Who won?
Phil Taylor: For a man who has made a career of hating Liberal Democrats, the chance to take on Clegg in PMQs would have been one Jack Straw relished. Sadly it was an opportunity missed by failing to observe the main rule of asking questions – the shorter and sharper they are, the harder they are to avoid answering. By subjecting Clegg to several tirades, however tempting, he let him off the hook when actually Clegg’s misleading on Sheffield Forgemasters has been blatant. Long questions are also the best way to annoy backbenchers who consequently had less opportunities at PMQs than for some time. So while Clegg’s inconsistencies were exposed, it was an opportunity poorly handled – a draw at best.
Stephen Longden: Jack Straw. Despite showing a tendency towards long-windedness, he showed good judgement in attacking Clegg where he is most vulnerable. Clegg’s answers were dreadful. He did not even attempt to answer Straw’s question on the reason for the Sheffield Forgemasters loan cut; he responded to Straw’s question about marriage tax breaks by referring to the deficit (a problem which would surely be exacerbated by a needless tax break?) and topped it off with a rather undignified swipe about the “illegal invasion” of Iraq. He is fast becoming a caricature of himself.
Luke Akehurst: Straw. His forensic skills as a lawyer came through. A shame, as he said this was probably his “one and only” appearance at PMQs – he must have felt a bit maudlin as he was clearly qualified to be leader but accident of timing means this was as near as he’s got.
If this was the best the Lib Dems could manage after 88 years away from this level of politics (though actually PMQs only started in 1961) then they may be hoping for another 88 years before getting this level of exposure again.
Clegg was self-confident and assured but needlessly rude and disrespectful to Straw. The content of his answers was pathetic and seemed to consist mainly of trying to claim that the government has no choice about any of its decisions. If that is the case we needn’t bother having elections.
The politics were identical to Cameron but Cameron is at least funny and charismatic. Clegg is neither.
Best question
PT: Elfyn Llywd gave a better lesson in how to embarrass the Lib Dem leader, unearthing this gem from Clegg’s recent Guardian interview:”I am a revolutionary but I am also a pragmatist” and asking a pithy question about whether the VAT rise was the DPM being a revolutionary pragmatist or a pragmatic revutionary. It left Clegg squirming.
SL: Quoting Clegg’s earlier comments that he was both a revolutionary and a pragmatist, Elfin Llwyd asked whether the increase in VAT showed Clegg to be a revolutionary pragmatist or a pragmatic revolutionary. Picking a good topic, asked succinctly and humorously, the Plaid MP delighted Labour backbenchers and hurt Clegg with mockery.
LA: Straw on Sheffield Forgemasters. It is not often that a party leader is exposed for misleading the house (which Clegg had on the issue of whether the owners of Forgemasters were prepared to dilute their shareholding) but refuses to apologise or accept he misspoke. It’s even more serious given the impact on his own constituency. The numbers don’t stack up as this was a loan not a grant, other loans to other companies went ahead, and as Straw pointed out, the government has managed to find £550 million for marriage tax breaks which Clegg in his previous incarnation as a radical had described as “patronising drivel”.
Best backbencher
PT: Lib Dem Julian Hippert’s presumably pre-agreed question to Clegg on the detention of children of asylum seekers produced the only interesting announcement from the DPM – the good news that the Yarl’s Wood detention centre is to be closed. However, the best ‘genuine’ backbench question was from the excellent Kate Green MP. Her constituent claims the higher rate of DLA and now faces a medical test thanks to the Coalition’s heartless policy which goes far beyond Labour’s (correct) plan to test Incapacity Benefit claimants many of whom were put on by the Tories to fake the unemployment figures.
SL: Kate Green for her question about medical tests for disability living allowance. The government expects these tests to reduce the caseload by 20 per cent despite only 0.5 per cent of existing claims being fraudalent. The PLP is very fortunate to have policy experts like Green who can put the government under detailed scrutiny on issues which often receive too little attention. For the fightback to be effective, Labour needs to make good use of the talents of people like her.
LA: Ian Mearns (Lab, Gateshead) for making good use of the prime slot at the start of PMQs to blast Clegg on his complicity in the BSF cuts.