Plenty of personality at today’s PMQs. Not much policy. Miliband opened with one
of his stiletto questions. Short sharp and deadly. ‘How’s his Big Society going?’ he asked the prime minister. Potentially this is tricky ground for Cameron and he rose to a
barrage of Labour jeers. At least he’s had time to rehearse his defence. ‘Devolving power to local authorities was in the opposition manifesto and in ours and in the LibDems’
…Every member of the House of Commons backs what we’re talking about,’ he said cheerily.
A robust counter-attack. Pose as an optimistic philosopher-king and leave Ed Miliband looking like a whining defeatist. Miliband duly obliged and unfurled a readymade quote from some doom-mongering fiasco-seeking crisis-lover who claimed that the coalition’s policies are ‘destroying volunteer armies’ across the country. Cameron surprised everyone with his reply. Instead of oratory he produced cash. An extra £200m would be found from the new bank levies, he said, and every penny would go to voluntary organisations.
Britain’s best politics newsletters
You get two free articles each week when you sign up to The Spectator’s emails.
Already a subscriber? Log in
Comments
Join the debate, free for a month
Be part of the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting your first month free.
UNLOCK ACCESS Try a month freeAlready a subscriber? Log in