Tagged with PMQs

Jeremy Corbyn brings straight talking, honest politics to PMQs

Corbyn at PMQsJeremy Corbyn this morning pledged to try and change Prime Minister’s Questions. Would he go for the “honest politics, plainly spoken” approach of his leadership campaign, avoiding the name-calling and yah boo sucks, or will he rise to the bait put to him by Dave?

As we now know, he started as he’s been carrying on for the last 32 years. He began with housing, and asked about what the government would do about the lack of affordable housing and soaring rents. Dave’s reply, the first as part of his new strategy to offer substantive responses, waxed about more starter schemes, help to buy, and the need to support aspirations. Meet the new politics, the same as the old politics. Continue reading →

PMQs – the spectacle and farce – is rotten and out of touch and needs radical reform

David Cameron & Ed Miliband at PMQsIt’s been a long, tedious road; but here we are. In regular slots since the 13 October 2010 Dave and Ed have faced off in gladiatorial combat over the dispatch box. How did it go? It was pretty poor, from Labour’s perspective. Especially when, for those who score such things, Ed Miliband had come out on top.

As you might expect, Ed started with the question mark over the Tories’ VAT plans. Referencing Dave’s retirement plan and his desire to give “straight answers to Dave questions“, he was asked whether he would rule out a VAT rise? As Osborne had previously said he had “no plans“, it was hardly shocking that – for once – he gave an affirmative answer to the VAT rise. Continue reading →

Prime Minister’s questions is now the pits and needs radical reform

cameron as flashman copyI asked Cameron at PMQs yesterday a question showing that Osborne’s boasted ‘recovery’ was no such thing.

Is the PM aware that, according to the Economist, Britain is now 159th lowest in the world in terms of business investment, just behind Mali, Paraguay and Guatemala? Could he therefore tell the House when, under his esteemed leadership and that of the Chancellor, Britain might now expect to catch up with Mali?”

Cameron’s reply descended to a depth I don’t recall ever witnessing at PMQs over the last 40 years, referring to me as sounding like someone on mind-altering substances like the Rev. Paul Flowers. When I protested on a point of order that this was an unjustified, rude and offensive way to refer to another parliamentarian, he pretended it was just banter but very ungraciously withdrew his remark. Continue reading →

Is Cameron the least accountable PM ever?

Is Cameron the least accountable PM ever? At least in terms of answering the questions asked by MPs. I’m not just talking about the way he evades so many questions, but the number of times he even faces Ed Miliband.

The last PMQs were on 20 March before the budget. There have been none since and today’s was cancelled due to Thatcher’s funeral in spite of Dennis Skinner’s admirable attempt to prevent that happening. There will be only two before 5 June, thanks to Easter and Whitsun breaks and the ‘prorogation’ of parliament before the queen’s speech — 40 days away from Westminster in all. Continue reading →