Peter Hoskin

PMQs live blog | 6 January 2010

Stay tuned for live coverage of PMQs from 1200.

1159: Should be kicking off soon.  You can watch proceedings live here.

1202: And here we go.  Brown starts with the usual condolences for fallen British servicemen – and adds a tribute for the late Labour MP, David Taylor.

1204: Brian Donohoe asks for an update on the attempted terrorist attack on Christmas Day.  Brown lists new security measures, and says that he’s looking to better coordinate intelligence efforts.

1206: Cameron now.  He adds condolences for British servicemen and David Taylor.

1207:
The Tory leader starts with our debt problem.  He lists international organisations – the OECD etc. – which have warned about Britain’s debt.

1208: Predictable response from Brown, saying that British debt is still lower as a percentage of GDP than US, Japan, France, Germany etc.  That ignores how quickly British debt has exploded and that we’re going to overtake some of those countries soon.

1209: Plenty of laughs from the Tory benches when Brown says that the Government has got a fiscal responsibility plan.  Ludicrously, Brown says that it includes the 50p tax rate – which will most likely lose money for the Exchequer.  But there’s a sting when he adds that the Tories support this.

1210:
Brown quips that Cameron’s “year of change” is all about the Tory leader changing his mind on policy – a nod to the confusion over married tax allowances on Monday.  It’s pretty poor from Brown, but he seems on punchy form.

1210: Brown and Cameron are now trading quotes on the public finances.  The IMF, Alistair Darling, and so on and so on.

1212: Brown refers to the Tories’ marriage policy again – seems he wants to go heavy on this.  Claims it will cost £4+ billion, which IDS has already said needn’t be the case.

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