Who won?
Paul Richards: Harriet Harman’s first question is about unemployment. She asks the PM if he can guarantee that the budget won’t contain measures that will put people out of work. Of course he can’t, because all of Cameron’s rhetoric is about ‘clearing up the mess’ left behind by the Labour government. This will be a constant refrain up to, and during, the next general election. Harman and Cameron trade blows over the ILO unemployment figures. Cameron attempts to patronise her – never a good idea. Cameron quotes Gordon Brown ‘when he used to talk some sense, in the old days.’ The best way to get respectability in politics is to leave the frontline.
Harman has a good line about answering Cameron’s question, ‘when he’s supposed to be answering mine’. She accuses Cameron of talking the economy down; he ripostes ‘they did the economy down.’ Cameron demands an apology. Harman has a terrible pre-planned line about Cameron’s magic roundabout; even she looks embarrassed. Cameron switches to attack the Labour leadership contest – it looks like a ‘star trek’ convention, he says. A cruel, but telling, jibe, which gives sketchwriters and newspaper cartoonists a peg for unpleasant coverage.
Harman has put unemployment centre-stage, ahead of the budget. In some ways, she is right back where she started as an MP in 1982: a Tory-led government whose policies put people out of work.
Cameron is growing into his role at PMQs. The Tory PPSs and whips are planting plenty of questions. He looks well-briefed, and calm. Ahead of massive cuts and job losses, it is the calm before the storm.
Roland Marcelin-Horne: Phil Davies starting the session off with a timely reminder of Tory cuts, this time aiming it squarely at removing 4,000 Sky boxes enjoyed currently within the prison system. The PM’s response was predictable and blanket, agreeing that the coalition needed to be tougher on crime but had no money to deal as a result of the irresponsibility of Labour. Douglas Carswell continued along similar Tory ideology referring to a referendum on EU integration, with Cameron offering only a promise of no new powers leaving our shores without the say of the British people.
Unemployment policy was next on the agenda. Asking directly, can the coalition confirm next week’s budget will not increase the unemployment figures and target the poorest in our society? David Cameron was keen to stress to avoid policy and talk numbers. Harman did well to keep the rebuttal firmly on whether the poorest will be targeted in next week’s budget and she succeeded in getting the government front bench riled up enough to try and over use the ‘it’s Labour’s mess we are still clearing up’. This argument is slowly being exhausted and accolades go to Ms Harman for ousting this.
The mood continued down the same road of Cameron ignoring calls for clarity on his policies with continued reference to Labour’s apparent fiscal inadequacy, proclaiming the new coalition were still waiting for Labour’s budget submission. Harman once again rightly returned to the coalition cut in the Future Jobs Fund and relevant negative impact that would have on regional employment. Cameron had no response and opted for public finances, a card he clearly used too often.
Harman astutely took the wind from Cameron’s sails claiming ‘he is simply talking down the economy to push through his cuts’ in turn sending the PM over the edge. David Cameron claiming ‘Labour should start with an apology’, a weak argument in light of the favourable OBR comments made this week about Labour’s employment policy for the next two years.
The joke of the day didn’t come from the backbenchers and was rather a tale of magic roundabouts and sci-fi. Harman claiming the Tories’ current U-turn from their support of Labour’s economic policies in 2008 showed this wasn’t a case of magic numbers but rather a case of magic roundabouts. Cameron’s reply referred to the Star Trek looking Labour leadership campaign, asking for someone to ‘beam him up’ – doubtful considering the coalition will starve technological innovation in this parliament, although we can hope!
Harman 2 Coalition 1
Best backbencher:
PR: John Woodcock asks Cameron about the contracts for Astute class submarines, and if he will honour them. Cameron cannot offer a guarantee, and says it will be up to the defence review. A question about RDAs gives Cameron a chance to attack RDA spending on international offices and taxi fares. Margaret Hodge has a heartbreaking question about Nicky Blunden, a constituent dying of cancer, but whose drugs have been denied by NICE. Cameron says ‘if it can be done, it will be done’. Douglas Carswell asks for a referendum on EU integration. Cameron dodges it.
Jim Dobbin asks about ‘involuntary tranquilisation’ – a serious issue, and a sketchwriters’ dream. Cameron calls for more efforts to get people off drugs. Stephen Hepburn, Jarrow’s MP, asks for a meeting to discuss Siemens and manufacturing in the UK. Cameron agrees to meet him. An obvious planted question about debt by the new Tory MP for Gravesham. Top marks from the Tory whips. Barry Gardiner points to the local government cuts hitting poor people hardest. Cameron dodges it. The speaker calls Luciana Berger, and mispronounces her surname. She asks about cuts to history and geography courses at Liverpool John Moores University.
A sycophantic Tory MP praises the PM, and asks him to visit. She is lambasted by MPs on all sides. Bercow defends her, and Cameron says he remembers the speaker doing the same thing. Much hilarity all round.
Finally David Lammy invites Cameron to travel on the tube to White Hart Lane to see all the betting shops.
R M-H: Andrew Miller asked about the industrial support of Vauxhall to ensure it survives, in turn throwing up a question as to whether this support remains with Cameron giving a lukewarm ‘we’ll have to look and see’ response. Miller’s questions gave Cameron the opportunity to attack Peter Mandelson’s office for picking winners in marginals seats, all too obvious and dirty. John Woodcock asks the pertinent question about submarine defence contracts and whether these will be honoured, again David Cameron offering little in the way of certainty promising only a review.
David Evennett gets the prize of best backbencher for this PMQs exposing the coalition’s view on RDAs, allowing Cameron to give various stories of exuberance in various agencies, naturally without stressing some of the great work they have done in the past number of years. However, second prize went to Alan Beith’s questions about uplands use, offering a sour last note in Cameron’s response that extra homes should be a local issue! So no new homes expected soon then!
Margaret Hodge asked the best question today whilst giving a moving story about a constituent of hers with cancer who is unable to access the necessary drugs due to NICE protocols and PCT budgets. The house joined in offered sympathy with this situation and Cameron promised to discuss the matter further with the health secretary. We have our fingers crossed.
Finally, Barry Gardiner asked the excellent question on local funding and why there are disparities in areas of investment, stressing the people with the greatest need seem to bare the greatest burden. Cameron’s response was the hijacked pupil premium to the delight of his deputy. Time will only tell.
And finally finally, it was rather amusing to hear Harriet Baldwin remind us all of Labour’s NHS investment inviting David Cameron to come to her constituency to see the brand new hospital due to open next month. Thank god we made them ring fence it!
Best question, comment or joke?
PR: The best question was Margaret Hodge’s, on behalf of her constituent with cancer. The best line was Cameron’s description of a ‘star trek convention’.
Photo: UK Parliament