask any such question."
Cameron has ahd a year to ask Brown questions, not just 2 occasions. He has asked numerous questions about 42 days, not least on the day of the debate. He floored Brown then, IMHO.
Chuck Unsworth
June 30th, 2008 3:09pmIt's not for Brown to suggest questions to be asked of him at PMQs is it? Does he now want to both raise the questions and (maybe not) answer them? I think he does.
Is this a man simply talking to himself?
How moronic. Does he seriously believe anyone is the slightest interested in his views of anything at all these days?
As to 'debate with me'. Good Grief, can Brown 'debate' at all? All I ever hear from him is the relentless drone of meaningless statistics. He never listens and he never answers the question. Why should Davis bother dealing with a completely spent force?
Ted Tedford
June 30th, 2008 3:24pmSorry - not at PMQs, but in the HofC at any rate.
And Mr Brown appears to be wrong. On my recollection, Mr Davis resigned on Thu 12 June, not "in advance of" PMQs on 11 June. Besides, the vote on 42 days etc was on the 11 June, after PMQs. What chance of Mr Brown answering a question about something on which there was a debate and vote scheduled that very afternoon?
I know he's a control freak and very tired, but surely he has someone to check this sort of thing?
TomTom
June 30th, 2008 9:46pmMaybe Brown should focus on border controls and less on CCTV and DNa...after all once people are here we cannot get them out again
Silent Hunter
July 1st, 2008 12:41amClau - clau - claudius:
'...I still don't think this race is over...'
Yeah!
And the earth is flat, the moon is made of cheese and there are fairies at the bottom of your garden. LOL
Silent Hunter
July 1st, 2008 12:44amTed :
You are correct about the timing - it's another 'Brownie' LOL