PMQs - 24.10.07 - some impressions

I am blogging this "as live", albeit with much use of the pause button as I type, as I missed it earlier today, even Mr NotaSheep has to work sometimes.

What did Gordon Brown mean when he said that "As a result of the targets we have set, cancer is down 17% in this country."?
Is he saying that the incidence of cancer is down by 17%
Is he saying that the death rate from cancer is down by 17%
17% of what since when?
Does he not care what he is saying so long as the figure quoted sounds good?

"One and a half more admissions to hospital"
Is that necessarily a good thing? Surely above a certain point, we want less admissions to hospital not more. Is the UK a sicker society now. One and a half million more than when?

"I fear, I fear if there is a black hole in different parties finances..."
This is the new Gordon Brown rhetorical device as we have seen in PMQs; a stuttering repetition of an opening phrase as he gets all excited at the opportunity to lead up to a learnt joke or jibe. It would be quite sweet if it wasn't so poorly executed.


"There are 1.7 million surpluses in our schools at the moment"
1.7 million surpluses, this seems unlikely, here is the database of UK schools, have a recount Gordon.
Maybe he means £1.7 million surplus, that is what I predict Hansard will helpfully correct his words to show tomorrow.

"Sometimes it is better if he does his research"
Very similar to his line last week. I suppose the intention is to make David Cameron
look as though he does not research matters. Gordon Brown hopes that one of these jibes makes the news or maybe he's planning an advert containing all of these jibes at Cameron. Whichever is the case, the repetition of a lie does not make it true, see some of my previous postings.
Why is Ed Balls nodding so much and so intently? Has he been told to do so? The two nonentities on Gordon,s left are at it as well, Jack Straw is just biting his lips.

"£6 billion out of the public services"
David Cameron shouldn't let that slur stand, the lie left uncorrected lives on...

David Cameron accuses Gordon Brown of "a mania for state control" He won't like that line.
Now is is £1.7 billion, maybe it was before, sometimes I find Gordon Brown's diction a little faulty.

Vincent Cable asks a question with a nice "Brown is less green than Blair" quip...
Oh dear, I think Gordon actually thinks that his lines about the Liberals (he thinks it is funny to say Liberals not Liberal Democrats - maybe we should all call his party the bour party and see if he likes it) having regular changes of leader are funny, I fear he is deluded on this point.

Gordon Brown is pushing wind power again, I assume he hasn't read the research findings on the appalling generating record of these wind farms and the massive subsidies necessary to make them even appear economic prospects. Maybe he does know the research but realises that he has to push wind power because that is an EU policy.

Michael Meacher is asking for "a clear commitment" that Gordon Brown would not support militarily or politically a US or Israeli attack on Iran. I fear he is going to be disappointed as Gordon Brown doesn't do "clear".
I was right, I rule nothing out...

Ah the West Lothian/Barnett Formula question from Graham Brady (?) "Why should my constituents pay more tax so that his constituents pay no prescription charges?"
Is that Harriet Harman or Tessa Jowell smiling so broadly during Gordon Brown's answer, quite disquieting.

"British jobs for British workers" I cannot believe the way Gordon Brown is being allowed to get away with the regular use of this line. Can you imagine the furore if Michael Howard had said anything similar when he was leader of the Conservative party? "Playing the race card", the "nasty party" would have been the calls from the Labour front bench. The Labour party really are scared of losing votes to the BNP in working class constituencies in the north of England and Essex and Kent aren't they.

David Cameron doesn't go for Europe this week but instead opts for an attack on the Labour cock-up in the organising of the Scottish Assembly elections, nice line of attack, a surprise line of attack to me, but potentially a profitable one. "Party interest before voters interests...unacceptable conduct of ministers", David Cameron's line of attack on Gordon Brown and his government's honesty and trustworthiness is a good line of attack, it chimes with what is increasingly the public perception.
"Decisions made about the elections that could have been better made..."
Interruptions quelled by Mr Speaker Martin, the less said about his impartiality the better... No blame on any institution or any individual? Is that right? I thought blame was laid at the door of the Scottish Labour party, I will check..."all political parties must take their share of responsibility". Is that true? If it is I wonder in what proportions the responsibility should accrue?

Good grief, I see that Speaker Martin has to reprimand Ian Austin again, I couldn't hear what he was shouting. Named twice in two consecutive weeks, not good for you. "Stay away from my chair".

David Cameron attacking on trustworthiness again, "in a democracy that is a complete scandal" Man to blame was Scottish Secretary, so that's Douglas Alexander, who is now Labour's election (not that there was ever going to be one) coordinator. Lovely line about the international development secretary lecturing other countries on probity in elections. Gordon Brown wont like that, he's the son of a preacher man, don't you know, moral compass, vision etc. Maybe I do Gordon Brown a injustice, maybe he will accept the point with good grace....
"The right honourable member is misleading people.." can he say that? Oh dear, Gordon looks very flustered I think he realises that he shouldn't have said that, the stutter is returning to his voice - maybe he a pre-prepared line to impart..."Let me actually, let me actually" there's the repetition, he must be preparing to deliver a good one, I bet it's really funny and will sound very spontaneous... Oh, no we have Speaker Martin interrupting to deal with the hecklers, first, got to ensure that Gordon Brown has a nice quiet audience to hear his rib tickling line...Oh interesting, the Conservatives are calling "withdraw" and Speaker Martin is consulting with his clerks, Speaker Martin surely can't be about to tell the Prime Minister off, Gordon Brown might explode (if he did I would have heard about it on 5 Live news, wouldn't I? Nope the Speaker bottled it, it must be catching, he's just called for temperate language, Gordon gets up to speak, can David Cameron come up with a killer line in the next 20 seconds or so?
Gordon Brown is one angry PM, angry but not magnificent..
David Cameron "I don't know how the Prime Minister has the gall to accuse me of misleading.." "Look at page 17... party self interest evident in ministerial decision making.." Here comes the end line, hoping to be a sound bite on the News, "The Prime Minister promised us a new type of politics, he said he'd be more open and honest, he said he'd be frank about problems, he said he'd be candid about the dilemmas; that was in his leadership speech a hundred days ago, after his performance today, doesn't that feel like a hundred years ago?"
Now we will get a Gordon Brown learnt line to finish the exchange, will it have a stuttering start? Yes it did but there was no killer line, but Gordon Brown does sound ever more angry.

Nice question from Mr Donaldson and a reasonable answer from Gordon Brown.

Pete Wishart accusing the government of gerrymandering and monumental blundering, he wants a Scottish government. He wants an apology, I don't think he'll get one.
Nope, he gets a "regret" and a share of the blame.

A Conservative asks about foot and mouth and lays the blame at the government's door, Speaker Martin cuts him short, that's more like it Mr Speaker, protect the PM.
I don't think the Conservatives realise that Gordon Brown and most of the Labour party don't care about farmers.
Gordon Brown waffles a reply, "done what we can". "We will do everything in our power to help them" - Farmers should hold him to that uncosted commitment.

Lindsay Hoyle (Labour) asks about deporting foreign prisoners rather than early releasing rapists. Deport 4,000 foreign national prisoners this year, we will see. 1,000 Nigerians in British cells, that's an incredible number.


My assessment, Gordon Brown doesn't like answering questions and really David Cameron having a regular line of attack each week that Parliament sits, no wonder he's approved a few weeks extra holiday for Parliament...

One and a half hours to do the above, I need a break.