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Wednesday 2 July 2008

BBC reporting of PMQs

Further to my post about Gordon Brown's non answering of David Cameron's last question about the Keith Vaz accusations, I thought that I would take a look at the BBC's coverage. I was not surprised by what I found...
The page entitled "The full story: PM's questions" seems a little light in this area: LAURA KUENSSBERG'S VERDICT includes this summary:
"Firstly, "Deal or no deal" Mr Cameron wanted to know - quoting a letter published on the Telegraph website between the Labour chief whip and Keith Vaz, the Labour chair of the home affairs committee, implying that a deal had been done between the two men, to push the government's 42 day proposal through the Commons.

The PM, no surprises, dismissed the idea that any deal had been done. He was asked the direct questions "were there deals done ?" He answered with a firm "no." "

Hmm not quite the order in which questions were asked and answers answered, maybe the "AS IT HAPPENED - BY JUSTIN PARKINSON" will be more accurate: "1208: Mr Cameron asks Mr Brown to confirm no deal was made or jobs offered to win the recent vote on 42 days' detention without charge for terror suspects. Mr Brown gives a one-word answer: "Yes."

1209: Mr Cameron says the PM has an "utter inability to be straight with people". He asks about a letter published in the Telegraph from Chief Whip Geoff Hoon to Labour's home affairs committee chairman Keith Vaz, thanking him for his help over 42 days and saying he trusted he would be "appropriately rewarded" for supporting the government."

No mention of Gordon Brown's attempted reply or the Speaker's intervention. How odd.

I see that the page devoted to "Brown accused over 42-days letter" does report the detailed events rather more fully:
"Mr Cameron asked: "Will the prime minister confirm what he said on the 42 days vote, that no deals were done, no jobs were offered and no rewards were promised?"

When Mr Brown replied "yes" - Mr Cameron brought up the letter and asked what Mr Hoon had meant by "appropriately rewarded".

The prime minister explained: "That we thanked the chairman of the Home Affairs committee for doing exactly the right thing ... voting with the government."

Mr Cameron said it demonstrated the prime minister's "complete inability to be straight with people" and suggested Mr Hoon, who was also in the Commons, should be "wriggling with embarrassment"".

He asked Mr Brown: "Don't take people for fools, tell us the truth, what did he mean?"

Mr Brown replied: "He meant that he was thanking the chairman of the home affairs committee for doing exactly the right thing.

He began to say "if he has any allegation to make" but was interrupted by Speaker Michael Martin, who brought the exchanges to a halt."



Here is possibly for the first time Gordon Brown giving a straight (Yes/No) answer to a David Cameron question and then being accused of not being entirely honest, and yet the BBC try to minimise the story. Somehow I think that if it had been David Cameron accused of misleading Parliament the story would be rather more front-page.

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