Gordon Brown is in Iraq today, avoiding the final PMQs of term, so we have Harman versus Hague again. Contrary to what people expected, Harman has held her own in these encounters. The Tory benches could certainly do with cheering up today, though.
12:05 Harman starts off with condolences for the family of the British solider who died in Afghanistan and informs the House that Brown will make a statement to the House on his return from Iraq.
12:06 Harman promises to change the law to force energy companies to pass on the fall in fuel prices if necessary.
12.07 Hague gets in his first gag of the session, joking that seeing as the national security sensitive information that British troops will leave Iraq was leaked they are surprised that no one has been arrested.
12.08 Harman bats away Hague’s calls for an inquiry into Iraq.
12:12 Hague and Harman clash over the Tory idea for a national loan guarantee scheme. Harman keeps talking about the Tory plan to cut public spending. Hague counters that this is a ‘say anything, spin anything, achieve nothing’ government.
12:15 Harman says the Tories ‘shouldn’t talk down confidence’. Clearly, Tessa Jowell didn’t get that memo.
12:18 Hague turns up the volume, ribbing Harman about Brown’s ‘save the world’ gaffe and asking ‘how many people will have to lose their job, before the Prime Minister loses his’. Harman responds by recycling her barb that she’d rather be led by superman than the joker. She then points out that Hague’s personal site still calls him the leader of the party.
Once more Harman held her own against Hague. Hague couldn’t work out how to adapt his trademark wit to the dire economic news that was being discussed.
12:20 Cable has a bit of a ‘Ming moment’ when someone interrupts his remarks about Ramsay MacDonald by asking if he remembers it.
12: 30 Harman cruised through the final questions. The news about the economy and the discussion about Iraq and Afghanistan led to a sombre attitude in the House. There were none of the usual end of term hi-jinks.
Harman easily had the best of the session, getting through it unscathed. Vince Cable was the real loser, the brutally effective heckle rather undermined his persona as an all knowing sage.
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