Welcome to this week’s PMQs live blog. There’s plenty of stuff on the economy and for the Brown, Cameron and Clegg to debate – provided, of course, they don’t get mired in BrandRossgate. Things will kick off at 1200 – you can watch proceedings here.
1200: Adrian Bailey delivers the first question: “What measures are the government taking to ensure that small businesses get the same degree of support that the banks have had.” Perfect opportunity for Brown to mention his “discussions” with Sarkozy.
1205: Cameron now. Punchy start: “If he wants to start supporting small businesses, he could cancel plans And onto the question: “Will the PM finally admit he has not abolished boom and bust in this country”. We heard this from Cameron last week. Brown responds with an odd repsonse: “We have already had the UK’s longest period of economic growth.” Um, yes, and the point is that it’s ended…
1206: Good stuff from Cameron on the fiscal rules: “He guaranteed that the fiscal rules would not be broken … will the PM admit that the rules are now dead?” Brown waffles.
1208: Cameron’s having great fun now. Reading the fiscal rules to Brown and saying that – “even on [Brown’s] fiddled figures” – they’re now dead. This should get some airtime on the news later. Cameron’s doing the right thing here – preventing Brown from getting out his “borrowing is good” message.
1210: Cameron: “We’ve established Brown’s broken his fiscal rules”.
1212: Another good soundbite from Cameron: “I know the new fiscal rule: don’t answer the question.” Follows it up with: “He has been caught irreponsibly spinning about irresponsible spending”. This is effective stuff.
1214: Clegg now. Kicks off on waste. Good man. “The PM doesn’t seem to distinguish between good government spending and bad government spending.” Returns to his point of a couple of weeks ago that money should be diverted to low-income earners. “Give them some of their money back”. These arguments are damaging to Brown after the 10p tax debacle earlier this year.
1216: Brown really seems flustered. His repsonse to Clegg: “I don’t recognise your figures.” Goes on to reel off measures like the Winter Fuel Allowance.
1221: Questions from backbenchers on parliamentary power, the police and Afghanistan
1223: Robert Wareing asks whether a windfall tax should be imposed on the energy companies. Brown responds: “we are working with the energy companies to bring energy prices down”.
1224: Andrew Robathan: “If this country – God forbid – has to go to the IMF for a bailout, will the PM resign?” Unsurprisingly, no direct answer from Brown. Refers to the withdrawal from the ERM.
1229: Questions on the environment – including a third runway at Heathrow – and pork products. Brown: “We all know, British bacon is best!”
1231: More on small businesses.
1232: Margaret Moran gets onto a key topic: home repossessions. Brown responds by listing the “actions that are necessary”.
1233: And that’s that.
VERDICT: An effective pincer movement from Cameron and Clegg today – leaving Brown looking flustered and uncertain. No longer constrained by a spirit of bipartisanship, Cameron delivered some effective lines of attack against Brown’s borrowing plan. This was among the Tory leader’s best PMQs performances.
Comments